Guide to Retrieve Erased Documents on Your Computer
When clearing memory on your PC, did you accidentally delete files that are important to you? You still have a chance to get them back. Here is how to recover deleted files using Windows tools and using third-party programs.
Table of Contents
Are Files Always Recoverable?
Not always. Once a file is deleted, the space it occupied is marked as free, making it available for new data. If this space is overwritten by new files, the deleted file becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recover.
You will be 100% able to recover the files that you deleted to the trash, and first of all look there. Sometimes files are deleted bypassing the Recycle Bin (for example, by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Del), and the Recycle Bin itself is emptied. Sometimes you don’t remember at all who, what and how exactly deleted the file, but you just see that it is neither in place nor in the trash. In such cases, the very possibility of recovery depends on several factors.
If you have backed up your lost files or set them up to automatically back up in advance, it is highly likely that you will recover them.
In the absence of a backup, you can try to restore the deleted files using special programs – there is no regular tool built into Windows. There is no guarantee of recovery either: there are several circumstances at once that affect the likelihood of recovering lost information.
If you have lost files, they are not in the recycle bin, and backup has not been configured, try to do a minimum of actions on the computer before the end of the recovery procedure. Do not install or remove programs, copy or delete files.
How to Recover Deleted Files from a Computer Backup
Starting from version 8.1, the Windows operating system provides a restoring option – file history backup. To use it, you need to set up data archiving on a hard drive, built-in or external.
Enabling backup won’t help if the files have already been deleted. Manual or automatic copying must be provided in advance so that there is something to restore information with. Backups take up a lot of space if you copy everything. However, we recommend backing up at least the most important data for you – documents, photos, saved computer games. Very often, this is exactly what will be nowhere to download again. But, for example, music, films and the games themselves, it is doable.
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Recover Deleted Files If There Is No Backup. Best programs
There are many programs that allow you to find and return erased files. Including those that you deleted a long time ago. There are important nuances.
Every file on your PC takes up physical disk space. If you erase the file, the space becomes free. So, you can restore a file if the space it occupied is not overwritten by another file. That is why you should limit any actions from your PC as soon as you discover a file loss. Do not delete other files in the trash, do not copy, install or remove programs – first try to restore what you have lost. If a file was deleted a long time ago, then there is a high probability that its place has already been taken – such a file probably cannot be restored in any way.
Defragment your PC disks at least once a month. Firstly, it will slightly speed up the computer, and secondly, it will increase the chances of recovering deleted files if necessary. If your PC did not have a file recovery program, you will have to download and install it. Well, if the developers offer to download a version that does not require installation (portable version, portable version) – download and save it to a USB flash drive, not the built-in disk of your PC. From a flash drive and run.
Here are some good programs, they all work on a similar principle:
Recuva Test Disk (does not require installation);
Puran File Recovery (there is a portable version)
Glarysoft File Recovery.
Do not save recoverable files to the same drive they were deleted from. Always choose another! Backup is a norm for any competent PC or smartphone user. And if there is a problem with the space on your gadget, make a backup in the cloud.
Further Clarification to Avoid Disasters
Use System Restore
If File History was not enabled and there is no backup, one can also use the System Restore feature on Windows. This brings the system back to a previous state, but this may also undo some other changes made since the restore point.
The Need for Speed
The sooner one tries to recover the deleted files, the higher the chances of success. The longer the delay, the higher the likelihood that the space once occupied by the deleted files has been overwritten.
Avoid Downloading to the Affected Disk
If a file is deleted from the system’s primary hard drive and there’s no file recovery software installed, it’s crucial not to download the recovery software directly to that drive. Use another PC to download the software and transfer it via a USB.
Safe Mode
For better results, one can boot their PC in Safe Mode before running recovery software. This minimizes the system processes and reduces the chances of the space being overwritten.
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Use Deep Scan
Most of the recovery software, like Recuva, offers a deep scan mode which scans the drive byte by byte. It takes longer but increases the chances of finding and recovering the deleted files.
Check for Previous Versions
Before using any software, it’s worth checking if there are previous versions of the file available. Right-click on the folder where the file was located, select ‘Restore previous versions’, and see if a backup exists.
Professional Help
If the data is extremely vital and the methods above don’t yield positive results, consider seeking professional data recovery services. Finally, it can’t be emphasized enough how crucial regular backups are. The hassle and uncertainty of data recovery can be entirely avoided with a reliable backup system in place. Cloud services, external drives, or even NAS devices for home users can make the backup process seamless and automatic.