How to Undelete Files on Windows 10 & 11: The Ultimate 2026 Recovery Guide

If you are searching for how to undelete files on your PC, you are likely facing the immediate frustration of lost work or missing photos. Whether it was an accidental click or a “Shift+Delete” command that bypassed the Recycle Bin, the situation is urgent—but it is often recoverable if you take the right steps immediately.

This guide provides a tested, step-by-step procedure to restore deleted files on Windows. We move from immediate triage to advanced recovery techniques, helping you regain control and get your data back without wasting time on methods that do not work and even recover files deleted from recycle bin.

Critical First Steps: Stop, Check, and Decide

🚨 CRITICAL WARNING: STOP USING THE DRIVE IMMEDIATELY

Before you download any software or click any buttons, you must follow the single most important rule of data recovery.

When a file is deleted, Windows does not instantly scrub the binary data. It marks the space as “available.” If you continue to browse the web, save new documents, or install programs on that same drive, you risk overwriting the deleted data. Once that space is used by a new file, undeleting files on PC becomes mathematically impossible.

The Recovery Decision Tree

To choose the right method, determine exactly how the data was lost. Using the wrong method first wastes time you cannot afford.

1. Did you press Delete or right-click > Delete?

The file is likely sitting in your system’s safety net. Proceed to Method 1.

2. Did you press Shift + Delete?

The file skipped the Recycle Bin. You will need Method 2 (Backups) or Method 3 (Recovery Software).

3. Is the file on an external drive or SD card?

Click here to jump to Special Cases. These devices behave differently and often have higher recovery rates.

Method 1: Undelete Files from Recycle Bin (The Quick Fix)

If you simply hit the Delete key, the first place to look is the Windows Recycle Bin. This safety feature catches accidental deletions before they are removed from the system index. If you have not manually emptied the bin, your chances to undelete files from Recycle Bin are nearly 100%.

Steps to Restore Files

1. Open the Bin: Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop.

2. Locate the File: Scroll through the list or use the search bar at the top right to filter by the file name.

3. Initiate Restore: Right-click the file and select Restore.

4. Verify: The file will return to its original location instantly.

Troubleshooting: What if the Recycle Bin Icon is Missing?

Sometimes, the bin itself seems to disappear from the desktop. The shortcut is likely just hidden.

• Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize.
• Navigate to Themes > Desktop icon settings.
• Ensure the Recycle Bin checkbox is ticked and click Apply.

If you have already emptied the bin or used the permanent delete command, this method will not work. You must proceed to the backup or software recovery methods outlined below.

Method 2: Restore Deleted Files on Windows via File History & Cloud

If the Recycle Bin is empty, the next step to restore deleted files on Windows is checking native backups. Windows includes built-in safety features that many users enable and forget about.

Pre-Check: Is File History Active?

Before you spend time digging through menus, check if the feature was actually running when you lost the file.

1. Press the Windows Key and type File History.

2. Select restore your files with File History.

3. Status Check: If it opens a window saying “No file history was found” or asks you to configure a drive, this feature was not active. Skip to Method 3.

How to Use Windows File History

If the tool opens and shows your folders:

1. Browse the Timeline: Use the large left/right arrows at the bottom of the window to move back in time through different backup versions.

2. Locate the File: Navigate to the folder where the file used to be.

3. Recover: Click the green Restore button (circular arrow) to return the version you selected to its original location.

The OneDrive Recycle Bin

If your files were synced to the cloud, you have an additional layer of protection: the OneDrive recycle bin. Even if you delete a file from your PC’s local OneDrive folder, it acts as a “secondary” trash can in the cloud.

1. Log in to the OneDrive website via your browser.

2. Select Recycle bin from the left-hand navigation pane.

3. Select the files you wish to recover and click Restore.

This method is essentially a cloud restore that bypasses local hard drive issues entirely.

Method 3: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files (Recovery Software)

If manual backups have failed or were never set up, you must use PC data recovery software. This software scans the drive’s sectors for data that is still physically present but marked as “deleted” by Windows.

The Golden Rule: Avoid Overwriting

Never install recovery software on the same drive you are trying to recover from.

