Losing data is one of the worst things that can happen to any user. Sometimes that loss comes from a major hardware failure (like a hard drive or SSD that gives up without any warning), but the classic accidental purge is always around the corner, and we can neutralize it with the right tools. If you need to recover deleted files, you can go the route of an external application, or use a Microsoft solution if the system console doesn't scare you...
Hard Drives and SSDs
One of the first things we learned about how hard drives work is that when you delete something, it's still there, with the only difference being that you can't see it. That detail opens an excellent opportunity to bring it back from the beyond, as long as we do things right. When a file is "marked for deletion", the space it occupies is interpreted as available, increasing the risk of overwriting by another file and reducing the chances of success. With SSDs, the recovery potential is even lower, due to the effects of TRIM and the garbage collection systems that many drives have. What does this mean? In general, two things:
First, move quickly and precisely. If you need to recover deleted files, don't let too much time pass, use another computer to download the rescue software, and minimize write operations on the system right away (others recommend turning it off until you're ready).
That leads us to the second and ideal thing, which would be avoiding the installation of the recovery program on the same drive where the files were lost. While we understand that sometimes that's impossible, don't hesitate to use another partition or disk if one is available.
How to Recover Deleted Files
Windows File Recovery
In June 2020, Windows 10 users on version 2004 or later discovered that Microsoft had published Windows File Recovery in its store, an advanced file recovery system that in some ways reminds us of the classic DOS Undelete. The program has no interface, and there are several modifiers you must learn before attempting any restoration. It also carries a usage restriction: it can't recover files on the same drive letter; origin and destination must be different. Despite those difficulties, we think Windows File Recovery is worth recommending because of its official profile and zero cost.
Recuva
It's not the best, nor the most powerful, nor the most advanced, but if there's one thing we can't deny about Recuva, it's its ease of use. The built-in wizard reduces the recovery process to a few clicks. Detection usually takes a few seconds, unless the user decides to enable Deep Scan mode, which extends the process by an hour (or more) on very large drives. Results tend to be poor with executable files, but there are times when you only need part of a text document or a spreadsheet, and a partial recovery with Recuva might be enough...
MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free
If we have to talk about a limit in the free edition of MiniTool Power Data Recovery, it's that it can't recover files larger than 1 GB... not so serious knowing that the chances of rescuing such a large file completely intact are low. However, its advanced profile and its detection of lost partitions and RAW files will surely appeal to many users. Personally, MiniTool Power Data Recovery has saved me more than once, and that's why it has a place on this list.
What About Android?
A very good question, considering that mobile devices are not immune to accidental file loss. One of the most frequent incidents is excessive enthusiasm when deleting images from an album. If you have doubts about how to recover deleted photos on Android, the general strategy boils down to "attacking" the microSD card as if it were another drive (that is, using an adapter, connecting it to the computer, and recovering the files), or downloading an app like DiskDigger and scanning the internal memory... as long as the device has root.
In Summary
Recovering deleted files is a mission we don't wish on anyone. The very nature of our devices makes the process difficult, and professional rescue services tend to be prohibitive for most people. The applications we recommend here will be useful if you respond with speed and care at the same time: Don't delay, and try to install everything on alternate drives to the one that suffered the loss. And as always, backups, backups, backups. Good luck!
