Who hasn’t been in the situation where they have deleted an important file unwillinging. Whether you were cleaning out your digital files with a little extra zeal, or maybe the cat walked across your keyboard. Whatever happened, what’s done is done. The recycling bin is empty. Your file is gone. It happens to the best of us. But before you give up completely, here are a couple ways to see if you can get that file back before it’s gone for good.
Check for Automatic Backups
If you have accidentally deleted a file from your computer, the first place you should know to look is the Recycling Bin. Windows devices automatically move deleted files into the Recycling Bin prior to deleting them permanently just to help users avoid situations like these. However, if you cleared out your Recycling Bin after deleting the file, or use a storage cleaning program, chances are the Recycling Bin will not provide an easy solution to your dilemma.
If you are working on a Windows computer, you’ll be happy to know that some versions of the operating system have built-in backup tools which may be able to help you retrieve your deleted file. The Previous Versions tool found on devices equipped with Windows 7 may have created a convenient backup of your file. This may even be the case if you haven’t told the program to do so. In many cases the process is automatic. To check for previous versions of your lost file, go to the folder that contained your file before it was deleted, right-click on the file, then select Restore previous versions. With this tool, you can access and restore backups that had been created while you were last working within the file. Simply click Open to browse the backup copies and you may just find a version of your important file that will suit your needs.
There is a similar feature available on Windows 8 and 10 machines, but you have to enable File History for it to be of any use once you have deleted a file you want to recover.
File Recovery Software
There are a number of software programs currently on the market which can help you recover any mistakenly deleted files. However, depending on the type of program you’re using and how long ago you deleted the file, the success of these file recovery programs can vary. As you use your computer and continue saving new files, the space which once housed your deleted file will become overwritten and the data will be lost permanently. The safest thing to do once you have noticed the improper deletion of a critical file is to stop using the computer until you run a file recovery program.
If you do choose to use file-recovery software it will run a complete scan of your hard drive. If the file was deleted recently and you haven’t written many new files to the drive, there is a strong chance that such a program will be able to recover your file. If you deleted the file weeks ago and have continued using your computer normally since then it is unlikely that the file will be recoverable.
Are you are concerned with the protection of your computer files?
Have you given any thought to the security of your digital files?
If you or your business don’t have the resources you need to keep your data and files safe, call our team of records management professionals for a proposal of how Happy Faces Records Management can secure your most important documents.
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