How to recover a file deleted from a shared drive​?

Recovering Deleted Files from a Shared Drive in Windows

Recycle Bin Check

Local Recycle Bin: In Windows, when you delete a file from a shared drive that is mapped to your local system, the file might first go to the local Recycle Bin. Open the Recycle Bin on your desktop. You can do this by double-clicking on the Recycle Bin icon. Once open, look for the deleted file. If you find it, right-click on the file and select “Restore”. This will move the file back to its original location in the shared drive.

Shared Drive’s Recycle Bin: Some shared drive services, like those based on Windows Server, have their own Recycle Bin feature. Access the shared drive through File Explorer. Look for a folder named “Recycle Bin” or something similar. It might be at the root of the shared drive or in a specific system folder. Open this Recycle Bin and check if the deleted file is there. If so, you can usually right-click and restore it in the same way as the local Recycle Bin.

Previous Versions or Shadow Copies

Using Previous Versions in Windows: If the shared drive is configured to support previous versions, you can try to restore the file using this feature. Locate the folder in the shared drive where the file was originally located. Right-click on the folder and select “Properties”. In the Properties window, go to the “Previous Versions” tab. Here, you’ll see a list of available previous versions of the folder, which may include versions where the file was still present. Select the appropriate previous version and click “Restore”. This will restore the entire folder to that previous state, including the deleted file.

Shadow Copies: Windows Server may have Shadow Copies enabled for the shared drive. This feature creates snapshots of the drive at certain intervals. To access shadow copies, you can use the VSSAdmin tool in the Command Prompt. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator and use commands like vssadmin list shadows to view available shadow copies. Then, you can use vssadmin restore shadow followed by the appropriate shadow copy ID to restore the shared drive to a state where the file was not deleted.

Recovering Deleted Files from a Shared Drive in macOS

Trash Check

Local Trash: Similar to the Recycle Bin in Windows, macOS has a Trash folder. When you delete a file from a shared drive mounted on your Mac, it may go to the local Trash. Locate the Trash icon in the Dock and click on it to open the Trash. Look for the deleted file. If you find it, you can either drag it back to its original location in the shared drive or right-click on it and select “Put Back” to restore it to its original position.

Shared Drive’s Trash: Some networked shared drives based on macOS Server or other systems may have their own Trash mechanism. Check the shared drive in the Finder to see if there is a dedicated Trash folder. If so, open it and search for the deleted file. The process of restoring from this Trash is usually similar to the local Trash; you can drag the file back or use a “Put Back” option.

Time Machine Backup

Using Time Machine: If your Mac is configured to use Time Machine for backups and the shared drive is included in the backup, you can use Time Machine to recover the deleted file. Connect the external drive or network location where the Time Machine backups are stored. Open the folder in the shared drive where the file was originally located in the Finder. Then, click on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select “Enter Time Machine”. This will take you to the Time Machine interface, where you can browse through different backup snapshots. Navigate to the point in time when the file was still present and select the file. Click the “Restore” button to bring the file back to its original location in the shared drive.

Recovering Deleted Files from a Cloud-Based Shared Drive

Google Drive

Trash in Google Drive: When you delete a file from a Google Drive shared with you, it usually goes to the Trash. Log in to your Google Drive account through a web browser. On the left sidebar, click on “Trash”. Look for the deleted file in the Trash list. If you find it, click on the three dots next to the file and select “Restore”. This will move the file back to its original location in the shared drive.

Version History: Google Drive also keeps version history for files. Open the file in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides (if it’s a Google Workspace file). Click on “File” and then “Version history” and “See version history”. Here, you can view different versions of the file and restore an earlier version if the deletion was due to incorrect editing. For other file types, you can right-click on the file in Google Drive and select “Manage versions” to access and restore previous versions.

Microsoft OneDrive

Recycle Bin in OneDrive: Sign in to your OneDrive account through a web browser. On the left side, click on “Recycle bin”. The deleted file should be listed here if it hasn’t been permanently deleted yet. Select the file you want to recover and click the “Restore” button at the top. This will restore the file to its original location in the shared OneDrive.

Previous Versions: OneDrive also supports previous versions of files. Open the file in the appropriate Microsoft Office application if it’s an Office file. Go to the “File” menu and click on “Info”. Here, you can find options to “Version history” or “Manage versions”. You can then select a previous version and restore it. For other file types, in OneDrive, right-click on the file and look for options related to version history or previous versions to recover the file.

Dropbox

Deleted Files in Dropbox: Log in to your Dropbox account via a web browser. Click on the “Deleted files” option in the left sidebar. Locate the file you want to recover. You can either click the “Restore” button next to the file to restore it to its original location or drag the file back to the desired folder in the shared Dropbox.

Version History: Dropbox keeps a version history of files. Open the file’s page in Dropbox. Scroll down to find the “Version history” section. Here, you can see different versions of the file and restore a specific version by clicking on the “Restore” button next to that version.

Using Third-Party Data Recovery Software

Panda Assistant is a powerful data recovery software. The following is an introduction to it:

Features

Wide Compatibility: It can recover data from various storage devices, including hard drives, USB drives, SD cards and external storage. It supports multiple file systems like FAT, NTFS and exFAT.

Powerful Scanning: It offers both quick and deep scan modes. The quick scan is suitable for recently deleted files, while the deep scan is used for more severe data loss situations, increasing the chance of recovery.

File Format Support: It can detect and recover a wide range of file types, such as documents, photos, videos and audio files.

Preview Function: Users are allowed to preview recoverable files before recovery. This ensures that the correct data is retrieved and helps avoid recovering incorrect or corrupted files.

Data Security: It operates in a read-only mode to prevent any further damage to the original data. It also complies with privacy regulations to protect user data.

Contacting the Shared Drive Administrator or Support

For Corporate Shared Drives: If the shared drive is part of a corporate network, contact the IT department or the network administrator. They usually have access to backup systems and may be able to restore the file from a server backup. Provide them with detailed information about the file, such as its name, location, and when it was deleted. The IT team may use tools like server backup software or system restore points to recover the file.

For Cloud Shared Drives: If you are unable to recover the file using the methods provided by the cloud service, contact the support team of the cloud storage provider. For example, in the case of Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Dropbox, visit their support websites and look for options to contact support. You can usually submit a support ticket or use a chat feature to explain your situation. Provide them with all the relevant details about the deleted file and any steps you have already taken to try to recover it. The support team may have additional tools or procedures to help you recover the file.

Best Practices to Prevent Future File Loss

Regular Backups: Set up a regular backup schedule for the shared drive. This can be done using built-in backup features of the operating system or third-party backup software. For example, in Windows, you can use the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) feature or the File History feature in Windows 10 and 11. On macOS, Time Machine is a great option for backing up files. For cloud-based shared drives, many services offer backup and versioning options that you can configure to automatically save different versions of files at regular intervals.

User Permissions Management: Ensure that the user permissions on the shared drive are properly configured. Only grant necessary permissions to users. For example, if a user only needs to read files, do not give them write or delete permissions. This can help prevent accidental deletions by unauthorized users. Regularly review and update user permissions as needed, especially when there are changes in user roles or responsibilities.

File Versioning: Enable file versioning for the shared drive if it’s supported. This allows you to easily restore files to a previous state in case of errors or deletions. As mentioned earlier, cloud-based shared drives like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Dropbox have built-in versioning features. For local shared drives, some network file systems and storage solutions also offer versioning capabilities that you can configure.