How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (2024)

Can Permanently Deleted Files Be Recovered

Yes, you canrecover permanently deleted files.

Are permanently deleted files gone forever? When you delete a file or folder from your computer, it doesn't simply disappear from existence. Even if you immediately empty the Recycle Binor the Trash folder, all your deletion does is mark the space that the file takes up on your hard drive as vacant. Thus, your permanently deleted files can be recovered if you know how.

Here are some effective ways to recover permanently deleted filesfrom a PC.

Methods to undo permanent delete

User experience

🔁Restore from Recycle Bin

When you delete files on a PC using common deleting ways like pressing the Delete key or clicking Delete from the context menu. However,you can't restore deleted files with this solution if you remove files completely with the Shift+Delete keys or empty Recycle Bin.
Recover with file recovery softwareThis most efficient solution uses advanced and specialized deleted files recovery software to scan your hard disk and retrieve permanently deleted files. It is effective in most scenarios, and the recovery rate is very high compared with other approaches.
📀Restore from BackupIf you have created a backup of the files that were deleted, you can restore them from the backup. This method only works when you have a recent backup. You may lose your data permanently if you haven't backed up files beforehand.

How to Restore Permanently DeletedFiles from Recycle Bin

How to recover files deleted from the Recycle Bin? To recover deleted files in Windows 10 from the Recycle Bin on a PC or laptop:

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin by right-clicking its icon on your desktop.

Step 2. Select "Open" from the menu to view deleted files.

Step 3. Check the box to the left of the filename you want to restore.

Step 4. Right-click on the selected file and choose "Restore" to recover the file to its original location on Windows 10.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (1)
Have you tried the abovemethodfor restoring the Recycle Bin?If it's helpful, share it on your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

What if you find that the Recycle Bin is empty? What if the files you want to restore are unavailable in the Recycle Bin? How do you recover permanently deleted files from the Recycle Bin in these cases? The methods outlined below will help you out.

Check the video tutorial to restorepermanently deleted files:

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (2)

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with Software

Support: recover permanently deleted files from a PC or laptop running Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, or XP without backup.

Most data recovery methods, including the ones built into Windows 10, require that you have a backup to restore your files. If you haven't got any backups, one of the options you can try is to use a data recovery program. There are many such programs on the market, and you can try the one that you think is good.

Download for Win Recovery Rate 99.7%

Download for Mac Trustpilot Rating 4.7

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is one of those programs, and it's been in the market for several years.

  • Recover lost or deleted files, documents, photos, audio, music, and emails effectively
  • Recover deleted files from hard drive, emptied recycle bin, memory card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorders
  • Support data recovery for sudden deletion, formatting, hard drive corruption, virus attacks, and system crashes under different situations

Now, download this data recovery tool and then follow the guide below to restorepermanently deleted files on your PC with simple steps.

Step 1. Select a location and start scanning

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, hover on the partition/drive where the deleted files were stored. Click "Scan" to find lost files.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (3)

Step 2. Select the files you want to recover

When the scanning has finished, select the deleted files you want to recover. You can click on the filter to display only the file types you want.If you remember the file name, you can also search in the "Search files or folders" box, whichis the fastest way to find the target file.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (4)

Step 3. Preview and recover deletedfiles

Preview the recoverable files. Then, select files you want to restore and click "Recover" to store the files at a new storage locations instead of the disk where the data was previously lost.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (5)

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files Free

EaseUS free data recovery software allows you to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10/8/7 for free as long as the data you lose is less than 2GB. If you want to recover more than 2GB or unlimited data, you need to go for EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro.

Hi Lola, if you can get hold of it try a software called EaseUS Data Recovery. In the past I was able to recover files that I permanently deleted from my computer by accident

— RICH (@RICH__UTD) July 23, 2021

How to Restore Permanently Deleted Files Without Software

If the deleted file recovery software is not your first preference, you can try File History to recover permanently deleted files. This method won't work if you don't have a data backup.

Recover Permanently Deleted Files on PC from Previous Versions

Support: Undo permanent file loss with File History backup. This method doesn't work without a backup.

If you enabled File History before getting your files deleted, you can use that feature to restore the deleted files on your computer. This method should work even if you deleted your files using the Shift + Delete method that removes your files for good. Do not attempt to use this method if you didn’t enable it before losing the files.

For Windows 11/10/8.1/8 users:

Step 1. Open the Start menu.

Step 2. Type restore files and hit Enter on your keyboard.

Step 3. Look for the folder where your deleted files were stored.

Step 4. Select the "Restore" button in the middle to undelete Windows 10 files to their original location.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (6)

If the computer warns you that it already contains a file or folder with the same name, select "Replace the file in the destination" to return your permanently deleted files or folder.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (7)

For Windows 7 and older OS users:

This method may or may not work, but you can give it a shot to see if it helps you recover your permanently deleted files on Windows 7 and earlier.

Step 1. Create a new file or folder on the desktop and name it the same as the deleted file or folder.

