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Summary: The author shares a personal experience of losing a blog article due to accidental deletion, emphasizing common scenarios for data loss. The article guides readers on recovering files from Recycle Bin, using backups, previous versions, File History, and recommends a third-party tool for Windows Data Recovery.

I’m always armed with my laptop, ready to seize any writing opportunity that comes my way. During a recent New Year vacation with my daughter, amid the festivities, I managed to finish my blog—only a few images awaited inclusion. In the excitement, I forgot to properly shut down my laptop. To my dismay, upon reopening it, I discovered the entire article had disappeared. I hadn’t saved my previous work, and with no external drive or laptop data backup in sight, I faced the challenge of recovering accidentally deleted folders or files. Let’s delve into the process together.

Scenarios in which you lose your data

  1. You deleted your file or folder accidentally.
  2. You modify your data accidentally.
  3. Crashing of system.
  4. Virus attack.
  5. Corruption in hard drive.
  6. Power surge or outage.
  7. Accidentally formatting.
Understanding deletion of data

When you delete data on your computer, it doesn’t vanish instantly; instead, it finds a temporary home in the Recycle Bin. It lingers there for 30 days before bidding farewell permanently. Even if you take matters into your own hands and manually erase a file from the Recycle Bin, it’s a final goodbye. In both scenarios, the file’s reference is what gets the boot during permanent deletion. Consequently, it’s wise to hit the brakes on your PC activities if you discover data loss. This precaution prevents the overwritten fate of your permanently deleted file, as it quietly persists on your hard drive, SD card, or USB flash.

Methods to recover deleted folder/file From Recycle bin

As mentioned earlier, any deleted file gets relocated to the Recycle Bin, and you have the option to recover it from the Recycle Bin within 30 days of deletion. Simply follow the provided steps to restore a file from the Recycle Bin:

  1. Go to Start.
  2. Type Recycle bin in search box and press open.
  3. Right click the file you want to restore and select restore.select restore
From backup

The primary and most straightforward solution for file recovery is utilizing backups. It’s a wise practice to regularly back up your crucial data, if not all of it, to prepare for unforeseen or unplanned events. If you’ve configured the Windows restore file settings and the corresponding drive or media with your backup is accessible, you can easily restore your files from the backup. Follow the provided steps below to recover a deleted file using the Windows restore file feature:

  1. Go to Start and type Control Panel.
  2. Click Open.
  3. Select Backup and Restore.
  4. Select Restore my files and follow the further instructions.Restore my files
From Previous version

The earlier iterations, often referred to as ‘shadow copies,’ represent duplicated versions of files and folders that Windows automatically preserves within a restore point. This functionality proves beneficial only if you have activated the Restore Point feature. To recover files using a Previous version, follow the steps outlined below:

  1. Open This PC
  2. Right click the folder which contained the file.
  3. Click Properties
  4. Select tab Previous versions
  5. Click Restore
  6. Click OkClick Ok
History file

You can also restore lost or damaged files from File History as latter saves copies of your files. To restore files from File History, follow the steps given under:

  1. Go to Start
  2. Type Control panel
  3. Select Files History
  4. Select Restore personal filesRestore personal files
Professional third party tool

Kernel for Window Data Recovery tool recovers data when a Windows system gets corrupt, from system drive, external hard drives and removable drives like USB, SD cards etc. and from emptied Recycle bin (permanently deleted files). Additionally, it has the capability to recover Office documents, media files, and emails from damaged Windows partitions. The tool is user-friendly and offers three scanning modes: Quick, Deep, and File Trace modes. A free version is available too, allowing users to preview the restored files before committing to the recovery process.

Closing Words

I’m confident that you now understand the various techniques available for recovering accidentally deleted data and folders on your PC. Microsoft Windows offers effective methods for retrieving data that has been removed from its original location. If you’ve permanently deleted files and wish to restore them, our software can recover them fully intact and functional.

Kernel for Windows Data Recovery