You accidentally press the delete button on an important file and suddenly your heart sinks as you realize that you had just spent all week working on it.
While it is very easy to panic in these situations, there is actually a pretty good chance that you can still recover the file.
Read more to find out how to recover deleted files.
How files get "deleted" Many people make the mistake of believing that erased data gets completely removed from a computer hard drive.
However, whenever a file is deleted all that happens is that the operating system marks the space that the file once occupied as free space so that new data can overwrite it.
How to recover permanently deleted files If you delete a file, then you can easily recover it by checking your Recycle Bin, locating the file you need and dragging it to an appropriate folder to recover it.
If that does not work then go to your Start Menu, go to the Control Panel and click on System.
From there, you need to do a System Restore to an earlier date as this may help to bring back the file you need.
Chances of recovering detailed files The second you delete an important document, you need to stop doing whatever it is that you are doing.
The reason is that every time you save a new file, the computer will write information to your hard drive which means that your chances of recovering the deleted file are greatly reduced.
If the above steps do not work then consider using software.
Using software to recover needed files If all this sounds too complicated, then fortunately you can make use of third-party software.
For Windows users, some programs that you can use include Undelete Plus, Restoration and Recuva.
There are other programs available but these are perhaps the most user-friendly and offer other options to make recovering deleted files much easier.
These tools essentially scan your hard drive for lost files.
Once you find the deleted file that you need, simply save it somewhere you know you can find it again.
If this still does not work, then try again with a different program.
Preventing the problem Now that you have successfully recovered the file you need to ensure that this problem does not happen again.
Make sure to use an external hard drive and back up your data at least once a week.
You may even want to consider investing in a service which keeps your data in the cloud although you may need to pay for these.
While it is very easy to panic in these situations, there is actually a pretty good chance that you can still recover the file.
Read more to find out how to recover deleted files.
How files get "deleted" Many people make the mistake of believing that erased data gets completely removed from a computer hard drive.
However, whenever a file is deleted all that happens is that the operating system marks the space that the file once occupied as free space so that new data can overwrite it.
How to recover permanently deleted files If you delete a file, then you can easily recover it by checking your Recycle Bin, locating the file you need and dragging it to an appropriate folder to recover it.
If that does not work then go to your Start Menu, go to the Control Panel and click on System.
From there, you need to do a System Restore to an earlier date as this may help to bring back the file you need.
Chances of recovering detailed files The second you delete an important document, you need to stop doing whatever it is that you are doing.
The reason is that every time you save a new file, the computer will write information to your hard drive which means that your chances of recovering the deleted file are greatly reduced.
If the above steps do not work then consider using software.
Using software to recover needed files If all this sounds too complicated, then fortunately you can make use of third-party software.
For Windows users, some programs that you can use include Undelete Plus, Restoration and Recuva.
There are other programs available but these are perhaps the most user-friendly and offer other options to make recovering deleted files much easier.
These tools essentially scan your hard drive for lost files.
Once you find the deleted file that you need, simply save it somewhere you know you can find it again.
If this still does not work, then try again with a different program.
Preventing the problem Now that you have successfully recovered the file you need to ensure that this problem does not happen again.
Make sure to use an external hard drive and back up your data at least once a week.
You may even want to consider investing in a service which keeps your data in the cloud although you may need to pay for these.