“I deleted an important file!” Stories with this beginning happen to users quite often. It is possible that some of our readers have already encountered a similar problem. Such stories always begin the same, but end differently. In this article I will tell you how to make the ending of this story happy. Or at least do everything to make the likelihood of a happy outcome higher.
1. What to do if an important file or folder is deleted?
Well first of all, don't panic. When you throw out garbage, you don’t immediately send it to a landfill. First a trash can, then a container, and only then a landfill. This happens in Windows too. Using the Del key, you first send the file to the Trash. Then, after emptying the recycle bin, the file can be found on disk in unused clusters for some time (this is analogous to our container from the example). And only after the area on the disk in which there were still traces of the file is occupied by other data, then the file is hopelessly lost (this is already a landfill).
1.1 Search in the Cart
It may sound trivial, but the Recycle Bin is the first means of protecting data from accidental deletion. At the same time, many Windows users automatically clean it immediately after placing files in it. Although, by and large, the Recycle Bin does not need to be emptied at all, because it does it automatically.
Searching for files in it is not at all difficult. Find its icon on your desktop and open it. If the file name is known, then simply write it in the search box. You can also sort files in the Recycle Bin by deletion date and immediately find required file, which was just deleted.
The next time you think about using some utility that background cleans the Recycle Bin to free up disk space, think carefully about whether you should trust this important process to an automatic machine. It may be easier to do it yourself and at a time when you are sure that there is nothing valuable in it.
1.2 Searching among shadow copies
It is not necessary to use any paid programs for this purpose. Standard product Reserve copy in Windows 7 it is quite suitable and this system is turned on automatically when installing the operating system.
If “System Protection” is not disabled manually (which is often recommended by would-be optimizers), then restoring a deleted file from a shadow copy in Windows 7 is quite simple.
- In Explorer, find the folder where the deleted file was (not the Recycle Bin).
- Click on the name of this folder right click mice and select " Properties»
- Go to the " Previous versions"(see picture below).
It contains information about all versions of files that were in this folder at different times.
We select the closest one by date and try to search for our file in it. If it is not there, we turn to an earlier version. And so on until you find the desired file.
This way, you can not only recover an accidentally deleted file, but also return to one of the previous versions of a document that was changed and saved on disk, and then its previous version was needed.
Shadow copies of user files are created automatically by the operating system during reboots and installations various programs at system restore points. Therefore, you don’t need to do anything separately to create them. The main thing is not to disable “System Protection,” since some “experts” recommend disabling it to save resources, keeping silent about the fact that the security of the system as a whole will decrease.
2. If standard remedies did not help
2.1 Use a third-party file recovery utility
You can use a specialized data recovery utility, which, after analyzing the disk, will display a list of files and folders that you can try to recover. One of these programs can be kept on disk in case of fire.
The chances that the file will be recovered without loss are not so great, but there can be luck. It's very important point, influencing the “success of the concession” is the minimum number of disk operations since the file is deleted. Some sources even tell us to urgently turn off the computer and boot from a flash drive or disk. To me, this is pure paranoia. Much easier to comply simple rules, which I will give below, and do not risk your nerves in vain.
I will immediately upset the happy owners of SSD drives - they do not have this chance of salvation! The fact is that the system regularly performs the TRIM function for such disks, which resets sectors with deleted files.
2.2 Don't forget about the professionals
There are people who can help with recovering deleted files on a disk. There is a chance of running into a charlatan or an inexperienced specialist, as in any other type of service. But if the file is really valuable, then it may make sense to pay professionals.
3. What can I do to prevent files from disappearing without a trace?
3.1 Do not disable standard protection measures - they are very effective
The operating system developers have come up with a multi-level protection system against problems associated with accidental data deletion. Do not neglect them and disable them, as well as empty the Recycle Bin every time immediately after deleting a document. Make sure that “System Protection” is activated and that the Recycle Bin is working properly. With these system components, it is possible to lose a file irretrievably unless on purpose. To prevent data loss due to disk failure, use the recommendations in the following paragraphs.
