How to recover erased files from hard drive?

Losing important files from your hard drive can be a stressful experience, whether they were accidentally deleted, lost due to system crashes, or removed by malware. Fortunately, in many cases, it is possible to recover these erased files, as long as they haven’t been overwritten by new data. Whether you’re a home user or a business owner, knowing how to recover erased files from your hard drive can save critical documents, photos, videos, and other essential data.

What Happens When Files Are Erased from a Hard Drive?

Before diving into recovery methods, it’s important to understand what happens when you erase files. When you delete a file from your hard drive, it doesn’t completely vanish. The file’s reference in the file system is removed, making it inaccessible to normal users. However, the actual data remains on the drive until new data overwrites it. As long as that space isn’t overwritten, it’s possible to recover the file.

Types of File Deletion

There are two primary types of file deletion:

Normal Deletion: This occurs when you move a file to the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac). You can easily restore it from there, unless the Recycle Bin/Trash has been emptied.

Permanent Deletion: This occurs when you use commands like Shift + Delete (Windows) or Command + Delete (Mac), which bypass the Recycle Bin. Additionally, files can be permanently deleted if they are wiped using a disk cleaning tool.

In either case, the actual data is not erased immediately but marked for overwriting. However, time is critical in this situation, as the longer you wait, the higher the chance that new data will overwrite the deleted files.

Precautions Before Attempting Recovery

When you realize that files have been erased, follow these precautions to increase the likelihood of successful recovery:

Stop Using the Hard Drive: The most important step is to stop writing new data to the drive. Any new data can overwrite the sectors containing your deleted files, making them unrecoverable.

Use Another Device for Recovery: If possible, connect your hard drive to another computer to perform recovery operations. This avoids accidental overwriting.

Use External Media: For recovery, use an external storage device (e.g., another hard drive or USB drive) to store the recovered files.

Method 1: Using File Recovery Software

Panda Assistant is equipped with advanced tools like preview options, allowing users to view the recovered files before restoring them. This helps ensure that only the files that are needed are recovered, saving both time and space. Additionally, the software is capable of recovering files from formatted, damaged, or inaccessible devices, which can be a lifesaver if a hard drive fails or an SD card gets corrupted.

Security is a top priority for Panda Assistant. The software is designed to be safe and reliable, protecting your data during the recovery process. It also offers an intuitive wizard-based approach to guide you through each step, making the entire process stress-free.

Method 2: Using the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac)

If you accidentally deleted files but haven’t emptied the Recycle Bin or Trash, you can quickly restore them.

Windows:

Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking the icon on your desktop.

Browse through the deleted files and locate the ones you want to recover.

Right-click the file and choose Restore. The file will be restored to its original location.

Mac:

Open the Trash by clicking its icon in the dock.

Locate the files you wish to recover.

Right-click the file and choose Put Back to restore it to its original location.

If you’ve already emptied the Recycle Bin or Trash, you’ll need to use a data recovery tool.

Method 3: Check File History or Time Machine

If you’ve been using Windows File History or macOS Time Machine, you might be able to recover a previous version of the file.

Windows File History:

Navigate to the folder where the file was originally located.

Right-click the folder and select Restore previous versions.

A list of available versions will appear. Choose the version of the folder that contains your lost file.

Click Restore to retrieve the file.

Mac Time Machine:

Open the folder where the lost file was located.

Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select Enter Time Machine.

Browse through the backups to find the version of the file you need.

Select the file and click Restore.

Method 4: Using Command Prompt (Windows)

If you’re comfortable using the command line, you can attempt to recover deleted files using the Command Prompt.

Open the Command Prompt as Administrator (search for “cmd” and right-click to choose “Run as Administrator”).

Type the following command to run CHKDSK:

bash

chkdsk X: /f

Replace X: with the drive letter of the affected drive.

If the tool finds any issues, it will attempt to fix them and may restore some deleted files.

Note that this method works best for recovering files lost due to disk corruption rather than accidental deletion.

Method 5: Professional Data Recovery Services

If all else fails, or if the hard drive is physically damaged, you may need to consult a professional data recovery service. These companies specialize in recovering data from damaged or inaccessible hard drives.