How to Undo Empty Recycle Bin Deleted Files

In this article, you'll get 5 simple and effective methods to undo empty recycle bin, along with step-by-step instructions. Scroll down to explore more.

Ivy

By Ivy / Updated on May 19, 2025

Share this: instagram reddit

Is it possible to recover files deleted from Recycle Bin?

Yesterday, when I was trying to restore an important file from the Recycle Bin, I accidentally clicked Empty Recycle Bin, and all the files in it were gone. Can I restore the emptied Recycle Bin and get my file back?” – Question from Windows 10 forum

Delete Multiple Items

Yes, it is possible to recover deleted files after emptying the recycle bin, but it takes some skill and the right timing. First, it is crucial to understand that the Recycle Bin is a temporary storage area for deleted files, usually 30 days, after which they are automatically deleted.

Then, when you finally empty the Recycle Bin, the original files are still intact, but the space they occupied will be marked as free space. At this time, if you add any new data to there, the old ones will be overwritten, making recovery more difficult.

Also, you may experience the following situations, which bypass the Recycle Bin directly:

Steps to undo empty Recycle Bin deleted files 🔥

As is known, you can easily recover deleted files from Recycle Bin after empty as long as there is a backup, but many users don't have such a habit. While other methods are complex and not suitable for all users.

AOMEI FastRecovery, a free, simple, yet professional Windows data recovery software, can scan deleted files/Recycle Bin for only 3-5 seconds and recover them without waiting for the final result. Deep scans for complex scenarios will take slightly longer. What's more, it has a free edition that can recover data of over 500 MB.

AOMEI FastRecovery
Best Recycle Bin Empty Recovery Software
  • 👵 Quick start - With a user-friendly interface, it's easy to use, no technical skills required.
  • 📁1000+ data types - Recover deleted or lost documents (e.g., recover Word files), photos, videos, compressed files, etc.
  • 🔄Flexible, hassle-free searching - Search, filter, preview, and recover files while scanning, especially for recovering specific files or folders.
  • 💻Partitioning well - Quickly find recovery locations, e.g., Recycle Bin, Desktop, Select folder, specific partitions (C:, D:, E:, etc.), or USB/SD cards.
  • 🧩Scene matchingRecovers data from formatted drives, corrupted partitions, or due to system crashes, virus attacks, and other scenarios.
  • 🛡️Safe & reliable -  It's read-only and does not write data to your device, causing data overwriting. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Now, follow the guide to recover deleted files from recycle bin after empty in a breeze. You need to download and install it on your computer. Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 and servers are available. 

⚠️Note: Don't download and install AOMEI FastRecovery to the location where the files or folders are deleted or missing. It may cause data overwriting. Meanwhile, stop using this drive, don't add or write new data, or restart your computer after data loss, especially if those saved in the C: drive. The system partition is writing data at all times.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Select the C: drive where the Recycle Bin is located and then click the Scan button.

select-location-to-scan

Step 2. Then, the scanning process will start automatically. By default, it will use the Quick Scan method. The process is fast, so you don't need to wait long. During scanning, try the following options to find files quickly and preview them (if necessary). 

  • 🔎Search box: Directly type the file name or extension in the search box. It’s recommended to recover specific files or folders.
  • 🔽Filter: Click the funnel-shaped button to specify the data type and its size (<128KB, 128KB~1MB, etc.) to narrow your search.
  • 👁‍🗨Preview: Double-click the file or click the Preview button to check out clear thumbnails, including ico, jpg, png, bmp, jpeg, tif, svg, gif, ico, mp4, mp3, txt, xlsx, pdf, ini, docx, etc.

filter-and-preview-recycle-bin-files

Step 3. Select the Empty Recycle Bin deleted files you want and click Recover. Please select a new location to save the recovered files to avoid data overwriting. 

select-deleted-files-from-recycle-bin-to-restore

⚠️Notes:
  • If you don't find the desired data, click the Deep Scan button to scan the disk thoroughly.

  • The free version only supports 500MB data recovery. To enjoy unlimited data recovery, it's necessary to check the advanced versions of AOMEI FastRecovery.