Step 2. Right-click the new file or folder and choose "Restore previous versions". Windows will search for and list the previous versions of files or folders with this name along with their associated dates.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (8)

Step 3. Choose the latest version and click "Restore" to get your deleted file or folder back.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (9)

Here are the complete methods recommended by Microsoft for recovering permanently deleted files from backup or previous versions on Windows 10 PC. To undelete permanent files in Windows 11, access fromthe link below.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (10)

Recover Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 11

Lost data permanently on the new Windows 11 but don't know how to recover it? Learn three workable ways to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 11.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (11)

Restore Permanently Deleted Files via Backup and Restore

Support: Bring lost files back using a previously created file or folder backup. This method won't work if there is no backup generated before.

If you have created a backup of all valuable files and folders on an external hard drive, you could effectively restore the lost files from the backup. Or, if you have turned on Windows Backup, you still have a chance.

Here's how to restore the deleted files and folders from Windows Backup:

Step 1. Open the Start menu.

Step 2. Type backupand hit Enter on your keyboard.

Step 3. Select the "Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" option under Looking for an older backup.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (12)

Step 4. Click the "Select another backup to restore files from" option and choose your backup.

Step 5. Click "Next" and follow the instructions to complete the recovery process.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (13)

Conclusion

If you enabled File Backup or Windows Backup prior to losing files, those file recovery methods should be your first choice to recover permanently deleted files. If you don't have any backups, don't panic; you can still recover your files.

There are many data recovery tools on the market to help you out, and if you can't think of anything, start with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.

Download for Win Recovery Rate 99.7%

Download for Mac Trustpilot Rating 4.7

We have listed different solutions to recover deleted files on a PC or laptop so that you can choose a methodaccording to your needs:

Deleted ScenesRecycle BinData Recovery SoftwarePrevious VersionsFile Backup & Restore
Deleted files recovery
Permanently deleted filesrecovery×
Emptied Recycle Binrecovery×
Need backup××
Recovery rateLowHighLowLow

Doesthis tutorial resolve your problem? Help others discover it by sharing it on your social media.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files FAQs

Using the methods above, you can recover permanently deleted files and folders on your PC with ease. If you still have any issues restoring permanently deleted files onMac, iPhone, Android, or Google Drive, the following instructions should help you.

1. Where Do Permanently Deleted Files Go?

If you permanently delete a file, you only remove the entry for that file and not the file itself. The file is removed from the file system tables, but it is not wiped off. In fact, it's still physically present on the hard disk.

Ideally, you should stop using the hard drive and then use a data recovery program to scan and recover the lost files. The sooner you do the data recovery after you delete your file, the better the chances of recovery will be.

2. How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Cloud Drive?

Take Google Drive as an example:

Step 1. Move to drive.google.com/drive/trash.

Step 2. Right-click the file you want back and choose "Restore".

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (14)

However, if you click "Deleted Forever" from the trash bin, it is hard to recover files from the trash bin in Google Drive. Read also and get more details:How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Google Drive

3. How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files for Free?

There are many free software programs out there to help you recover deleted files on your devices. You can start with something like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free and see how it helps you get your lost files back. Tools like this usually work on all modern Windows versions, including Windows 10/8/7.

The steps to use these tools are usually as follows:

Step 1. Launch the free data recovery tool on your computer and let it scan the drive where your lost files were located.

Step 2. Take a look at the list of files the tool can recover for you.

Step 3. Select the files to be recovered and click the "Recover" button.

4. How to Retrieve Permanently Deleted Files on Android

You can also get back photos or videos from Android with a PC. All you need to do is download EaseUS MobilSaver for Android. Then, refer to this guide:recover permanently deleted files Android.

5. How to Restore Permanently Deleted Files on iPhone

You may be wondering if you can recover deleted photos, videos, or files that the iPhone removed. The good news is, in many cases, you can. But, if you can't locate the image in the Photos app, chances are it's lost forever.

However, all hope is not lost. You can use EaseUS iOS data recovery softwareto try to recover deleted folders or files on iPhone 14/13/12/11/11 Pro/XS/XS Max/XR with iOS 15-iOS 8. Here's how you do this:

Step 1. Download and launch EaseUS MobiSaver.

Step 2. Connect iPhone to Your PC. Click "Recover from iOS device" on the left and click "Start".

Step 3. EaseUS MobiSaver will automatically scan your devices and find your lost data. Just wait for the scan to complete.

Step 4. You can choose the lost data such as your photos, videos, contacts, SMS, notes, voice mails, and other files you want to recover and save those data to another location.

6. How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files on Mac

If you are a Mac user, you can also restore permanently deleted Mac files with the software, Time Machine, or Terminal. The Terminal method only works if your deleted files are still in the Trash. Feel free to use this method if you haven't removed your files from Trash yet. As for Time Machine, you're going to need a Time Machine backup to restore your files.

If you don't meet the requirements for the above methods, your last resort is to rely on a data recovery tool. Again, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can potentially bring your lost files back to your Mac.

Step 1. Select the device location where you deleted files. Click the "Scan" button to pinpoint permanently deleted files.

Step 2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will list the files it finds in the left-hand sidebar.

