How to Recover Deleted Data from Empty Recycle Bin?

From time to time, you tend to delete unnecessary items, including files, folders, programs, etc., from your system to free up storage space. However, sometimes, you end up deleting some important data mistakenly. Usually, when a file/folder is deleted with the Delete key, it goes to Recycle Bin, from where you can easily restore it. But, the situation becomes difficult when you can’t even find them in Recycle Bin.

So, how would you recover deleted files from empty Recycle Bin? Fret not! You can get back your files with some easy-to-follow and effective methods shared in this post.

What happens when a file is deleted?

When the files are deleted from the Windows system using the Delete key, they are temporarily moved to Recycle Bin which acts as a container where deleted files are stored for a particular time period (30 days from the day of deletion). After that, the data gets removed from Recycle Bin. However, when you use the Shift + Del keys to delete the data, it bypasses the Recycle Bin and gets deleted permanently. But you can still recover such deleted data. When you perform the deletion, it is only the ‘file pointer’ that gets removed and makes the file inaccessible to users. However, the file data continue to exist on your system, until overwritten.

Is Data Recovery Possible From Empty Recycle Bin?

Data recovery from empty Recycle Bin is possible when the files are not overwritten by new data or erased using any third-party file eraser tool. If you’ve recently deleted the data using the Shift + Del keys or emptied the Recycle Bin, you can follow the methods shared below to recover deleted Recycle Bin data.

Quick Ways to Recover Files from Empty Recycle Bin

Carefully read the steps to perform the file recovery methods mentioned below.

Restore Data Using Backup

A. Backup Drive

Many Windows users keep backup of their system data on external storage media drives, such as HDD, SSD, USB, etc. If you also have a backup of your system data on the external drive, follow the given steps:

• Connect that external storage drive to your system.
• Locate and select the files you wish to retrieve. Right-click on them and select Copy.
• Now, choose the desired location and Paste those files.
• You can also drag and drop the files to the selected location.

B. File History

It’s a Windows built-in backup utility that creates copies of your files. If the files are lost or deleted, you can restore them using this utility if enabled prior to data deletion/loss. Follow the given steps:

• Open Control Panel and then open File History.

• Next, choose ‘Restore personal files’ and locate the backup folder with the date and time.
• Open the Backup folder, select all the files and folders you want to retrieve, and click ‘Restore’ or ‘Restore to.’

• Finally, save the files to the desired location (preferably another drive partition or an external storage drive).

C. Backup & Restore

Backup & Restore (Windows 7) is another Windows built-in backup utility that enables you to restore files quickly if you’ve enabled it before file deletion. Follow the given steps:

• Open Control Panel, go to Backup & Restore (Windows 7), and choose the backup folder from which you want to restore data. The backup folders will show up with the date and time.
• Next, click Restore my files to proceed.

• Select the files you wish to restore and click Browse for files or Browse for folders as per your requirements and click Next to proceed.

• Finally, click Restore to save the files to the desired location.

D. Previous Versions Utility

You can also recover deleted files from empty Recycle Bin using the Previous Versions utility in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Previous Versions are the copies of files and folders created on your system as a part of the restore point. Follow the given steps to get back your files:

• Press Windows + E to open File Explorer and navigate to This PC.
• After that, open the drive from which you want to restore data.
• Next, open the folder from where you lost the files in the first place and open its Properties.

• Next, go to the Previous Versions tab, and you’ll see the list of all the versions of folders on the screen.

• Open the folder version and select files you want to revert to their older state and then restore them to the chosen location and click OK to proceed.

Recover Files with Data Recovery Software

A. Microsoft’s File Recovery Software

Microsoft offers a command-line file recovery tool, called Windows File Recovery that can restore files lost due to deletion, drive formatting, corruption, etc. It comes with three different modes of operation that are:

• Default
• Segment
• Signature

You need to choose Default and Segment modes if you want to retrieve data from NTFS hard drives. However, to restore data from hard drives with FAT, ex-FAT, and Re File Systems, you need to run the Signature mode of operation.

Furthermore, the software requires running multiple syntaxes and commands to retrieve different file types, such as photos, videos, documents, etc., in various data loss situations. This makes it a less preferable option for non-technical users. There are some other limitations of this tool, including:

• It runs only on Windows 10 (2004) and above versions
• Recovery results may be corrupted or incomplete.

B. Stellar Data Recovery for Windows

When there is no backup available, and you end up emptying your Recycle Bin, Stellar Data Recovery for Windows could be your savior. It is an easy-to-use yet powerful data retrieval tool that allows all file types’ recovery from Windows systems and external storage drives. You can easily recover data using this software in case of accidental or permanent file deletion, drive formatting, drive corruption, file system damage, or malware attack.

To Conclude

No matter if you used Shift + Del keys to delete the files or emptied the Recycle Bin, you can recover files with the solutions mentioned in this blog. You can use Backup (if available) to restore your files and folders. In case you don’t have the Backup, then you can use Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery tool or Stellar Data Recovery Software. 

Though Microsoft’s File Recovery tool is free to use, it’s a bit complicated for non-technical users, and some limitations are also there. On the other hand, you can choose Stellar Data Recovery without second thoughts. It comes with a clean GUI and allows easy, quick, and secure data recovery in all common data loss situations.