3.2 Use cloud storage
Despite the chance of information disclosure, synchronize your folder of important documents with cloud storage. I haven’t seen a user whose documents would take up 10 GB, which is exactly how much they are willing to offer cloud drives for free. They also offer their own applications that will synchronize your document folder with the cloud. For example, I use . But there are also such products as Google Drive, Yandex.Disk and, of course, the famous .
Yes, it is very important that you cloud storage It also has its own basket! Don't forget to look there too if your local copy of the file is irretrievably lost.
3.3 Make regular backups
If you have an operating system other than Windows 7, 8 or 10 installed, we advise you to make backup copies using a special utility.
Windows 7
Windows 7 has its own version backup utility important files“Backup or Restore”, which is located in the “Control Panel”.
To create backup copies you will need a separate HDD(external or internal), which has a sufficient amount free space to place an image of everything system disk, as well as to create backup copies of user files.
Windows 8/10
This version of the operating system has a more advanced feature called File History, which is turned off by default. If you have really important documents, take the trouble to enable version control for them. Just type “res” in the control panel search box, as shown in the picture.
Then in the File History window do necessary settings. By default, the system suggests storing versions of all documents and drawings. If you have large folders with home photos in your documents, then it is better to make backup copies of them yourself, as I described in. And in “File History” it is better to place these folders in “excluded” folders.
Now you will have copies of the document for each change option. Your dissertation or thesis will be safe. Even if you deleted an entire chapter by mistake and wrote down the document.
File History requires the use of a removable storage device. This is in case the main one comes out hard drive out of service. So don’t spare money and buy a flash drive for a hundred or two rubles (for example, 8 GB), so that you don’t have to shell out a thousand or two later to restore files bit by bit from the body of a dead hard drive.
Important: This article is intended for the case when standard backup is configured on the computer in Windows 7.
Recovering files from Windows shadow copies
Have you ever discovered that a file you needed has been deleted? That some time has passed and the file has disappeared somewhere? Of course, there can be many reasons for this. But, usually at such moments, the first thing that worries us is another question rather than the reason - “How to restore it now?” If you are a regular reader of the site, then you probably have backup programs installed and configured that will allow you to restore the missing file.
But what to do if you don’t have such programs, or it’s too late to restore, since the program synchronized the copy with the original and erased this file. What then? Of course, you still have the opportunity to use programs to recover deleted files, but usually this is a rather lengthy procedure that should only be used when there are no other options left. So where should you start?
If you have set up a standard Windows backup via the Backup and Restore interface (see link), or you have created restore points, then you still have the opportunity to relatively quickly restore a deleted file. The fact is that Windows 7 creates so-called “shadow copies” of files that are accessible from the “previous versions” interface. These shadow copies store not just one copy of a file, but several previous versions of it. It is this fact that allows you to use the following two methods.
Recovering a deleted file from a shadow copy of the parent directory in Windows
- Follow the procedure described in the previous article (at this link) to open a list of previous versions for the folder that contained the deleted file
- Select previous version directory so that you can be sure that the file is exactly in this moment in the catalogue. Otherwise you will have to iterate through versions until the first successful one
- You can click the "Copy" button to save an entire copy of the folder and restore the deleted file from it. If you click the button, a dialog box will appear in which you need to specify a location to save. But, you must understand, such an operation may take time if the directory takes up a lot of space
- You can also click the "Restore" button so that all files in the folder are rolled back to the selected version. But keep in mind that this may change other files
- If you are not satisfied with both previous options, then you can click on the “Open” button, and the entire list of files of the selected one will open to you backup copy. You can drag or copy the remote file wherever you need it
- After you restore the file using one of the methods, close the dialog box
Recovering a deleted file from a shadow copy by its name in Windows
- Create empty file with the same name and extension as the remote file and place it in the original directory. File contents don't matter
- Right click on an empty file
- IN context menu, select "Properties"
- Go to the "Previous Versions" tab
- If you're lucky, the entire list of backup copies of the deleted file will appear in front of you. IN in this case, it all depends on the circumstances
- Select the backup you want (probably the most recent one) and click the "Restore" button
- Close the dialog box
Both of these methods can be used. The only thing you must understand is that the recovered file will not necessarily be the same latest version, since backups do not occur constantly, but at certain points in time.
