Fixed! Visual Studio Code Deleted Files Not in Recycle Bin

Accidentally deleted VS Code files, not in Recycle Bin

Microsoft Visual Studio is a well-known code editor, which provides a development environment for web developers and designers to finish projects effectively. However, data loss can happen at any time.

Have you ever accidentally deleted your VS code files? It's frustrating to lose Visual Studio Code projects because writing back the code can take a long time, especially for complex projects. So many users are seeking ways to recover deleted files in Visual Studio Code.

We'll focus on the best method below and cover other possible methods as well, so check it out.

Where do deleted files go in VS code?

Therefore, you’d better stop using the computer and check the following recovery methods to get Visual Studio Code deleted files back quickly.  

(Best Way) Visual Studio Code deleted file not in Recycle Bin

If you don’t have any available backup, the best way to solve Visual Studio Code deleted files not in Recycle Bin is to use a professional file recovery tool, like AOMEI FastRecovery. It’s the one-stop shop for your data recovery.

You can recover permanently deleted Visual Studio Code files in 3 simple steps. It intelligently scans different device (e.g. internal & external hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, etc.) and quickly finds files using the Quick Scan or Deep Scan feature.

Now, download data recovery freeware - AOMEI FastRecovery to get started. 

Step 1. Select the partition to scan

Launch AOMEI FastRecovery on your computer. Then, hover the mouse over the partition to scan where VS Code files were stored and click the Scan button.

Step 2. Scan for deleted or lost files

The software will automatically start Quick Scan to scan the selected partition and find deleted and missing files. If you can't find the desired data, please click Deep Scan to search it thoroughly. 

Step 3. Find and recover deleted files 

During or after scanning, you can attempt to search or filter the VS code files you want to recover in the following options, even preview them before recovering. 

Once found, you can select them and click the“Recover” button to recover deleted files from Visual Studio Code right now, even during scanning. More surprisingly, it's not only simple and easy to use, but also has a free edition that can recover data up to 500MB.

Try it if you lose any VS code files!

Other possible methods for Visual Studio to recover deleted files

There are some other possible methods for Visual Studio Code to delete files not in Recycle Bin without using data recovery software.

Way 1: Undo deleted files in VS CODE (Immediate Action)

If you deleted VS CODE files recently,  you can choose to undo the file deletion. Note hitting CTRL+Z without highlighting that folder didn't work.

Step 1. Open VS CODE. Click and highlight the folder where the file was deleted from.

Step 2. Then, while it is selected, press CTRL + Z. It will undo deletion on Windows. 

Way 2: Check the recent files

If the Undo action doesn't work, you can also try the Open Recent feature to find deleted files.

Step 1. Open the Visual Studio Code program.

Step 2. Select “File” > “Open Recent” to check where the deleted VS Code file is in the list and open it.

Way 3: Recover deleted files from Local History 👍

In addition to the Recycle Bin, VS CODE also provides you with Local History, which can save versions of your files. 

Step 1. Open VS CODE. Then, press F1 and select "Local History: Find Entry to Restore".

Step 2. Type part or the entire file name to search deleted files. Usually, there are many different versions tied to a timestamp/session defined in a JSON file called entries.json.

Step 3. Once found, right-click the last saved files and select "Restore Contents". If there is no restore option, you can choose to copy the contents and save it.

Method 4. Restore the previous version of VS Code files

If you accidentally deleted Visual Studio Code files, you can choose to restore the previous version of the folder containing those files. This method is also suitable for restoring overwritten VS Code files.

Step 1. Locate the folder that includes the deleted Visual Studio Code files.

Step 2. Right-click the folder and select “Restore previous versions”.

Step 3. According to the name and date modified, select the folder version you want to recover and click “Restore” > “OK”.

Method 5. Visual Studio recovers deleted files via Windows File Recovery

When you find Visual Studio Code deleted files not in Recycle Bin, you can try the Microsoft official file recovery software - Windows File Recovery. It’s a command-line app to recover deleted or lost files for Windows computers. It only supports Windows 10 2004 and above.

Follow the detailed steps to recover deleted files via CMD.

Step 1. Type “Store” in the search bar. And then search “Windows File Recovery” and install it on your computer.

Step 2. To check your file system, please press Win+E to open This PC. Right-click on the partition that has Visual Studio deleted files > Properties.

Step 3. Launch Windows File Recovery and run as administrator. According to the following chart choose modes and common switches.

For example, if you want to recover files from E: drive to D: drive, you need to use Segment mode, and the files you have lost are text files, then your command will be like:

winfr E: D: /segment /n *.txt

▶ Pick a recovery mode:

File system	Scenarios	mode
NTFS	Deleted recently	Regular
NTFS	Deleted for a while	Extensive
NTFS	Formatted disk	Extensive
NTFS	Corrupted disk	Extensive
FAT and exFAT	Any	Extensive

▶ Pick the desired switch:  

Switches	Meaning	Supported mode(s)
/n	To filter the scan range: scans for a specific file with its file name/path/type, etc.	All
/y:	Recover system files.	NTFS Segment​​​​​
/u	Recover undeleted files, for example, from the Recycle Bin.	NTFS Segment

Closing words

This article describes 6 proven methods to fix Visual Studio Code deleted files not in Recycle Bin, check it out and take action. It's suggested to undo deleted files and check the recent files first. If not, try professional data recovery software - AOMEI FastRecovery, especially without any backup.

One more suggestion, if you don't want to lose VS code files in the future, it's advisable to backup them regularly. You could consider using built-in tools like File History, OneDrive, etc., or any other software.

FAQs about Visual Studio recover deleted file

After knowing the methods to fix Visual Studio deleted files not in Recycle Bin, here are three frequently asked questions to know more about Visual Studio recovering files.