You can often recover deleted files if you act quickly, avoid using the affected drive, and try built‑in tools before specialized recovery software.

Key first steps

  • Stop saving new files to the same drive to avoid overwriting the deleted data.
  • Check the “recently deleted” area first (Recycle Bin on Windows, Trash on macOS, Recently Deleted in many phone apps).
  • If you emptied the bin already, move on to backups and recovery tools as soon as possible.

Built‑in recovery options

  • Windows (PC):
    • Recycle Bin → right‑click the file → Restore.
* File History/Previous Versions: Right‑click the original folder → “Restore previous versions,” or open Control Panel → File History to roll back to an earlier copy.
  • macOS:
    • Trash → right‑click file → Put Back (if not emptied).
* Time Machine: Connect the backup disk → open the folder where the file lived → Enter Time Machine → go back in time → select file → Restore.

Using recovery software

If the file is not in any trash/bin and no backup exists, data recovery software is the next step.

  • General guidance:
    • Install the tool on a different drive than the one that lost the data.
    • Run a scan on the affected drive, then preview and recover to yet another location to avoid overwriting.
  • Popular tools (examples):
    • Disk Drill: Scans internal drives, SD cards, USBs; offers a “universal scan” to search for lost data and lets you preview before restoring.
* Recuva: Free Windows tool that can recover photos, documents, emails and more from hard drives, memory cards, and USB sticks, with a deeper “deep scan” mode.

Simple step‑by‑step (PC example)

  1. Check Recycle Bin and restore if you see the file.
  1. If not, check File History/Previous Versions for that folder and restore an older copy.
  1. If still missing, install a recovery app (like Disk Drill or Recuva) on another drive.
  1. Scan the affected drive, preview found files, and recover to a safe location (e.g., an external disk).

When professional help is needed

  • If the drive is physically failing (clicking noises, not detected, very slow) or holds critical business/legal data, professional data recovery labs are often the safest option, though expensive.
  • In those cases, powering the drive on repeatedly and running many scans can make things worse, so shutting it down and consulting a specialist quickly is recommended.

Bottom line / quick checklist (how to recover deleted files):

  • Check Recycle Bin/Trash or Recently Deleted.
  • Use built‑in backup tools (File History, Time Machine, cloud backups).
  • If no backup, try reputable recovery software, installed on a different drive.
  • For failing or very important drives, consider a professional lab.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.