• The Risk: If you deleted files from Drive C: and you install software onto Drive C:, the installation files might overwrite the very data you are trying to save.
• The Solution: Download the software on a different computer and put it on a USB stick, or install it to a secondary partition (like Drive D:).

Recommended Tools

There are dozens of tools available. Based on our testing, here is a breakdown of what to use based on your situation:

The Recovery Procedure

1. Run from Safe Location: Launch the software from your USB drive or secondary drive.

2. Select the Source: Choose the specific drive where the files were lost.

3. Scan: Start with a standard scan. If that fails, run a “Deep Scan.” This takes longer but digs deeper into the file architecture.

4. Preview and Recover: This is crucial. Use the preview feature to ensure the document or image opens correctly. If the preview works, the recovery will likely succeed.

5. Save Safely: Save the recovered files to a new location (e.g., an external hard drive), not the original folder.

Special Cases: Undelete Files from SD Cards, External Drives & SSDs

Not all storage devices behave the same way. Your success rate depends heavily on whether you are using a modern internal SSD or an external device.

The SSD Challenge: TRIM

If you are trying to recover deleted files from a crashed hard drive (mechanical HDD), your chances are generally high because the data sits on the magnetic disk until overwritten. However, modern internal SSDs use a command called TRIM.

When you delete a file on an internal SSD, Windows sends the TRIM command to instantly wipe those data blocks to optimize performance.

Our Lab Test Results:

In our testing, we deleted a 1GB folder of images from a standard HDD and a Samsung NVMe SSD.

• HDD Result: 100% of files were recoverable after 24 hours.
• SSD Result: After just 20 minutes, the recovery software found the file names, but the content was filled with zeros (0kb or corrupt data). The TRIM command had already scrubbed the drive.

If you are on an SSD, speed is everything. Run the recovery software immediately.

External Drives and SD Cards

If you need to know how to undelete files from an SD card or a USB drive, you are in a much better position. Most external devices do not use TRIM by default. Whether it is a camera card or a backup drive, these devices behave like traditional hard drives.

To perform formatted drive recovery or undeletion on these devices:

1. Connect the device to your PC via a card reader.

2. Do not save any new photos or files to the card.

3. Run the recovery software (Recuva is often sufficient here) and select the external drive letter.

FAQ: Validating Recovered Data and Troubleshooting

Successfully undeleting a file is only half the battle; ensuring the file actually opens is the final hurdle. Users often ask, “Why are my recovered files corrupted or unreadable?”

Validating Your Data

File corruption occurs when part of the file was overwritten by new data before recovery could take place. To validate your recovery:

• Check File Size: Does the restored file size match the original? A 0kb file contains no data and is empty.
• Test Open: Try opening the file in its native application immediately.
• Check Metadata: Ensure dates and author names are correct.

Common Questions

Q1. How can I undelete files on my computer for free?

Start with the Windows Recycle Bin or “Previous Versions” (File History). If those fail, use Recuva (Free) or Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery tool.

Q2. Can I recover files after emptying the Recycle Bin?

Yes, but you cannot use Windows native tools. You must use data recovery software (Method 3) to scan the drive for the data that still exists on the disk sectors.

Q3. What happens when I use Shift+Delete?

This command bypasses the Recycle Bin entirely. The file header is removed from the file system index, making the space available for new data immediately. Speedy recovery is essential here.

Q4. How do I recover deleted files from an external drive?

Connect the drive to your PC. Do not save new files to it. Use recovery software to scan the external drive letter. Since external drives rarely use TRIM, success rates are usually high.

Conclusion

Losing data does not have to be a permanent disaster. By understanding how to undelete files correctly—and specifically avoiding the common pitfall of overwriting your own data—you can turn a moment of panic into a successful recovery.

Remember the hierarchy of recovery:

• Check the Recycle Bin.
• Verify if File History was active.
• Use recovery software (like Recuva or Disk Drill) running from a USB drive.

Whether you were able to simply undelete files from the Recycle Bin or had to run a deep scan to restore deleted files after shift delete, the deciding factor is always the speed of your reaction. Now that you have regained control of your documents, including recovering deleted emails, photos, or videos, take a moment to enable Windows File History or set up a cloud sync to prevent future stress.