How to recover a deleted draft​？

Drafts are an essential part of the writing process. Whether you’re crafting an important email, working on a novel, or preparing a research paper, drafts serve as the foundation of your work. Unfortunately, accidental deletions, system crashes, or unexpected errors can lead to the loss of these drafts, causing frustration and anxiety.

1. Check the Recycle Bin or Trash Folder

If your draft was saved as a document on your computer or in a cloud storage service like Google Drive, the first place to check is the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac).

Steps to Recover from Recycle Bin (Windows):

Open the Recycle Bin from the desktop.

Look for the deleted draft file.

Right-click on the file and select “Restore.”

Steps to Recover from Trash (Mac):

Open the Trash folder from the dock.

Locate the deleted draft file.

Right-click and choose “Put Back.”

If the draft was recently deleted, this method is the quickest way to restore it.

2. Restore from Temporary Files

Many applications create temporary files while you work. If your draft was lost due to a crash, you might find it in the temporary files folder.

Steps to Find Temporary Files on Windows:

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.

Type %temp% and press Enter.

Look for files with extensions like .tmp, .asd (for Word), or .bak.

Open the files to check if they contain your lost draft.

Steps to Find Temporary Files on Mac:

Open Finder and select “Go” from the menu.

Choose “Go to Folder” and type /private/var/folders.

Search for relevant temporary files.

3. Use Auto-Recovery Features

Some software applications have built-in auto-recovery functions that can help retrieve lost drafts.

Microsoft Word:

Open Word and go to “File” > “Info”.

Click on “Manage Document” > “Recover Unsaved Documents.”

Look for your draft and save it immediately.

Google Docs:

Open Google Drive and search for the document title.

If it’s not found, check the “Trash” folder in Google Drive.

Restore the document if it was accidentally deleted.

Email Clients (e.g., Gmail, Outlook):

Open the email application.

Navigate to the “Drafts” folder.

If not found, check the “Trash” or “Deleted Items” folder.

Restore the draft if possible.

4. Check Cloud Storage Backups

If you saved the draft in cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, these platforms often keep backup versions of files.

Google Drive:

Go to Google Drive and open “Activity” to check recent file changes.

Click on “File” > “Version History” to restore an earlier version.

Dropbox:

Log into Dropbox and go to “Deleted Files.”

Find the missing draft and restore it.

OneDrive:

Open OneDrive and navigate to “Recycle Bin.”

Locate and restore the deleted draft.

5. Use Data Recovery Software

Accidentally deleting an important draft can be frustrating, especially if it contained valuable information. Fortunately, Panda Assistant provides an effective solution for recovering lost drafts. Whether the draft was in a word processor, an email client, or a note-taking app, this guide will walk you through the process of retrieving it using Panda Assistant.

Step 1: Check the Recycle Bin or Trash Folder

Before using Panda Assistant, check if the deleted draft is in your system’s Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac). Many applications also have built-in recovery features, such as:

Microsoft Word/Google Docs: Check the “Version History” or “Recent Documents.”

Email Clients: Look for a “Drafts” or “Deleted Items” folder.

Note-taking Apps: Check for “Recently Deleted” or “Trash” sections.

If the draft is not there, proceed to using Panda Assistant.

Step 2: Launch Panda Assistant

Download and install Panda Assistant if you haven’t already.

Open the program and navigate to the File Recovery section.

Step 3: Select the Location of the Deleted Draft

Panda Assistant allows you to choose a specific location to scan. Depending on where your draft was saved, select:

Documents folder (for Word, Notepad, or other text files)

App data folder (for drafts from specific applications)

Email storage location (for drafts from Outlook or Thunderbird)

Step 4: Run a Quick Scan

Click “Scan” to start searching for recently deleted drafts. Panda Assistant’s Quick Scan usually finds files that were recently deleted but still exist in the system. If the draft is found, you can recover it instantly.

Step 5: Run a Deep Scan (If Needed)

If the Quick Scan doesn’t find your draft, try a Deep Scan. This method thoroughly searches for lost files, even if they were overwritten. The Deep Scan may take longer but increases the chances of recovering your draft.

Step 6: Preview and Restore the Draft

Once the scan is complete:

Locate the deleted draft in the search results.

Use the Preview feature to confirm it’s the correct file.

Click Recover and choose a safe location to save the restored draft (preferably not the same location where it was lost).

Step 7: Save and Back Up Your Work

To prevent future data loss:

Enable Auto-Save in word processors.

Use Cloud Storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.

Regularly Back Up important drafts to an external drive.

6. Contact Support or IT Assistance

For critical drafts, you may need professional help:

Google Support – If the draft was in Google Docs, contact Google support for recovery assistance.

IT Department – If you were working on a company device, IT may have backups.

Professional Data Recovery Services – For severe data loss, specialists can recover files from damaged or formatted drives.