How to Recover an Emptied Recycle Bin on Windows PCs? | Easy Data Recovery

User case: Need to recover deleted files from Recycle Bin after empty

When you delete files in Windows, they are usually sent to the Recycle Bin, where they are stored temporarily. During this time, you can easily open the Recycle Bin, locate your files, and restore them without losing any data.

However, if you're searching for solutions, it might mean you've emptied the Recycle Bin or the files were automatically removed after a set period. Can you recover deleted files from the recycle bin after empty? Yes, you can! Even in such cases, deleted files are not immediately erased from your storage. They remain on your device but become inaccessible until overwritten by new data.

To maximize your chances of recovery, stop using your computer immediately. Avoid saving or modifying files to prevent overwriting the deleted data. Acting quickly is essential.

How to recover an emptied Recycle Bin?

Several reliable methods are available to recover files from an emptied Recycle Bin using professional and practical Windows file recovery tools. Follow these steps to retrieve your lost files and learn which solution works best for your situation.

Method 1. Recover emptied Recycle Bin with AOMEI FastRecovery

If you want a simple, quick, and stress-free way to recover files from an empty Recycle Bin, using recovery software is the best choice. We kindly recommend AOMEI FastRecovery, which makes file recovery much easier. It has a friendly and easy-to-use design, so you don’t have to worry about complicated steps or commands. 

✯ All-in-one recovery tool: It supports recovering data from different devices and even application data. Plus, it includes extra features like repairing files and recovering application messages and chat history.
✯ High recovery rate: It offers a high success rate for data recovery and doesn’t require any technical skills. You can recover your files in just a few simple clicks.
✯ Comprehensive scanning: Recovers files lost in various scenarios, such as permanent deletion, accidental formatting recovery, power outages, or drive damage. It supports data recovery from hard drives, external drives, memory cards, and more.
✯ Supports over 1,000 file formats. It can recover various types of data, including photos, videos, audio files, archives, emails, and more.
✯ Selective recovery with preview: Offers a free preview of recoverable files, allowing you to restore only the data you need selectively.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery first, and then choose the exact partition or drive where the deleted files were originally located.

Step 2. Scan the selected drive. It will execute a Quick Scan first to find your data fast, followed by a Deep Scan to search for additional lost data comprehensively.

Step 3. Once the scan is complete, all recoverable files will be displayed. Kindly choose the specific files and then click Recover.

Step 4. Choose a destination folder to save the recovered files, and wait for the recovery process to finish.

Method 2. Restore deleted Recycle Bin files after empty with the Previous Version

To recover deleted files after emptying the Recycle Bin, you can try using the "Previous Versions" feature in Windows. While it’s not guaranteed to work, it’s worth a try. Here’s how you can restore deleted files using this feature:

Step 1. Open Windows File Explorer on your computer. Then go to the folder where the deleted files were originally saved.. Right-click the folder and select Properties.

Step 2. In the Properties window, go to the Previous Versions tab.

Step 3. Select a version from a date before the files were deleted and click Restore to recover the previous state of the folder.

This simple method can help reclaim lost items when other recovery options fail.

Method 3. Recover an emptied Recycle Bin data from Windows File History

Windows File History allows you to quickly back up and restore deleted files, as long as a backup was created earlier. This feature is available on Windows 8, 10, and 11. Here are the steps to recover permanently deleted files on Windows computers:

Step 1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security and click File History.

Step 2. Select Restore personal files. It will open the file history recovery window.

Step 3. Click the left arrow to locate your deleted files, and click the Restore to original location icon to restore deleted files from Recycle Bin.

Method 4. Recover emptied Recycle Bin files from Windows Backup and Restore

The built-in Windows tool, Backup and Restore, provides a simple way to back up and recover your data. Introduced in Windows 7, it’s still available in Windows 8, 10, and 11. If you’ve created a backup with this tool, you can easily use it to restore your lost files.

Step 1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security and select Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Then, click Restore my files.

Step 2. In the Restore Files box, you may search for and restore files and folders.

◤ Search: enter a portion of the filename and pick the deleted files to recover.

◤ Browse for files: Go to the folder containing deleted files from the Recycle Bin and select it. Next, choose Add Files.

◤ Browse for folders: choose the full folder containing deleted files.

Step 3. Select a location to restore deleted files from Recycle Bin. You can choose the original location or browse to a new location. Then, click Start Restore.

Tip: How to avoid permanent data loss without backups?

Sometimes, Recycle Bin automatically and permanently deletes files due to specific settings. Here are some tips to help you adjust these settings and prevent permanent data loss without relying on backups.

Tip 1. How to Disable Bypass Recycle Bin

Some Windows users might accidentally enable the option to bypass the Recycle Bin, causing files to be permanently deleted instead of being sent to the Recycle Bin. To check and fix this:

Step 1. Right-click the Recycle Bin icon and select "Properties."

Step 2. Ensure the option "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted" is not selected.

Tip 2. Allocate More Space to Recycle Bin

If the Recycle Bin is full, Windows will automatically delete older files, leading to permanent data loss. To prevent this, you can increase the Recycle Bin's storage space by following these steps:

Step 1. Right-click "Recycle Bin" and choose "Properties".  Check the "Custom size" option, and adjust the size you want to add to the Recycle Bin.

Step 2. Click "Apply" and "OK" to save and apply the changes.

Tip 3. Disable Auto Empty Recycle Bin

If you have enabled auto-empty Recycle Bin in the Storage Sense, the Recycle Bin folder will be emptied automatically every 1, 14, 30, or 60 days. 

Step 1. Open the Taskbar Settings.

Step 2. Click System > Storage > Storage Sense.

Step 3. Click the tab under "Delete files in my recycle bin if they have been there for over:", and you can choose "Never". Now, the files will not be deleted from the Recycle Bin.

Conclusion

This is all about how to recover an emptied Recycle Bin. In short, losing files after emptying the Recycle Bin can be a stressful experience, but it’s not the end of the road. There are effective methods to recover your data, ranging from professional recovery tools like AOMEI FastRecovery to built-in Windows features such as Previous Versions, File History, and Backup and Restore. Acting quickly and following the right steps can significantly improve your chances of successful recovery.

To prevent such situations in the future, consider adjusting settings to avoid accidental or automatic permanent deletion, such as disabling bypass options, increasing Recycle Bin storage, and turning off auto-empty features. By combining these preventive measures with a reliable recovery strategy, you can minimize the risk of permanent data loss.