Step 3. Preview the items you are looking for and click the "Recover Now" button to restore permanently deleted files on Mac.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software (2024)

FAQs

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC with or Without Software? ›

Search for the control panel from the start menu and then go for backup and restore it from the interface that appears. On the next window that appears you need to hit the 'Restore My Files" button to recover the data without any software whatsoever.

How to recover permanently deleted files without any software? ›

Search for the control panel from the start menu and then go for backup and restore it from the interface that appears. On the next window that appears you need to hit the 'Restore My Files" button to recover the data without any software whatsoever.

Is there any way to restore permanently deleted files in PC? ›

Press the Windows key, enter Windows File Recovery in the search box, and then select Windows File Recovery. When you are prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes. There are 2 basic modes you can use to recover files: Regular and Extensive.

Are deleted files really and truly gone from the computer? ›

Normally when we delete a file, it will go to the recycle bin. And after emptying the recycle bin, we think, it is removed from our computer permanently. Not at all! Even you emptying the recycle bin, it still exist in your computer so that some data recovery software can help to reocover the files.

Are permanently deleted files gone forever? ›

When you permanently delete a file, the storage drive makes its space available for new data. However, the file is not deleted. It remains on the hard drive; only the file pointers get deleted. (The File pointer shows you where the file exists and keeps track of it being accessed.)

How to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10 without any software? ›

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 10 Without Software - from Backups
  1. Connect your backup storage media to your Windows PC.
  2. Press Windows + I keys and navigate to "Settings".
  3. Choose "Update & Security" > "Backup".
  4. Click "Go to Backup & Restore (Windows 7)".
  5. Click "Restore My Files".
Dec 25, 2023

Where are permanently deleted files stored? ›

For Windows computers, deleted files go to the Recycle Bin. On macOS machines, they go to the Trash. And for Android and iPhone devices, files are stored in the phone's memory until they are overwritten by new data. Fortunately, there are ways to recover deleted files on all these devices.

How to recover permanently deleted files using cmd? ›

Now, in the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk 'drive letter:' /f and then press the Enter key. For instance, C:\USER\PROGRAM FILE\chkdsk D: /f. Press Y and wait till the command lines start again recover permanently deleted files using Command Prompt. After that, you have to type drive letter again and then hit Enter.

Can computer forensics find deleted files? ›

The cross-drive analysis is a forensic technique to recover deleted data from digital devices. It involves comparing the contents of multiple hard drives or other storage media to identify files that may have been deleted on one device but still exist elsewhere.

What happens when you permanently delete a file on Windows? ›

The permanently delete function deletes the file bypassing the recycle bin, there are no additional steps in the process, and yes, the files can be recovered using a third-party tool.

Where do permanently deleted files go after the Recycle Bin? ›

Once purged from the Recycle Bin, the deleted files are rendered inaccessible through Windows File Explorer but are still stored on the storage device they were deleted from. They are then allowed to be overwritten by new data.

What happens when something is permanently deleted? ›

Are Deleted Files Completely Erased Forever? A common misconception when deleting files is that they are completely removed from the hard drive. However, users should be aware that highly sensitive data can still be retrieved from a hard drive even after the files have been deleted because the data is not really gone.

Are files gone forever if you delete them from the Recycle Bin? ›

When a file is permanently deleted from the Recycle Bin(your device storage), it still resides on the hard drive until it's overwritten with new data. Therefore, a data recovery tool can be used to restore some or all of the data.

How far back can deleted files be recovered? ›

You are not sure when a deleted file can be overwritten. So, there is no fixed answer to how long is too long before a deleted file is unrecoverable. You might discover that some files that were deleted years ago are still recoverable. But, some files that were deleted recently become unrecoverable.

How do I manually recover deleted files? ›

Open the Recycle Bin from either the desktop or the Start menu. Locate the missing file you want to restore. Highlight the file you need and click "Restore." If you require a bulk restore, you can select multiple files and click "Restore the selected items" in the top left.

How can I recover permanently deleted files from the Recycle Bin for free? ›

How to recover permanently deleted files from the Recycle Bin?
  1. Check if the Recycle Bin is already emptied.
  2. Use Previous Version from File History.
  3. Use Windows Backup and Restore.
  4. Check cloud storage like OneDrive.
  5. Use data recovery software.
Jan 9, 2024

Can a permanently deleted folder be recovered? ›

If it is permanently deleted using Shift + Delete or the Recycle Bin is emptied, the folder may still be recoverable using data recovery software. Can I recover a deleted folder from a formatted drive? Yes, it is possible to recover a deleted folder from a formatted drive using specialized data recovery software.

How to recover permanently deleted files not in Recycle Bin? ›

Retrieve deleted files not in the recycle bin from previous versions only works if you turn on the file history backup. Do a right-click of the mouse on the folder that contains deleted files. Then a sub-context menu appears with a lot of options. Over there, you need to click on the Restore previous versions option.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Last Updated:

Views: 6442

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Birthday: 1998-02-19

Address: 64841 Delmar Isle, North Wiley, OR 74073

Phone: +17844167847676

Job: Forward IT Agent

Hobby: LARPing, Kitesurfing, Sewing, Digital arts, Sand art, Gardening, Dance

Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.