[Tutorial] How to Recover Permanently Deleted Videos

Where do permanently deleted videos go?

Accidentally deleting videos is a common occurrence in our daily lives, especially when cleaning up storage devices or organizing files. Generally, deleted videos will be moved to the Recycle Bin, a special folder in Microsoft Windows that stores deleted files temporarily, allowing you to easily restore them if needed.

You can recover deleted videos following these steps:

Step 1: Open the Recycle Bin first.

Step 2: Search for the deleted video within the search bar.

Step 3: Right-click on the search result and select Restore to return it to its original location.

However, as mentioned in the user question above, sometimes deleted files might not be found in the Recycle Bin. If you use Shift+Delete or select the permanent deletion option while handling them, they will bypass the Recycle Bin and be deleted directly. Additionally, emptying the Recycle Bin or deleting files over its size limitation can also result in your files being permanently removed.

Are these deleted files gone forever? In reality, when a file is marked for permanent deletion, it does not vanish instantly. While the space previously occupied by the file is marked as available, its original data still remains on the system until being overwritten by new data.

Can you recover permanently deleted videos?

Yes, you can restore permanently deleted videos. As mentioned earlier, even though your videos are permanently deleted and inaccessible to us, their data still remains on your system until being overwritten by new information. In such a case, it is recommended to avoid using the affected drive in case of unexpected overwriting, and then take appropriate measures to restore permanently deleted videos. You can read this post to learn several effective recovery solutions.

Restore permanently deleted videos using Software

Recovering permanently deleted videos can be challenging, particularly when you have no backups. Fortunately, professional data recovery software like AOMEI FastRecovery can help you get rid of this painful issue, making it effortless to retrieve the desired videos from storage devices. Compared to other recovery tools, AOMEI FastRecovery holds compelling advantages that significantly enhance the user experience.

Why choose AOMEI FastRecovery:
◆ Supports recovering multiple file formats from various storage devices, including PCs, USB drives, SD cards, and more.
◆ Addresses diverse data loss scenarios, recovering your files quickly and efficiently.
◆ Features a user-friendly interface, making it accessible even for those with minimal experience.
◆ Provides file preview before recovery, ensuring accurate selection.
◆ Ensure your data 100% safety throughout the entire recovery process.

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How to recover permanently deleted videos using AOMEI FastRecovery:

Step 1: Download and install AOMEI FastRecovery, and then choose the exact partition or disk where your videos are located.

Step 2: Scan your disk to find the deleted files. It offers two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan, which are designed to find lost data comprehensively.

Step 3: Upon scanning completion, missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the video you want to restore and click Recover. You are allowed to preview it before recovery.

Step 4: Specify a saving path for it and wait for the process to complete.

How to recover permanently deleted videos manually?

In addition to using data recovery software, there are three manual recovery solutions you can use to restore permanently deleted videos.

Recover via Backup and Restore

When your videos are permanently deleted from Windows PCs, consider recovering them through Backup and Restore. This feature, available for Windows 7 and later versions, supports backing up essential files as well as the entire system in case of unnecessary data loss. It is especially useful when your files are lost due to system failure or accidental overwriting. However, you have to ensure that the backup function was enabled beforehand.

Here’s how to recover permanently deleted files on Windows 10:

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel, and select System and Security > Backup and Restore in turn.

Step 2: Click Restore my files.

Step 3: Click Browse for files to choose the file you want to recover, and then click Next.

Step 4: Specify the saving path for your recovered file, and click Restore.

Recover from File History

Additionally, recovering permanently deleted files with the help of the File History feature is also an excellent solution if you have enabled it in advance. This is another built-in feature, available for Windows 8 and later versions, that helps protect your important files from loss by saving copies of them. Compared to the previous method, this way is more suitable for backing up personal files, such as videos. Using File History, users can restore a specific version of a file or folder individually through the timeline, which is especially user-friendly for those who frequently work with files.

Follow these steps to restore permanently deleted videos via File History:

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel, and select System and Security > File History in turn.

Step 2: Click Restore personal files.

Step 3: Choose the files you want to recover, and then click the Recover button.

Recover Using Cloud Backups

Except for Windows tools, you can also back up essential videos on external storage devices like hard drives or memory cards. However, recovery from external storage devices can be limited. For example, if your storage card is lost, you won’t be able to recover the deleted files.

A more convenient and safer method is to back them up on a reliable cloud storage platform. With this method, you are allowed to easily retrieve the desired videos at any time. There are many cloud services you can choose, such as Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and more.

If you set the cloud service to automatically sync your files, deleting a file locally will often lead to the file being deleted from the cloud backup as well. Fortunately, common cloud platforms provide recovery functions, such as Trash or Recycle bin.

Here’s how to recover permanently deleted videos from Google Drive:

Step 1: Visit the Google Drive website and sign in with your account.

Step 2: Click on Trash on the left menu panel.

Step 3: Search the deleted videos that you want to restore.

Step 4: Right-click on it and select Restore to recover it to its original location.

If you are using OneDrive, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Visit the OneDrive website and sign in with your account.

Step 2: Select Recycle bin on the left menu panel.

Step 3: Find the deleted videos that you want to restore.

Step 4: Click the Restore option.

Summary

Typically, deleted videos can be found in the Recycle Bin and easily recovered to their original locations. However, it can be challenging to recover these videos if they are permanently deleted. This post offers several effective ways to restore permanently deleted videos, provided you have backed them up properly. How to recover permanently deleted videos without any backups? It is recommended to recover them using professional recovery software like AOMEI FastRecovery. To prevent important data loss, it is wise to perform regular backups during routine tasks.