We have all been able to delete a file from one of our devices without realizing it or by mistake. But just because it has disappeared does not always mean that we cannot recover it; depending on how we have eliminated it, we may still have time to recover it. In this article, we are going to explain how to recover deleted files on different operating systems.
How to recover deleted files in Windows 10
We begin by explaining how to recover deleted files from the PC, specifically, how to recover deleted files in Windows 10, which is currently one of the most used operating systems (the process is very similar to recovering deleted files in Windows in previous versions).
The first method will help us recover files deleted from the recycle bin, that is, those that we have only deleted from their location and sent to the trash (but not completely deleted), where they will remain for 93 days before being completely deleted.
To recover these files, we must follow these steps:
- We access the recycle bin, and we will see all the files that we have deleted in it.
- We look for the one we want to recover and select it by clicking once with the left mouse button.
- In the toolbar, click on the “Restore selected items” option. The file will appear again in the original location where it was saved.
If you want to recover several files, you will have to select them by pressing the left mouse button + CTRL. To recover all the files, just click on “Restore all items.”
This method will also help you recover from the trash all those files that you have sent to it from external memory drives.
How to recover deleted files on Mac
If you use a Mac instead of a PC, you can also recover deleted files found in the trash by following these steps:
- We enter the trash can.
- We look for the file we want to recover and right-click on it.
- In the drop-down menu that appears, click on “Remove from trash.” We can also click and drag the file to the location we want to place it there.
How to recover deleted files on Android
In order to recover deleted files from the Android mobile, we will need either an application dedicated to this task or to have previously made a backup copy of the content of our terminal, as we explain in our article on how to make a backup copy. On Android.
This is because Android devices do not have a feature such as a recycle bin. When we delete a file from our mobile, we will no longer be able to access it again. Unless they are photos or videos since the image gallery application does have its own trash can. To recover these image files, you must:
- Enter Gallery.
- Click on the options menu (the three horizontal lines, although it could vary from one model to another).
- Click on the trash icon and choose the image or images you want to recover.
This trash can save the deleted images for a few days, so if you want to recover them, you should not wait long to do so.
For the rest of the files, if we have a backup copy of the device, all we have to do is enter the settings and look for the option that allows us to restore the backup copy (this copy can be made through the Google account or using the option that some manufacturers have for this).
In the absence of a backup, the last option is to resort to third-party applications to try to recover deleted files on Android. Still, it should be noted that most of these apps focus on recovering photos or videos and not so many other types of files.
How to recover deleted files on iOS
With the recovery of deleted files on iOS, it happens the same as on Android; we can recover images deleted from the trash, but for the rest of the files, we depend on having a backup copy in iCloud, from which we can restore the files saved in the last copy security that we have made, or that has been synchronized.
To recover deleted images, we must follow these steps:
- We enter the Photos app.
- We click on “Deleted.”
- Deleted images from the last 30 days will appear.
- We click on those that we want to recover and click on “Recover.” The images will appear again in their original location.
Can I recover deleted files that are not in the trash?
And what happens to files already deleted from the trash? Can you recover deleted files that are not in the trash? The answer is that it depends.
Both Windows and macOS have a feature that, if activated, will allow us to restore folders to a previous version, which could contain that file that we have accidentally deleted.
In Windows 10, we find this option by following these steps:
- We right-click on the folder that contained the deleted file.
- We click on “Properties”.
- Click on “Previous versions,” and the previous versions of the folder will appear.
- We select the one we want to restore and click on “Accept.” The folder will revert to that previous version, so we will recover the deleted file (but we will also lose any modifications or new files after the restore point).
For this option to be available, we must have activated the function that allows Windows 10 to make restore points from time to time (they work very similar to backups but are done automatically).
To activate it, enter the control panel, and in the search engine, enter “Restore point.” You will be able to access it directly. In “System Protection,” the disk or hard drives that you have connected will appear. Choose the one you want and click on “Configure.” In the next window, you mark “Enable system protection” and choose the amount of space you want to dedicate to it.
On Mac, we can use a Time Machine. This function allows us to create backup copies of the entire hard drive or specific folders, which can be stored in the cloud or on an external memory drive and with which we can recover files that we may have deleted. Accidentally.
We can also use specific applications that allow us to restore previous versions of a document, such as Text Edit or iWork. Still, these will only help us restore previous versions, so very recent modifications may not appear in the recovered document.
