How to Restore Files Deleted from Recycle Bin on Windows (2026 Guide), by WM Originals on YouTube. 8 min 52 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 52 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Stop using the drive that held the lost files. Every new save or download can overwrite the space where your deleted files still sit, which makes recovery harder or impossible.
Open the Recycle Bin from your desktop. If the files are still listed, select them, right click and choose Restore to put them back in their original folder.
If the bin is empty, check File History or a backup drive before using recovery software. Right click the folder, open Properties and look at the Previous Versions tab.
Download iToolab RecoverGo Windows Data Recovery from the official iToolab site and install it. Close other programs during setup and launch the app when it finishes.
Pick the file types you want to find, such as documents, photos or videos, then choose the drive or the Recycle Bin location to scan. Click Scan and wait for it to finish.
Browse the scan results and use the preview to confirm a file is the right one before you recover it. Tick the boxes next to the files you need.
Click Recover and choose a save location on a different drive or a USB stick, not the drive you just scanned. Wait for the export to complete.
Open the save folder and check each recovered file opens correctly. If some are damaged, rescan the drive and try a different recovery mode.
Tips and common mistakes
Recover files to a different drive than the one you scanned so you do not overwrite the data you are trying to save.
The free version of most recovery tools lets you scan and preview but limits how many files you can actually save.
Act as soon as you notice the loss. The longer the PC runs and writes data, the lower your chance of a full recovery.
Keep regular backups on an external drive so an emptied Recycle Bin never costs you important files.
Questions
Can I recover files after emptying the Recycle Bin?
Often yes, because emptying the bin only marks the space as free until new data overwrites it. A recovery tool can scan that space and may find the files, but success depends on how much you have used the drive since.
Is free software enough to get my files back?
Free trials usually let you scan and preview found files but charge before saving them. Check the limits before you start so you know what you will get.
Do I need to install the tool on the same drive?
Install it on a different drive or a USB stick if you can. Installing on the affected drive writes new data and can overwrite the files you want back.
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.
