How to Restore Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 7?

Wonder how to restore permanently deleted files in Windows 7? This article will be worth reading with means to recover deleted files Windows 7.

Lora

By Lora / Updated on April 3, 2024

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How can I get back my permanently deleted files in Windows 7?

Whichever Windows OS you are using, users will be deeply familiar with deletion operations. During file organizing, you may delete multiple files or folders in one day.

Those old, unwanted, and temporary files will be moved to the Recycle Bin after use. Even after deletion, they could directly restore deleted files from Recycle Bin.

Besides, some users will delete files with Shift+delete, which bypasses the bin and remove the unwanted data directly.

   
   
   
       

How to recover permanently deleted folders & files [done Shift+Delete] in Windows 7

       

I am using OS - Windows 7. I accidentally deleted some folders of 55GB size [Shift+Delete] from D: Drive in my Laptop. The folders contained lots of Movie Files 50GB & around 2.5GB of Music Files & 2+GB of Pictures.

       

- Question from Microsoft Community

   

Frankly speaking, this is pretty dangerous, making it difficult for users to recover deleted files Windows 7.

Moreover, a bunch of people will regularly empty their trash cans to maximize the available storage space. This also will permanently delete data.

permanently-delete-jpg-file

If you are unsure whether the files were removed, try to show hidden files in Windows 7 to see if the files were hidden by human error/viruses.

But if, unluckily, there are no files found, they may have been permanently removed.

Are permanently deleted files gone forever?

Heard these, you may wonder are those permanently removed data still recoverable. Luckily, to your relief, they are recoverable to some degree.

The condition is that the deleted files have yet to be overwritten. And this requires you to stop using the affected hard drive after deletion.

As for the reasons behind it, it is because deleted files will stay in their original location before being overwritten; instead, the pointer to the deleted data was the one that was deleted, so you could not access the files you removed.

But, once the data was overwritten due to further operations like adding or moving files to the hard drive, the data was gone.

Methods of deleted file recovery Windows 7 will be covered in the next part.

How to restore permanently deleted files in Windows 7?

How do you recover deleted files Windows 7? The process and the tools that Windows 7 users can utilize will be slightly different from that of the process to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10.

Commonly, you will turn to a backup. Things will be easy if you have backed up files using a backup device or cloud backup service.

If not, Windows has offered some free backup tools as well.

Way 1. Turn to the Previous Versions feature

Previous Versions stores copies of data using restore points and Windows backup. Once files get deleted, modified, or damaged, you could make them return to their earlier date.

Thus, you could restore previous version of files and get your data back.

Since the restore points only generate on a drive that has enabled System Protection (usually the C: drive), this feature can only work when your files are deleted from the C: drive.

Step 1. File Explorer > locate the parent folder where the deleted files were previously saved > right-click the folder.

Step 2. Restore previous versions > choose an earlier version > Restore.

choose-previous-version-click-restore

Then the deleted data will go back to its original location. Missing Word docs could be restored as well using this app. You could find previous version of Word documents with it.

Way 2. Recover permanently deleted files Windows 7 via Backup and Restore

Backup and Restore, the backup feature, generates backups of files/folders and system images that can help you when data deletion, loss, corruption, etc., happen.

On a Windows 10 machine, it will be named Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Win 10 users can restore files from backup in Windows 10 using it.

If you have activated this utility, all you will do to recover deleted files in Windows 7 will be pretty easy.

Step 1. Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore.

backup-and-restore

Step 2. Restore my files.

restore-my-files

Step 3. Browse for files > select the wanted files > Next. To select a whole folder, click Browse for folders. Thus you could restore deleted folders on Desktop.

browse-for-files-next

Step 4. Choose your preferred target location > click Restore.

restore-to-its-original-location

How to restore permanently deleted files in Windows 7 effortlessly?

Two solutions introduced in the former part require available backups. But as is known to all that, accidents are always unexpected and fall on everybody abruptly, leaving no time for them to prepare.

A lot of users don’t have any backups to restore when data loss takes place. Fortunately, users could still take advantage of data recovery apps.

With the help of a professional Windows data recovery tool, it will be easy to retrieve deleted & lost data from any device.

MyRecover will meet your demands with its efficient features.

Use the professional data rescue tool to perform file recovery
  • Recover 200+ types of data from internal/external HDD/SSD/USB flash drive/SD card, etc.
  • Apply to comprehensive data loss situations, e.g., deletion, disk formatting, Recycle Bin emptying, system crash, etc.
  • Keep the original filenames, formats, and directories of deleted files.
  • Compatible with Windows 7/8/10/11/Server.
  • Support NTFS/exFAT/FAT32/ReFS, etc.
Download SoftwareWin 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 1. Download and run the program > Hover the mouse over the drive saved deleted files before, and click Scan.

select-location-to-scan

Step 2. Filters like Size, Type, Date modified, etc., are to help you target files faster.

scanning-drive

Step 3. Go to Deleted files > find the deleted files in the original location > select needed files > click Recover x files. Or go to Other missing files > choose certain data types to restore.

select-files-to-restore

Except for an internal hard disk, it also facilitates users to restore data from external hard drives.

Conclusion

In this post, you can learn how to restore permanently deleted files in Windows 7. In general, backup tools embedded in Windows machines can help you, like Previous Versions and Backup and Restore.

Also, if you don’t possess any backup files, there is no need to fear; a professional Windows data recovery tool can solve your problems readily.

Lora
Lora · Editor
Lora is an editor of AOMEI Technology. She is also a tester and editor of AOMEI Data Recovery Tools. -- "Keep testing, write the most useful tutorials for helping people recover the lost data for Windows and phones" is the most meaningful thing for her. Dedicated to creating helpful tutorials, she hopes her tutorial can assist users to effortlessly solve data loss problems on their personal computers and mobile phones.