Can Deleted Files from Recycle Bin Be Recovered?

Can I recover files deleted from Recycle Bin?

First, the answer is “Yes, you can”. This is because when you unintentionally delete files in Windows, Recycle Bin saves all deleted files and folders for a certain length of time. At this point, you may navigate to the Recycle Bin to locate the item and simply recover deleted folders and files without losing data.

However, when you look for this problem, it is likely that you have emptied the Recycle Bin or that the file has been automatically removed due to expiration. Although you cannot see or access the data, it can be recovered as long as newly written data is not overwritten. As a result, you should cease using your computer immediately until you have retrieved the desktop files or Recycle Bin data.

Several dependable Recycle Bin recovery solutions are available to assist. Follow these procedures to recover the deleted Recycle Bin on your own using Windows file recovery tools. You can quickly learn what these solutions are and how they apply to various contexts.

Recover deleted Files from Recycle Bin

Deleted data from Windows can be readily restored from the Recycle Bin folder. Should you have turned on the automatically empty the Recycle Bin option, you should back-off the files you wish before the Recycle Bin is emptied. Default Windows Recycle Bin will retain recently deleted data for 30 days. One can easily execute a recover recycle bin and restore the deleted files.

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking on its icon on the Desktop.

Step 2. See deleted objects and locate the files you need to restore. The search bar in the top-right corner will let you hunt for the item.

Step 3. Select the deleted file or hold down the control key to choose multiple files.

Step 4. After right-click the chosen object to confirm and relocate it to its original position. To restore the selected items, you also click "Restore the selected items" from the "Manage" option on the top pane.

For Windows 10, 11, and other OSs, it's a straightforward approach to rapidly restore deleted files.

How can you recover deleted files from Recycle Bin after empty

In most cases, when users wish to recover deleted files from Recycle Bin, it’s because the deleted files are not in Recycle Bin. So, in this part, we’ll show you how to recover files that were deleted from Recycle Bin.

Method 1. Retrieve files deleted from the Recycle Bin with data recovery software

Although there are some solutions that allow you try system tools to recover files, they are not always helpful. As the deleted files will be overwritten by any operations, we suggest you try third-party data recovery tool first. It’s the most reliable way to retrieve deleted or lost files from your computer.

Using a program called AOMEI FastRecovery, users might be able to eliminate the labor-intensive command lines required to recover lost data from the recycle bin. Its user interface is basic. Users of Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 may quickly restore lost and deleted data from HDD, SSD, external hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, and other storage media.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

Method 2. Recover deleted files from Recycle Bin with Windows File Recovery

Even in circumstances when the Recycle Bin has been emptied, Windows File Recovery provides a cost-free way for recovering wiped data from the Bin. This utility is compatible with Windows 10 versions starting in 2014, and its efficient use calls for a thorough awareness of its recovery modes and command options.

✍ Recovery mode corresponding to scenarios and file system:

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

✍ Switches to narrow your scanning range:

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

✍ Steps to check file system of your drive:

Press Win+E to open This PC > right-click on the drive where you have deleted files from> click Properties.

On PCs that use the NTFS File System, both Regular Mode and Extensive Mode are available.If you don't want to use the NTFS file system, you can use WINFR's Extensive Mode.

Step 1. Go to Microsoft Store to Get Windows File Recovery.

Step 2. Run Windows File Recovery as administrator, then input the command line based on syntax: 

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

For example, if you need to recover zip files from the Recycle Bin under C: drive to E drive, you need to input commands like:

winfr C: E: /extensive /n \C:\Recycler\*.zip

Step 3. Wait for the recovery to complete. Then a folder named "Recovery_(date and time)" will be generated automatically in the destination.

Method 3. Retrieve files from previous versions using file history

In Windows 10/8/7, the system protection feature is enabled by default, and the operating system creates restore points automatically. These restore points can be utilized to recover permanently deleted files to a previous version. Here's how to recover deleted files from recycle bin after empty:

Step 1. Create a new file or folder on your desktop with the same name as the deleted file or folder. (If the folder was at the root level of a drive, such as C:, you can right-click the disk and select "Restore prior versions" from the context menu.)

Step 2. Right-click the file and select "Restore prior versions" from the menu. Windows will search for and display previous versions of the permanently deleted files or folders, along with their unique timestamps.

Step 3. Choose the most recent version and click the "Restore" button to restore the irreversibly deleted files or folders easily.

Method 4. Deleted files recovery from Recycle Bin after empty using Command Prompt

The Command Prompt can be used to retrieve files that were mistakenly deleted and reverse the action of emptying the recycle bin. Here's how:

Step 1. Restart your computer and press the F8 key to enter the Safe Mode with Command Prompt option.

Step 2. Enter "cd../.." and press Enter, then type "cd $Recycle.Bin."

Step 3. After typing "cd" and pressing the tab key, you will see the name of a directory. Hit Enter once you see it.

Step 4. Use the command "dir/a" to view all the files, then type "copy [file name] [file location]" and "cd../.." > "dir" > "ren [file name]".

It's important to note that when using Command Prompt to undo deletions, the file names may not appear as they did before. This method is not recommended for non-experts due to the potential risks involved.

To sum up

Can deleted files from Recycle Bin be recovered? Yes, you can! After reading this post, you've learn some solutions to retrieve lost files. What's more, if you're using OneDrive or other Cloud storage services, you can check your lost files on cloud. These services usually will save your files automatically. Hope you can successfully recover deleted files.