- Windows updates (hotfixes) are not installed? The .Net framework cleanup and repair utility can help
Technical Tips
Quite often, personal computer users are faced with a situation where specific program is deleted due to virus infection or some other reason. Sometimes it happens that it is impossible to reinstall a particular program. Therefore, it needs to be restored using a special utility. For these purposes, you can download a special program on the Internet or use standard means operating system.
You will need
- - UndeletePlus program.
Instructions
Probably almost every one of you has been in a situation where the file you need now was already deleted earlier, accidentally or not. It doesn’t matter whether it happened on a hard drive, a flash drive, a rewritable CD/DVD drive, or even a floppy disk. It's good if it stayed in the trash Windows Recycle Bin, then it is easy to restore it by opening it, selecting the required files and clicking on the “Restore object” item. And if the Recycle Bin has already been emptied, how can I recover the deleted file?
In this case, you need to use special programs recover deleted files. There are many such programs, but their effectiveness varies. For example, here are four programs:
- R-Studio,
- Active Undelete
- Handy Recovery,
- PC Inspector File Recovery.
Almost all recovery programs are paid products. But the task they perform is quite complex and scrupulous, since data that is important for the work of a company or for a student’s studies is often deleted, and it is not possible to create it again, or this is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming task. Still, if you find yourself in an emergency situation with the deletion of important files, you can use the PC Inspector File Recovery program, since it is free (which is very rare in the field of data recovery).
Recovering files with PC Inspector File Recovery
Probability of successful recovery
When you delete a file from the Recycle Bin, the operating system Windows system in fact, it only removes part of the file name and makes it invisible. In fact, immediately after deletion, the file is still recorded on the hard drive, and it is quite easy to restore it. But along with the invisibility of the file, the operating system allows the hard drive to write new data on top of it and the algorithm for writing it is unknown to users. The point is whether or not something will be overwritten during the period from the moment the file is deleted to the recovery attempt.
The success of recovery depends on several factors. Firstly, it depends on how long ago the required file was deleted. The sooner you catch on, the better. Secondly, where was the deleted data located? If it was a partition where the operating system is running, then the likelihood of recovery is lower. Thirdly, recovery depends on the program you use for the process of returning information. Each program has its own algorithm for analyzing the hard drive, so the results for searching for deleted files may vary. It is recommended to try restoring files using different programs.
The fourth point is the correctness of your actions when trying to recover files. You cannot specify the same to restore hard section disk on which the deleted data was, in this way you can completely erase it and all subsequent attempts will be useless! To restore, it is recommended to immediately turn off the computer, remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer with a second number (so as not to load operating system from it), and then scan the disk.
Restore deleted files You can now use Windows itself.
Christian Morgenstern: Leben und Werk (German Edition) of lost or deleted files
If you cannot find a file on your computer or the file was accidentally changed or deleted, you can restore it from the archive (if you use the program Windows archiving) or try to restore it from a previous version. Previous versions are copies of files and folders that Windows automatically saves as part of a restore point. Previous versions are sometimes called shadow copies.
To restore a file from an archive, make sure that the media or disk on which the archive is saved is accessible, and then follow these steps:
- Open the "Backup and Restore" section. To do this, click Start, select Control Panel, System and Maintenance, and Backup and Restore.
- Click Recover my files and follow the wizard's instructions.
You can recover deleted files and folders or return a file or folder to its previous state.
To return a file or folder to its previous state, follow these steps:
- Right-click the file or folder and select Restore Previous Version.
A list of previous versions of the file or folder appears. The list will contain the files saved in the backup (if you use Windows Backup to back up the files), as well as recovery points if both types of components are available. - Before restoring a previous version of a file or folder, select the previous version and click Open to make sure it's the version you want.
- To restore a previous version, select it and click Restore.