How to Recover Files Deleted from Recycle Bin (6 Ways)

This article is a collection of 6 methods to recover files deleted from Recycle Bin and will walk you through every detailed step. For permanent deletion, the easiest method is using data recovery software.

By @Ellie Last Updated September 13, 2024

“This morning, in order to free the storage space of the computer, I deleted some of my files on my Windows computer that I thought were not important at that time. But now, I find that I may have accidentally deleted some files that I need. So how can I recover files recently deleted from Recycle Bin?”

Don’t panic if you mistakenly deleted some crucial files, since they are still in your Recycle Bin. It helps you keep the deleted files for quite a long time until you have permanently deleted your files on a PC. So, until then, you can recover files recently deleted from Recycle Bin anytime.

There is also the unfortunate instance where you have deleted files using Shift + Deleted or emptied the Recycle Bin afterward. However, if you haven't used the storage device or added new data to it until now, there is still a chance to recover deleted files in Windows 10 or 11. The deleted files are still on the hard drive and the space occupied by them is marked as free space for new data. 

Keep reading below and learn how to recover files recently deleted from Recycle Bin.

MyRecover

If your files are not deleted permanently, try the first two options. If not, try Windows backup or data recovery software. The easiest method is the Option 6 below.

Option 1. Recover deleted files immediately using the Undo feature

The first way to recover recently deleted files from Recycle Bin on Windows 10 or 11 is to use the Undo feature. Simply press Ctrl +at the same moment, or right-click the blank space and select Undo Delete, and the files you just erased will be restored to their original location.

Option 2. Restore deleted files from Recycle Bin directly

If your files are recently deleted but not emptied from Recycle Bin, try to find them in the Recycle Bin and restore them.

Step 1. Double click Recycle Bin on your desktop to open it.

Step 2. Locate the files you have just deleted. Right-click these files, then click Restore. Then your files will come back to the location where it was before being deleted.

Option 3. Get back deleted files from File History backup

Windows helps you keep a history of your files so you can get them back if they’re lost or damaged. Therefore, if you have this service turned on, you can recover files that have been permanently deleted from Recycle Bin.

Step 1. Input Control Panel in the Windows search bar, and start it. Click System and Security and File History.

Step 2. Click Restore personal files.

⚠️If you didn’t turn on Keep a history of your files, you shall see No file history was found here. You can jump to the next option.

Step 5. Select the deleted files you need and then click the Recycle button.

Option 4. Recover deleted files using the Backup and Restore utility

Another service offered by Windows that could assist you in recovering deleted files is the  Backup and Restore utility.

Step 1. Navigate here: Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Click on Restore my files to selectively recover permanently deleted files. You can also choose Restore all users’ files to get all deleted files back.

⚠️You need to set up this service manually. If you didn’t enable backup on your Windows computer, then you’ll see Windows backup has not been set up here. Again, you can jump to the next option.

Step 2. Search for your deleted files by using the Browse for files or Browse for folders option. You cannot see individual files when browsing for folders.

Step 3. Select your files and click Restore to recover them.

Option 5. Deleted files recovery via Windows File Recovery

The command-line utility Windows File Recovery is another Microsoft application that can help you recover your deleted files. But the precondition to using this tool is that you have at least Windows 10 2004 installed on your computer.

Step 1. Download Window File Recovery from the Microsoft Store and install it on your computer. Then, open it.

Step 2.Open Powershell or Command prompt (run as administrator). In the command prompt, enter commands as the following command format:

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

⚠️If you are a novice, or not familiar with the winfr commands, please click on this article and learn how to use Windows File Recovery in detail.

For example, if you need to recover deleted pictures from C: drive to D: drive, then the command will be like:

winfr C: D: /n *.png

Notes:

  • As a command-line program, the operating process is a little bit complicated for non-technical computer users.
  • The program is only compatible with Windows 10 versions 2004 and higher.
  • You might not be able to recover all of your deleted data even with Windows File Recovery.

Option 6. Recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10 or 11 via Software (Easiest)

When you neither turned on File History nor set up Windows Backup on your computer, and also feel Windows File Recovery is too complicated for you, you can choose an easy yet professional file recovery tool MyRecover. It can help you get back all your permanently deleted files without a backup for free.  

🔥 Main Features of MyRecover:

● Various Data Recovery Situations: system crashes, accidental deletion, virus attacks, disk formatting, etc. ● High Speed & Success Rate: With advanced scanning algorithms, MyRecover can find and recover deleted or lost data with fast speed and high success.  Support a wide range of file formats, from Documents to Images, Videos, Audio, Compressed Files, So you can use it to perform DOCX, XLSX, PPT, PDF, MP3, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, BMP, MP4, MKV file recovery, and more. ● Highlight Features: file filter, search, preview, crashed PC recovery. Among them, the crashed PC recovery feature even allows you to recover deleted files from hard disk without OS. ● Cost-Free Data Recovery Up to 500MB.

Step 1. Download, install and launch MyRecover on your computer. Hover the mouse over the drive and click Scan to scan.

Download SoftwareWin 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 2. Then the scanning process will start automatically. You don’t need to wait for the process to complete if you find the files you want to recover. Here choose Deleted Files. You can conduct a direct file search by entering the file name into the search box in the top right corner.

Step 4. Or click Recycle Bin/Other Mising Files in the left panel, and select the deleted files you want. Click Recover xx files and choose a destination path to save the restored files.

To locate deleted files quickly, whether it's in the Recycle Bin or permanently deleted, you can still try the Filter feature.

Click the Filter feature, displayed as a funnel-shaped button, select Type Images, and type a specific file extension (e.g. docx) to narrow it down. To be precise, directly type the file name. Once found, double-click to preview them and recover deleted files from Recycle Bin.

It also supports file types like Documents, Videos, Audio, compressed files, etc., up to 200+ file formats. So you can use it to recover PDF files, Excel, PPT, MP4, MKV, WMV, MP4, ZIP, and more.

Conclusion

This post mainly introduces how to recover files recently deleted from Recycle Bin. Whether you’ve deleted your file permanently or not, you can find a suitable solution here.

For your information, if you’re worried about accidentally losing or deleting your important files, you can easily back them up using the free backup software for Windows, AOMEI Backupper. With a backup, you can find your important files and restore them at any time.