How can you recover deleted files from recycle bin​？

The good news is that, in most cases, files deleted from your computer’s hard drive end up in the Recycle Bin rather than being permanently lost. The Recycle Bin serves as a safety net for deleted files, providing a window of opportunity to recover those files before they are overwritten or permanently erased.

1. Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin is a system folder in Windows designed to temporarily store deleted files. When you delete a file, it doesn’t immediately disappear from your hard drive; instead, it is moved to the Recycle Bin. This gives you an opportunity to restore the file if it was deleted by accident or if you change your mind later. Files remain in the Recycle Bin until you empty it, at which point they are permanently deleted from your system.

The Recycle Bin functions like a trash can: once the contents are emptied, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to recover the files without using advanced data recovery methods.

2. Why Files Go to the Recycle Bin

When you delete a file, Windows doesn’t immediately remove it from your hard drive. Instead, it marks the space occupied by the file as available for use, but the file itself remains in the Recycle Bin until it is either restored or permanently deleted. This is done to give users a chance to recover files that were deleted by mistake.

If you delete a file from a location like your desktop or within a folder, it is moved to the Recycle Bin unless it is too large to fit in the bin (in which case it is permanently deleted), or you use Shift + Delete to bypass the bin entirely. The Recycle Bin stores these files as long as there is space available, or until the user manually empties it.

3. How to Access the Recycle Bin

Accessing the Recycle Bin is straightforward. There are several ways you can open the Recycle Bin to check for deleted files:

Method 1: Using the Desktop Icon

By default, the Recycle Bin is located on your desktop. Simply double-click on the Recycle Bin icon to open it.

Method 2: Through File Explorer

Open File Explorer (you can press Windows Key + E or click on the folder icon in your taskbar).

In the left pane, scroll down to find and click on Recycle Bin under the “This PC” section.

4. How to Recover Files from the Recycle Bin

Once you’ve opened the Recycle Bin, you can view all the deleted files that are still available for restoration. Here are a few methods to recover your files:

Method 1: Restore Files via Context Menu

Open the Recycle Bin: Double-click on the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop or access it via File Explorer.

Select the File(s): Locate the file(s) you wish to recover. You can use Ctrl + Left Click to select multiple files, or Ctrl + A to select all files.

Right-Click the Selected File: After selecting the file(s), right-click on the file you wish to restore.

Click “Restore”: From the context menu, click on the Restore option. This will restore the selected files to their original location before they were deleted.

Method 2: Restore All Files Using the Recycle Bin Window

Open the Recycle Bin: As described above, open the Recycle Bin window.

Select All Files: If you want to restore all the files in the bin, simply click on the Home tab at the top of the window and then click Restore All Items.

Confirm the Restore Process: Windows will begin restoring all the files back to their original locations. Once the process is complete, the files will no longer be in the Recycle Bin, and they will reappear in the folders they were deleted from.

Method 3: Use File Explorer to Recover Files

If the file you’re looking for is located in the Recycle Bin, you can use File Explorer to restore it.

Open File Explorer: Press Windows Key + E to open File Explorer.

Navigate to the Recycle Bin: On the left sidebar of File Explorer, scroll down and click on Recycle Bin.

Search for the File: In the Recycle Bin, use the search bar at the top right to search for the deleted file by name.

Right-Click and Restore: Once you find the file, right-click on it and select Restore to restore it to its original location.

5. What to Do If Files Are Not in the Recycle Bin

In some cases, you might not find the file in the Recycle Bin. This can happen if:

The file was deleted using Shift + Delete, which bypasses the Recycle Bin.

The Recycle Bin has already been emptied.

The file was too large to fit into the Recycle Bin.

If this happens, here are some steps you can take:

Step 1: Check the Recycle Bin Settings

Windows allows users to set a maximum size for the Recycle Bin. If the bin reaches this size, older files are automatically deleted to make room for new ones. To check the Recycle Bin settings:

Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon and select Properties.

Check the Size Allocation: Under the General tab, you can see the maximum size of the Recycle Bin. If it is too small, older files might have been permanently deleted. You can adjust this size if necessary.

Step 2: Use a Data Recovery Tool

Panda Assistant is a versatile and user friendly data recovery software designed to help users retrieve lost or deleted files from a variety of storage devices, including hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, and more. Whether files have been deleted accidentally, lost due to system crashes, or corrupted by a virus, Panda Assistant offers a reliable solution for restoring them to their original location.

With a simple and intuitive interface, Panda Assistant allows users to easily scan and recover documents, photos, videos, and other file types, even from formatted or damaged storage devices. It supports a wide range of file systems, including NTFS, FAT, exFAT, and more, ensuring compatibility with most devices and operating systems.

6. Preventing Accidental Deletion

While recovering deleted files is possible, it’s always better to prevent data loss in the first place. Here are some tips to avoid accidental deletions:

Tip 1: Enable File History

File History is a built-in feature in Windows that automatically backs up files to an external drive or network location. Enabling File History can allow you to recover previous versions of files even if they have been deleted.

To enable File History:

Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.

Go to Update & Security > Backup.

Click on Add a Drive and select a storage device.

Turn on Automatically back up my files.

Tip 2: Use Cloud Storage Services

Cloud storage services like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox offer automatic backups of your files. These services not only keep your files safe from accidental deletion but also provide version history, allowing you to recover older versions of files.

Tip 3: Regular Backup Practices

Regularly back up your files to external storage devices or cloud services to avoid data loss. This is particularly important for important documents, photos, or videos that you cannot afford to lose.

The Recycle Bin serves as a safeguard for deleted files, providing a simple way to recover files that were accidentally removed. Understanding how to restore files from the Recycle Bin, along with steps to take if files aren’t there, can help you protect your data and avoid permanent loss. Additionally, implementing good backup practices and using cloud storage services can reduce the risk of data loss in the future. While it’s always best to prevent accidental deletion, knowing how to recover files from the Recycle Bin and employing data recovery tools can offer peace of mind when things go wrong.