✓ Accepted Answer
To recover deleted files, act quickly. When a file is deleted it isn't immediately erased — it's marked as available space. But new files can overwrite it. The sooner you try recovery, the better.
Recuva is the best free recovery tool for Windows. Download it from Piriform's website, install it, and run a deep scan on the drive where the file was. It will show recoverable files — save recovered files to a different drive than the one you're scanning.
On Mac, check the Trash first. If it's not there, Time Machine is your best bet if you had it enabled. System Preferences > Time Machine. If not, PhotoRec is a free cross-platform recovery tool.
For accidentally deleted cloud files (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive), check the trash within the web interface. Cloud services typically retain deleted files for 30 days.
If these fail and the file is critical, professional recovery services exist but cost several hundred pounds/dollars.
by eleanorgreen
· 70 upvotes