It happened to all of us at some point, to accidentally delete some important files, or lose them due to disc damage. Sometimes, we think they are lost forever, but there are some ways that can bring back the lost files, or at least parts of them, so you won’t lose everything forever.
Many companies claim that their Data Recovery software is the best one on the market. They all work nicely, with a high success rate, but it can be very slow, and take a few hours after the first results appear. 
Source:handyrecovery.comIn some cases, you are deleting the files on purpose, so you can free up enough space to perform some activity. Sometimes, you need to format the device, or you can do it unexpectedly, and recovering the files is something you really need.
If you want to recover data from your smartphone or tablet, you may need to connect it to the computer or laptop and run the scanning as it’s a portable drive. Windows has an elegant solution since it stores the files in the Recycle Bin, and recovery is possible even after a few months. On the other hand, if you use the “Shift”+”Delete” option, the data is lost forever. Or is it? By using third-party apps, it may get back to you.
One thing you need to be aware of is that there is no 100% guarantee that all the files will be back after the scanning process. Keep in mind that most of them are already damaged, and assembling the parts together so you can get a complete file can be interrupted. That may also happen if the deleting occurred a long time ago, since the discs are using the free fragments, but also rewrite the data over the deleted parts.
Microsoft also offers an official tool, named Windows File Recovery, and you can use that for some basic recovery actions. If you want to use a paid recovery app, you can download it from the official website, or buy it from the provider. Before you do anything, just back up the current data, just in case. After that, you need to take these steps:
- Download the software on your computer. If possible, don’t install it on the damaged disc. Use another, healthy computer to recover the files from the damaged one.
- Select the disc you want to be scanned. It can be a USB drive, HDD/SSD, some external storage, and so on. Allow the software to scan the storage or device for damaged and missing files.
- Once the scanned files are listed in the dashboard, you can select the ones you want, to recover. You can save the files one by one, or you can select a bunch of them, and save them on some disc or location different than the original one.
Can you hold on to the Window’s Recycle Bin to prevent your files from disappearing?
Usually, you can find the file you just deleted in the Recycle Bin, and you can simply recover it from there. But, you have to know that some files have a limited “life” while they are in the Bin. Maybe you don’t know this one, but it’s size limited, and if you go over that, your files will immediately and permanently be deleted, skipping the Bin phase. So, it’s always a good idea to empty it regularly and remove all those files you don’t really need. Even though it comes with big, but still limited storage, if you delete larger files you can easily fill it up. Also, keep in mind that the “Shift”+”Delete” command is skipping the Bin as a step.
Also, we can recommend you to check the other devices, your cloud storage, SD cards, CDs, USBs, and even the email or some chat history, to see if you shared some of those files with someone else. If none of that works, you can proceed using data recovery software.
Free or paid version?
Free versions are very limited. For example, you can recover an exact number of files every day or month, or you can do that for an unlimited number of files, but for few weeks only.
This may lead you to think that the paid versions are better. But, keep in mind that the recovery process also depends on the number of damaged files and the level of damage done on the disc. Also, they can, for example, recover the photos, but resized them, depending on the version that was present on the disc.
Just because something is paid, it doesn’t mean you will be able to get the most of it, since there are other things that can interfere with the process. In order to get the best results possible, you need to react faster.
Some of these tips can be pretty helpful:
- Use another computer to recover the files
Download the software on a healthy computer, and then connect the other device like portable storage. This will prevent overwriting over the damaged disc and will ensure you will save as many files as you can.
- Act immediately
If you act fast, you have more chances to save the file. Again, don’t install the software on the same disc the lost file was (if possible), for better results.
- Erase all the unnecessary files
If the disc is full, it will take more time for the software to scan it. You can simply erase the files you don’t really need, and set the features to deep scan the deleted files in a particular period or size.
Now, you know what you can do if you accidentally erase some important files from your device. As we said a few times, don’t put all your hopes into it, and keep your expectations low, because sometimes, some files can’t be recovered at all. If you are lucky enough, take a deep breath, and practice backing up your data at least every month.
