How do I recover files that have been deleted?
- Thread starter Baraflesh
- Start date
Take the laptop to work, plug it into your work network, ring your service desk and ask them the lodge a request with third level support to restore the folder from a backup.
Then you will need to take it to a private data recovery company. Google ‘data recovery’ in your area. That’s the best advice I can give. With luck Phoenixmgs or Chimpzy will see this thread too and perhaps provide alternative solutions.
You can give one of these a shot. As long as your computer hasn't overwritten the data you might be okay. if possible, download with a different computer and put it on a flash drive or something
www.pcmag.com
The Best Data Recovery Software
Don't panic. Data recovery software is your best (and sometimes only) hope of getting lost files back. We test and pick the best utilities for both Macs and PCs.
Data recovery software is one option. The link MysteriousGX provided is a good start, tho you can always try looking for something yourself. There is free data recovery software out there, but most of it is limited in some way like only able to recover so many Mb/Gbs. This is all assuming the drive space where your files were hasn't been overwritten yet, hence MysteriousGX recommendation to download it on a different computer.
You can also try using the Command Prompt to recover files using the chkdsk command. It's success rate isn't great, and it's not the most user-friendly method, but it doesn't require buying/installing any software. There's a rundown of it here:
www.minitool.com
If that doesn't work, the final option is taking it to a data recovery center, as per Gordon_4's advice. Keep in mind tho that their services can potentially cost you several hundred dollars, and there is still no guarantee they'll be able to recover all your data, and whatever is recovered may end up corrupted.
And lastly, a lot will depend on what kind of drive your files were on. If it is a mechanical HDD, then all of the above can work.
if you're on an SSD tho, then things can get dicier, because a lot of SSD's are subject to TRIM, and while that does help the speed and longevity of your drive, it often also means any file deleted from it is gone forever immediately, even if it wasn't overwritten, possibly beyond even the means of a data recovery center to fix.
You can also try using the Command Prompt to recover files using the chkdsk command. It's success rate isn't great, and it's not the most user-friendly method, but it doesn't require buying/installing any software. There's a rundown of it here:
How To Recover Files Using CMD: Ultimate User Guide
How to recover files using CMD? This post gives you detailed steps for data recovery in different situations.
If that doesn't work, the final option is taking it to a data recovery center, as per Gordon_4's advice. Keep in mind tho that their services can potentially cost you several hundred dollars, and there is still no guarantee they'll be able to recover all your data, and whatever is recovered may end up corrupted.
And lastly, a lot will depend on what kind of drive your files were on. If it is a mechanical HDD, then all of the above can work.
if you're on an SSD tho, then things can get dicier, because a lot of SSD's are subject to TRIM, and while that does help the speed and longevity of your drive, it often also means any file deleted from it is gone forever immediately, even if it wasn't overwritten, possibly beyond even the means of a data recovery center to fix.
Get a time machine and go back to before you deleted the files and transfer them onto a flash drive. Just don't let your past self see you or you risk a time paradox tearing the universe apart at its seams.
- Feb 7, 2011
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The following usually works if you haven't rewritten over the files you deleted.
download.cnet.com
Restoration
Download Restoration for Windows to restore files which are deleted from the Recycle Bin by mistake. Restoration has had 0 updates within the past 6 months.