How to Recover Files That Are Permanently Deleted?

Is There a Way to Recover PermanentlyDeleted Files?

In general, when you delete a file using common deleting ways like pressing the Delete key or clicking Delete from the context menu, the file will go to Recycle Bin and you can restore it to original location easily. However, if you emptied the Recycle Bin or used Shift+Delete combination, the files will be permanently deleted and you cannot find it in Recycle Bin, either.

So, are permanently deleted files gone forever?The short answer is no.When you "permanently" delete a file (via Shift+Delete or emptying the Recycle Bin), although the filemetadata is removed and Windows marks the space occupied by the file as "available" for new data, the actual file content stays on the drive until overwritten by new files.

How to Recover Files that Are Permanently Deleted?

In this section, we will explain how to recover files you permanently deleted in different methods. Check them out one by one until you restore important files.

Method 1. Restore from Windows File HistoryBackup (If Available)

Windows File History is a handy feature in Windows that helps you protect your personal files and folders from accidental loss or damage. Once enabled, it will automatically save copies of your files, so you can easily restore them if something goes wrong. If you have turned on this feature, you can recover permanently files through the following steps:

Step 1. Search "File History," and click “Open.”

Step 2. Click “More options."

Step 3. Scroll down to the bottom and choose “Restore files from a current backup.”

Step 4. Choose target files or folders and click on "Restore" button.

Method 2. Restore with Windows File Recovery

Windows File Recovery can help recover your personal datathat have been deleted from your local storage device (including internal drives, external drives, and USB devices) and can’t be restored from the Recycle Bin.

Step 1. Free get Windows File Recovery app from Microsoft store. Then open the installer and finish the setup process.

Step 2. Locate the Window File Recovery app in the Start menu and choose "Run as administrator."

Step 3. In the Command Prompt window that appears next, enter any one of the following command based on your situation and requirements.

All are based on the basic command structure: winfr source-drive: destination-folder [/mode] [/switches]

(replace H with the drive where you stored the files before while D with the destination drive you save the recovered files later)

winfr H:D:\test /regular [Recovers recently deleted files from H: drive and saves them to D:\test folder.]

winfr H:D:\test /extensive [Performs a deep scan on the H: drive for lost files and saves the recovered files to the D:\test folder. A deeper scan will take a longer time.]

winfr H:D:\test /extensive /n *.txt[Performs a deep scan on the H: drive for lost txt files and saves the recovered files to the D:\test folder.]

winfr H:D:\test /regular/n /ImportantFolder [Performs a quick scan on the H: drive for “Important”folder and saves the recovered files to the D:\test folder.]

Method 3. Restore Permanently Deleted Files with MyRecover [Recommanded]

At last, we would like to share you with an easy yet powerful data recovery tool in case that you don’t have any backup or are not excellent at running complex commands. That is MyRecover. Beyond its free data recovery capabilities, here’s why it’s a top choice:

• ✔️Supports 200+ File Types: Recover photos (JPG, PNG, RAW), videos (MP4, MOV), documents (DOCX, XLSX, PPT), emails (PST), archives (ZIP, RAR), and more.
• ✔️Works Across Devices: Compatible with HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, cameras, drones, gaming consoles (PS4/PS5), and surveillance systems (CCTV).
• ✔️Advanced Scanning Technology: “Quick Scan”nstantly locates recently deleted files. And “Deep Scan”digs deeper to recover files lost weeks or months ago, even from formatted or corrupted drives.
• ✔️Recover Data in Various Scenarios: Recover data from deletion, formatted disk, emptied Recycle Bin, system crashes and more.
• ✔️Intuitive Interface: Zero Technical Skills Required: No command-line inputs or complex settings.

Follow these simple steps to retrieve youpermanently deleted files:

Step 1: Download and Install MyRecover

Visit the official siteand download the free version.Install the software on a different drive (not the one you’re recovering files from).

Step 2:  Select the Target Drive

Launch MyRecover. Choose the drive where your files were deleted (e.g., C:, or D:).

Step 3: Scan for Lost Files

Click “Scan” to initiate a Quick Scan. For comprehensive recovery, switch to “Deep Scan” (takes longer but retrieves more files).

Step 4: Select Target Files / Folder

When all recoverable listed in the result window, you can tick what you need, or search files by file type using the filters.Then click “Recover.”

Step 5. Choose a safe location

Then select a different safe location on your computer to save the files you are recovering now. Wait for the recovery process to complete.

Final Thoughts

How to recover files that are permanently deleted(from Recycle Bin or Desktop)? The above methods are worth trying. To save much time with sacrificing the data rescue rate, MyRecover is a top option. What’s more, if you want to recover data from an unbootable computer, it won’t let you down since you can use MyRecover to create a bootable media for booting the computer into WinPE mode and then perform data recovery.