Huge mess up
- Thread starter Corinne
- Start date
Look on the desktop and double click the Recycle Bin. You will then see all the deleted files. Right click the ones you need and select Restore. The files will go back to where they were. Buy a USB memory stick and save all essential stuff there to prevent any future panics.
mike1959
Posts: 1,020 +56
If your Windows (or you) have cleared the recycle bin, then you can try a program to seach for files that have been deleted but are still there on the hard drive. There are many programs that will do this, some are 'paid for' and some are free.
These do work very well in many cases. I have used them several times over the years on hard drives, flash and camera cards.
These do work very well in many cases. I have used them several times over the years on hard drives, flash and camera cards.
Corinne
Posts: 9 +0
I did download a program to restore deleted files but it still didn't work also my laptop is windows 8, I checked my recycle bin and its completely empty I havent touched it in ages due to it being a laptop for school
mike1959
Posts: 1,020 +56
Hi, I was thinking of a program I have used many times with good success, 'Recuva', which seems to work very well on my Windows 8 system.
You can choose what type of file it seaches for, pictures, documents or videos etc.
It will search for any recoverable files and shows them on screen, you then tick the thumbnail of each file you want to be recovered, right-click on any one of the choosen files, and choose the drive to use as a 'target', (could be a Flash drive for instance, but it must be a different drive from where they currently are.)
This has been very useful to me several times, on several different PCs. Well worth trying.
There are several tutorial videos to watch about this, one being at;
You can choose what type of file it seaches for, pictures, documents or videos etc.
It will search for any recoverable files and shows them on screen, you then tick the thumbnail of each file you want to be recovered, right-click on any one of the choosen files, and choose the drive to use as a 'target', (could be a Flash drive for instance, but it must be a different drive from where they currently are.)
This has been very useful to me several times, on several different PCs. Well worth trying.
There are several tutorial videos to watch about this, one being at;
Last edited:
Corinne
Posts: 9 +0
Thats the program I downloaded....
You haven't been very clear about the problem or how much you know about computers. Reading your initial post it sounds like you may have recovered the files but have now found that they won't open. How far did you go in removing the files in the first place? Did you empty the Recycle Bin? If you did the answer is a program like those recommended. If you are a complete beginner you should never delete programs. They have to be uninstalled properly. Also, you can make certain types of file open in preselected programs.and if the program isn't there they may not open. Perhaps reinstall the program you were using to access the files if they won't open any more.
Corinne
Posts: 9 +0
I still have the program this is what happened I wanted extra storage space so I started to delete some files I deleted the pictures video and music file that were in documents by right clicking them and clicking delete when I couldn't open them I searched on how to recover files and found recuva and ran the program is said it was successful in restoring all files from documents but when I opened documents the files werent there when someone here said to check recycle bin I did but it was empty I havent touched the recycle bin on my laptop infact I never touched it
mike1959
Posts: 1,020 +56
Corinne, I think there is a good chance that many of your files will be recoverable. Reading 'between the lines', you might have thought that 'Recuva' would put your files back to the folders where they were originally. In fact it won't do that, it recovers the files to another drive of your choice because you don't want to do any more saving on the same drive, probably 'C'.
So once Recuva has done the scan according to your options, I.e. documents, pictures. videos, etc, you then choose the location / drive ( not your C drive, but a flash memory stick or other USB drive ), then Recuva will save those files onto that flash drive etc, but not into the original places.
Once you have recovered what is undamaged, then you can copy them back to the original folders with 'copy/paste', if you want to.
So once Recuva has done the scan according to your options, I.e. documents, pictures. videos, etc, you then choose the location / drive ( not your C drive, but a flash memory stick or other USB drive ), then Recuva will save those files onto that flash drive etc, but not into the original places.
Once you have recovered what is undamaged, then you can copy them back to the original folders with 'copy/paste', if you want to.
Corinne
Posts: 9 +0
I did what you instructed but nothing went onto my drive the only files there are my previous files I originally had on the drive
Right click on the Recycle Bin and select Properties. There's an option to delete files without sending them to the Recycle Bin. "Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted." Uncheck that option if it is selected on your computer. It won't get those files back but it will at least stop this happening again.
mike1959
Posts: 1,020 +56
Hi, I'd be surprised if you didn't find at least a few of your lost files, it's actually quite difficult to delete hundreds or thousands of files just with normal pc use. For instance I had a second hand laptop, which had been restored back to factory settings with all 'docs,' photos etc wiped, and I ran 'Recuva' which found hundreds of assorted files, so it really does work.
Just to repeat, you do have a 4GB or 8GB USB flash stick in a port to save to?
( I make a new folder on a flash drive to save time looking for the files, e.g. 'recovered files', obvious but worth it.)
And when you scanned for files, it gave a screen of images that were found?
So next step is to click on one of those images, so it goes light blue, then press Ctrl key + A key together (Select All images), so then all images go light blue.
Next step is to 'right click' on any image, choose 'Recover highlighted ...' and a small box will appear, where you choose your USB flash memory stick by it's letter (could be E or F or G or whatever you have), then save those files to that 'recovered files' folder on your flash drive.
This will recover any undamaged files, to the flash drive, but it won't recover any that have been partly or totally saved over.
If that doesn't work you could try a different program to do the same thing, http://www.icare-recovery.com/data-recovery-free.html
Interested to see what happens.
Just to repeat, you do have a 4GB or 8GB USB flash stick in a port to save to?
( I make a new folder on a flash drive to save time looking for the files, e.g. 'recovered files', obvious but worth it.)
And when you scanned for files, it gave a screen of images that were found?
So next step is to click on one of those images, so it goes light blue, then press Ctrl key + A key together (Select All images), so then all images go light blue.
Next step is to 'right click' on any image, choose 'Recover highlighted ...' and a small box will appear, where you choose your USB flash memory stick by it's letter (could be E or F or G or whatever you have), then save those files to that 'recovered files' folder on your flash drive.
This will recover any undamaged files, to the flash drive, but it won't recover any that have been partly or totally saved over.
If that doesn't work you could try a different program to do the same thing, http://www.icare-recovery.com/data-recovery-free.html
Interested to see what happens.
Corinne
Posts: 9 +0
I tried doing the recycle bin thing you told me to do but properties wouldnt come up
Corinne
Posts: 9 +0
Did a scan with the icare but when I press next it wont let me recover even tho I've selected what I want to be recovered
Corinne
Posts: 9 +0
Never mind....figured it out
Latest posts
-
PlayStation 5 Pro will be bigger, faster, and better using the same CPU
- anastrophe replied
-
New Affordable AMD B650 Motherboard Roundup- Avro Arrow replied
