How to Recover Deleted Files From Recycle Bin After Emptying It [4 Ways], by iPhone / Mac / Android / Windows / Tutorials on YouTube. 4 min 46 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 46 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Stop using the drive where the files were deleted. Do not download, copy, move or install anything on it, because new data can overwrite the deleted files.
Download Disk Drill from the official website and install it on a different drive than the one that held your deleted files.
Open Disk Drill and pick the original drive by its name, size and drive letter. Click Search for lost data.
Let the scan run to the end. Some files show up early, but deeper results can appear near the finish.
Use the file categories, search box and filters to narrow the list. Preview important files to check they open correctly.
Select the files you want, click Recover, and save them to a different drive. Then open that folder and confirm the files are intact.
If the file came from a OneDrive folder, open OneDrive in your browser, sign in, go to Recycle Bin, select the file and click Restore.
If File History was already on, connect the backup drive and open Control Panel, then System and Security, then File History. Restore the file from there.
If you use Windows Backup, open it and restore the file from your last backup set.
Tips and common mistakes
Recovery works best on hard drives. Internal SSDs with TRIM often wipe deleted data quickly, so act fast.
Never save recovered files back to the same drive, or you may overwrite the data you are trying to rescue.
File History and Windows Backup only help if they were turned on before the files were deleted.
Preview files before recovering them so you do not waste time on corrupted results.
Questions
Can I undo an emptied Recycle Bin directly?
No. Windows has no built-in undo for emptying the Recycle Bin. You need recovery software or a backup such as OneDrive, File History or Windows Backup.
How long do deleted files stay recoverable?
Until the space is overwritten by new data. On a hard drive that can be a long time if you stop using it. On an internal SSD, TRIM may clear the data within minutes.
Is free recovery software enough?
Free versions usually let you scan and preview files but limit how much you can recover. Check the limits before you rely on one.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
