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System
Restore is a definite no-no. The operating system will be
restored to a previous configuration state or its original settings and
configuration, but the files will not be restored. Furthermore, the
system restore can significantly reduce the possibility of recovering
the deleted information because it requires a great deal of reading and
writing activity to perform this function.
Keep your fingers away from the Restart
Button. If you couldn’t resist and already hit the button, you
are not out of the running yet. However, performing any action that
forces the computer to read or write may overwrite your deleted files.
Those files are not yet gone, they have simply been designated as “free”
space and new information acquired through reading and writing activity
will fill up this “free” space. Restarting the computer involves a
significant amount of reading and writing activity so it is best to
avoid.
Avoid writing new data to the disk. If
it’s too late for this advice already, do not despair just yet. All of
the deleted information is not necessarily gone, but the new data can
overwrite the old information. Instead, save any new or recovered data
to another partition or to a USB drive, SD memory card or other portable
drive. |
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FILE RESTORATION AFTER THE RECYCLE BIN IS EMPTY |
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Congratulations! You made it through the “do
nots”. Let’s move on and get your files restored.
Step 1:
Find and download a reputable file recovery
utility. TestDisk is a popular open source command line interface tool
for the less novice computer user, while
R-Undelete incorporates a more
user-friendly graphic interface for novices and experts alike. If you
are low on free disk space, be sure to select a high quality recovery
tool because downloading multiple tools to find the best one requires
more reading and writing activity. If possible, download the recovery
program to a different partition within the disk and make an image of
the disk from which you will be recovering your files (further tips
below).
Step 2: Use
your recovery tool to start with an automated, basic file recovery
search. This scan will search for easily recognizable files and then you
can choose which files you would like to recover from its findings. If
your search turns up empty handed, all is not lost just yet because
there is one more search you can attempt.
Step 3: Use
the recovery tool to run a raw file search. This type of search is an
advanced form of file recovery that searches out the digital signatures
of particular types of files. This is also a more effective recovery
method when searching for files with an uncommon file extension. This
feature is not common to basic or free recovery tools. The makers of
TestDisk have made PhotoRec, a recovery tool that allows custom file
extensions for raw file searches but it requires a working knowledge of
command line tools. The creators of R-Undelete have made a program
called R-Studio that has the same custom raw search functions as well as
a more user-friendly interface. |
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MORE TIPS |
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While an emptied
Recycle Bin is on the lower end of the spectrum of data recovery
challenges, many of the advanced strategies employed to recover
information from damaged, reformatted or corrupted hard disks can be
used to help increase the chances of recovering the files from the
emptied Recycle Bin. While the following list of tips may not always be
necessary to recover information from an emptied recycle bin, they can
only better your chances of a successful restoration.
- Eject
the drive in which the deleted information was stored. You can’t do this
without shutting down the computer, but if you have already done so, it
can be removed now.
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If the information was deleted from the system disk and the computer is
shut down, remove the disk and mount it to another system by using a
docking station or USB enclosure. This eliminates the need to start up
the computer again, which may overwrite information onto the disk.
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Create a disk image if the disk is damaged or has very little disk space
remaining. A disk image provides a duplicate picture of the disk from
which you can perform the file recovery process, thus eliminating the
risk of overwriting from further activity.
-
When utilizing the Windows 10 operating system, you can right-click the
recycle bin and from the “Properties” section you can increase the space
allotted to the Recycle Bin. If the same accident should occur in the
future, this extra space means there will be more time available between
the deletion of files and the recovery of files.
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Good luck with your file recovery! To avoid
future crises, be sure to backup your files on a regular basis.
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