A common problem faced by Windows users is realizing that they need a deleted file after the Recycle Bin has been emptied. While their first reaction may be to panic, the situation is not as bad as it seems. Disk Drill for Windows offers a method that enables users to perform the recycle bin recovery in a few simple clicks.
Recover Deleted Files from a Recycle Bin
You’ve probably already done that, but practice shows that many users often forget to check if the files have actually been deleted. So, to recover data directly from the Recycle Bin:
- Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking on its icon.
- Locate the items that you want to recover.
- Check the box next to the files or folders you want to retrieve.
- Right-click and select Restore to recover the items to their original locations.
How to Recover Deleted Files from a Recycle Bin After Empty
5 EASY STEPS
Step 1. Download, Install and Launch Disk Drill to Start the Recycle Bin Recovery
After Disk Drill is installed on your computer, start the app on your PC. The free version of the program enables you to recover up to 500 MB of data. When the application starts, you will be prompted to upgrade to the Pro Edition of the tool which has no limitation on the amount of data that can be recovered.
Step 2. Choose the Location and Start Scanning for Lost Files
Disk Drill’s main window will display all the disks that are available for recovery. Clicking the Search for lost data button after selecting the disk on which the Recycle Bin resides (this is usually your computer’s main internal drive) initiates the scanning procedure, which defaults to using all available scanning methods. You can also select the drop-down options next to the selected disk and choose a Quick scan for a faster restore or Deep scan for more thorough recovery results.
Step 3. Preview and Select the Files That You Want to Recover
Once Disk Drill finishes scanning your disk, you’ll be able to preview the files available for restoration in the recovery panel. Files are grouped by type, such as Pictures or Documents, to streamline this process. You can view all files inside a folder and nested subfolders by holding the ALT key and clicking on the top folder. To preview a file, simply hover your mouse over it and click the preview icon (a small eye). When you find a file or folder that you want to recover, click the checkbox next to it to add it to the recovery queue.
Step 4. Click the “Recover” Button to Perform the Recovery
After making your selections, click the Recover button and you will be prompted to choose a recovery destination for the selected files. Avoid using the same disk to minimize the chances of file corruption during recovery. Disk Drill will confirm that you’ve selected a suitable destination. Click OK to proceed.
Step 5. View the Recovered Files
It should take just a short while for Disk Drill to recover your files and display the “Data recovery complete” message. To view the recovered files, click the magnifying glass icon next to the recovery path. Alternatively, you can return to the list of all the disks that are available for recovery and try a different recovery method or scan another disk.
Recover Files Deleted From a Recycle Bin after Empty Without Software
Restore a Previous Version from File History
Windows offers the capability to recover previous versions of files by using the following procedure.
- Right-click on the folder that contained the deleted file.
- Choose Restore previous version from the menu.
- Select the version you want to restore and click the Recover button.
Restoring with Windows Backup
If you use the Windows Backup tool to protect your data, you can use it to recover deleted files with the following steps.
On Windows 7 systems:
- Open Control Panel.
- Select System and Security.
- Choose Backup and Restore.
- Click Restore my files and follow the wizard.
Windows 10 users should:
- Open Settings.
- Choose Update & Security.
- Select the Backup.
- Click the More options.
- Choose Restore files from a current backup and follow the prompts.
What’s the Best Way to Prevent the Loss of Important Data
It’s always a good idea to take extra steps in order to prevent the loss of important data. Even though it’s usually possible to recover deleted files from the Recycle Bin or using a data recovery software tool like Disk Drill, why risk permanent data loss when you can easily prevent it by following the tips below?
Back Up Your Data
Maintain Your Computer
Use an UPS
Avoid Overclocking
Don’t Disable Your Antivirus
Buy Reliable Hardware Components
Frequently Asked Questions
They don’t go anywhere! Windows simply marks the storage space they occupy as free, allowing other files to be stored on it. Until the original files are overwritten, you can recover them with a data recovery software tool like Disk Drill.
If you cannot locate the Recycle Bin icon, you can try these methods to make it visible again.
Method 1 – Verify the icon settings are set to display the Recycle Bin.
- Click the Start button and then Settings or select Personalize after right-clicking on the desktop.
- Choose Personalization > Themes > Desktop Icons settings.
- Check the box next to the Recycle Bin selection and click
Method 2 – Turn off Windows 10 Tablet Mode.
- Open Start > Settings > System > Tablet > Change additional tablet settings.
- Toggle off the options that Hide app icons on the taskbar and Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode.
Method 3 – create a Recycle Bin shortcut
- Go to File Explorer and select the C: disk.
- Click on the View tab and then select Settings.
- Choose change folder and search settings.
- Make sure that the hide protected operating system files checkbox is not selected. Uncheck it if it is.
- Ensure that show hidden files, folders and drives is selected.
- Go back to File Explorer and delete the folder named $RECYCLE.BIN.
- A new Recycle Bin will appear and you should be presented with an icon on your desktop.
To use the Windows 10 Recycle Bin to recover files, use these steps:
- Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking on its icon.
- Locate the items that you want to recover.
- Check the box next to the files or folders you want to retrieve.
- Right-click and select Restore to recover the items to their original locations.
You can also drag files out of the Recycle Bin to an alternate location.
The Trash Bin is the macOS equivalent of the Windows Recycle Bin. Use this procedure to recover files if you have emptied the Trash.
- Download, install and start Disk Drill for Mac on a different disk or partition than the one that contains the Trash Bin.
- Select the disk where the Trash Bin is located.
- Click the Recover button to start scanning the disk for lost data.
- Preview the files that can be recovered and make your selections.
- Click Recover again after choosing a new location for the data on a different disk than the one with the Trash Bin.
To recover permanently deleted files from the Recycle Bin, you need to use data recovery software. The data is still accessible by the software as long as the original files have not been overwritten. Emptying the bin only logically deletes the files from your system and they are still physically on the disk until overwritten by new data.
Recover files from an emptied Recycle Bin in Windows 7 with these steps:
- Download and install free Disk Drill data recovery software.
- Launch the program and choose the file type to be recovered.
- Select the disk containing the Recycle Bin.
- Click Search for lost data to begin scanning for deleted files.
- Select the files to be recovered and click Recover to restore the items.
The maximum size of the Recycle Bin is automatically configured based on the size of your storage device. When you attempt to delete a file that exceeds the maximum size of the Recycle Bin, you will see the “This folder is too big to recycle” message and be presented with the option to permanently delete it. If you select “Yes,” you won’t be able to recover the file from the Recycle Bin. However, you can still recover all permanently deleted files using a data recovery software tool like Disk Drill.