Try it if you empty Recycle Bin! With it, you can recover deleted files in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and servers.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Other 4 methods to recover files deleted from Recycle Bin 

You can also try the other 4 methods to recover deleted files from the Recycle Bin after empty. Not all methods are useful for deleted files but hidden or inaccessible one.

Way 1: Recover deleted files from Recycle Bin after empty using File History

If you enabled File History before deletion, you might be in luck. It will create copies of the user's folder, such as Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Desktop, Pictures, etc. Try it if your deleted files are there.

Step 1. Open Control Panel > System and Security > File History.

file-history

Step 2. On the left sidebar, click Restore personal files.

restore-personal-files

Step 3. Navigate through the folder containing deleted files, then select them and click Restore.

locate-deleted-excel-file-restore

Way 2: Restore the Previous Version of Deleted Files or Folders

Windows stores shadow copies of files as part of system restore points. So you can try to restore previous versions of deleted files or folders with it. 

Step 1. Navigate to the folder that previously contained the deleted files.

Step 2. Right-click the folder and choose Restore previous versions.

Restore

Step 3. Pick a version with your file and click Restore. If you are not sure, click Open to double check. 

Open Files

Way 3: Recover Deleted Files from OneDrive Backup 

If your files were synced with OneDrive, you can retrieve them from the cloud.

Step 1. Go to ☁️ OneDrive.com and sign in.

Step 2. Browse to the folder where the file was last located.

Step 3. Select the file(s) and click Download to recover to your device.

choose-files-download

Way 4: Use CHKDSK and ATTRIB Command Prompt

CHKDSK can sometimes check and fix logical errors, which may cause files to suddenly disappeared. Note this method doesn’t always work for deleted files but is useful for finding files that became hidden or inaccessible.

Step 1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and select Run as Administrator.

Step 2. Type chkdsk X: /f /r (replace X with your drive letter) and press Enter.

CHKDSK F R

Step 3. After scanning, type ATTRIB -h-r -s /s /d X:\*.* and press Enter to reveal hidden items.

🛠️How to prevent losing your data (Next Time)

You may accidentally delete important files, or the files may be deleted as a result of virus attacks or system errors. Normally, you're able to get them back from the Recycle Bin. But if you empty the Recycle Bin, you can't recover permanently deleted files without software unless there is a backup.

If you still don't have one, it's advisable to backup files to external hard drive or other devices to avoid data loss in the event of an unexpected event. You could consider using AOMEI Backupper Standard, a free backup and restore software, with more flexible options.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 1. In AOMEI Backupper, select Backup to see all backup features. To backup the entire disk, select Disk Backup.

disk backup

 Step 2. The Task Name helps distinguish backups from each other. Set it if necessary and click Add Disk to choose the disk you want to backup.

Add Disk

Step 3. Click the folder-shaped button to select a location to save the disk image. You can create a disk-to-disk backup, or backup to a USB flash drive, CD/DVD, NAS device, network drive, and others. Then, click Start Backup to carry out disk backup.

Select Backup Destination

Optionally, click Schedule Backup to set daily, weekly, or monthly backup. By default, in a scheduled task, it will automatically compress backup images, backup only new or changed files, etc., to reduce image size as much as possible.  

Schedule Settings General

After the backup task is complete, you can use it to recover deleted files at any time. Click Restore and Select Task or Select Image Files to locate the backup image. Then, you will be asked to select a location to save the backup image, just do it and click Start Restore. finally. 

Select Task

Closing words

This post primarily introduces how to undo Empty Recycle Bin on Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10, 11, and servers. Though you’re not able to undo the Empty Recycle Bin, with the help of AOMEI FastRecovery as well as other 4 methods, you are sure to recover files even if they are permanently deleted from the Recycle Bin.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Don't forget to backup files if you don't have. It's necessary to recover files deleted from Recycle Bin and any other scenarios. Free backup and restore software - AOMEI Backupper Standard is recommended for a GUI-based interface and is feature-rich. 

Ivy
Ivy · Editor
Ivy is an editor of AOMEI Technology, she covers backup & restore,hard disk & partitions management and cloud files transfer and so on for AOMEI. She is an outgoing girl and enjoys helping people find solutions to their problems. She loves traveling, eating, reading and so on. She usually hangs out with friends at her leisure time.