To recover files from the Recycle Bin, open it, find the deleted file, right- click it, and choose Restore ; it will go back to its original folder. If you already emptied the Recycle Bin, recovery depends on whether you have a backup or use file-recovery software, and the sooner you stop using the drive, the better the chance of getting the file back.

Quick steps

  1. Open the Recycle Bin from the desktop or Start menu.
  1. Search for the file you need.
  1. Select it, then click Restore or right-click and choose Restore.
  1. For multiple files, select them together and restore them in one go.

If the bin was emptied

  • Check File History or Backup and Restore if you had them enabled before the deletion.
  • If no backup exists, try a data-recovery tool as soon as possible, because new data can overwrite deleted files.
  • Save recovered files to a different drive or folder than the one they came from to avoid overwriting more data.

Practical note

If the file is still in the Recycle Bin, recovery is simple and usually instant. If it was permanently deleted, the situation is more time-sensitive, and success is not guaranteed.

TL;DR

Restore directly from the Recycle Bin if it’s still there; if not, use backups or recovery software quickly before the deleted data gets overwritten.