Can deleted files be recovered? The clear answer: Yes! However, not always with free tools like Recuva. Sometimes professional data recovery is unavoidable.
Data Deleted Intentionally or Accidentally: What to Do?
Data deletion is not always the result of an intentional formatting of the hard drive. Sometimes files are deleted by accident. Important: If the reason for the missing files is not obvious, a hard drive defect cannot be ruled out. This manifests through various symptoms that can differ depending on the type of storage device.
Step 1: Avoid Write Operations to the Storage Device
If data has been intentionally or accidentally deleted, you should approach the matter calmly and avoid write as well as read operations. This applies to flash storage (SSD hard drives, USB drives, SD memory cards, internal Android or iOS smartphone storage) as well as HDD hard drives with moving parts (read/write head, circuit board).
Background: Data recovery of deleted files on flash storage is only possible if the storage cells where these deleted files were located have been marked for overwriting but have not yet been permanently overwritten.
Step 2: Use a Recovery Tool (or Commission a Data Recovery Specialist)
If the files were not simply moved to the recycle bin but permanently deleted, you can download a recovery tool such as:
- Recoverit Wondershare,
- Recuva (free),
- Easeus Data Recovery Wizard (paid + free trial version), or
- R-Studio (free trial version, from 50 euros for the full version).
The tools are suitable for:
- Smartphones,
- USB drives, PCs (Windows),
- internal and external SSDs/HDDs,
- internal smartphone storage, and
- SD cards.
Recovering Deleted Files in Windows with Windows File Recovery
Windows now offers a built-in tool for recovering deleted files. The system program "Windows File Recovery" can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store. However, files can only be recovered from a source drive to a target drive. Recovery to the same drive does not work. For defective storage devices, this tool is therefore of limited use. In all other cases, it is worth a try.
Tip: If files were deleted under Windows 7 or Windows 10, they first end up in the Recycle Bin. A simple right-click on the respective file and "Restore" solves the problem.
Windows File Recovery supports the file systems NTFS, FAT, exFAT, and ReFS. Supported file formats are:
- .png
- .wma; .wmv; .asf
- .jpg; .jpeg; .jpe; .jif; .jfif
- .mpeg; .mp4; .mpg; .m4a; .m4v; .m4b; .m4r; .mov; .3gp; .qt
- .zip; .docx; .xlsx; .pptx; .odt; .ods; .odp; .odg; .odi; .odf; .odc; .odm; .ott; .otg; .otp; .ots; .otc; .oti; .otf; .oth
Caution with Defective Hard Drives!
IMPORTANT: If the files were not deleted intentionally but due to physical damage (mechanical defect) or other logical causes such as virus infection, the tools can often do more harm than good. This is especially true for HDDs. The read operations of the tools can further damage potentially damaged components. The chance of successful data recovery decreases as a result.
Professional Data Recovery for Deleted Files
We have been recovering data from all types of storage media, manufacturer-independent, since 2004. Costs are only incurred upon successful data recovery. We are happy to pick up the storage device free of charge at your location - nationwide!
Feel free to share your experiences with tools for recovering deleted data. You can find reviews of our service here.
Contact us at 0800-881 12 25 (free, available 24/7) for a free initial consultation.
Lars Müller