How to Recover Deleted File on Computer
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
Computer users often experience deleting an important file mistakenly. Deleted files find their way to a computer’s “Recycle Bin” and may be permanently deleted through the “Empty Recycle Bin” option. Fortunately, files deleted this way can still be recovered. Although it is not possible to view the file anymore in the Recycle Bin, the deleted file is just inaccessible through normal means and may still be recovered by installing a data recovery program or tool.
Materials Needed:- Internet connection
- Data Recovery Program or tool
- Hard Disk or Data Storage where file was deleted
Step 1
Check the Recycle Bin. Open the Recycle Bin and look for the deleted file. If the file is still there, double click on your file and press, 'Restore'. The file may also be restored by clicking on the file and dragging it towards the Desktop or other folder.
Step 2
Search and download a data recovery program or tool. Using the Web browser, use Google.com, to search for a data recovery program. Enter words like 'recover deleted files' or 'data recovery program'. There are a number of useful programs. Among these are 'recuva' and 'GetDataBack'. To ensure the effectiveness of the program, search through user comments and ratings and select a higher rated program. Download the program’s installer.
Step 3
Install the data recovery program. Double-click on the downloaded installation pack and install by simply following instructions.
Step 4
Activate the data recovery process. Open the program and activate the data recovery process scan, or search process. Normally, programs recommend two kinds of search, a fast or quick and a complete data search or scan. Selecting a faster search may enable a quick but incomplete data recovery. A complete search can produce a thorough search but will take a couple of hours to accomplish. Use available data information like, file size, file type, the drive it was deleted from, and the date it was last modified to make scanning or searching faster.
Step 5
Find the deleted file through searched or scanned files. Inspect each file by taking note of its file type, file size, and date last modified. After finding your deleted file, right-click or double click and select the 'restore' option.
Step 6
Once restored, the file can be moved into a secure folder location or might need to make a backup file. Right-click on the file and left-click to choose from the drop-down options, choose either 'Cut' or 'Copy' and click on your new destination folder, left-click, and choose 'Paste'.