Permanently Deleted Files? Here's How to Recover Them in 2026

Recovering permanently deleted files — whether from Shift+Delete or an emptied Recycle Bin — is often possible because Windows doesn't immediately erase the underlying data. Instead, it marks the disk sectors as available, leaving the original data intact until new files overwrite those sectors.

This guide explains what "permanently deleted" means at the file system level, and walks through every recovery method from Windows built-in tools to professional recovery software.

Part 1. What "Permanently Deleted" Actually Means

When you press Shift+Delete or empty the Recycle Bin, Windows removes the file's entry from the Master File Table (MFT) — the index that tells Windows where each file lives on disk. The actual data remains in the same sectors until it's overwritten.

Think of it like removing a book's entry from a library catalog: the book still sits on the shelf, but the library now treats the shelf space as empty and may place a new book there.

Implications for recovery:

• The sooner you attempt recovery, the higher the chances of success
• Every file you save to the affected drive potentially overwrites recoverable data
• SSDs with TRIM enabled may erase the data faster than traditional HDDs

⚠️ Important: Stop writing new files to the drive immediately after realizing a file was permanently deleted. This includes downloads, installs, and even temporary system files. The more data written, the lower the recovery chances.

What "permanently deleted" means by method:

Part 2. Try Previous Versions (Shadow Copies)

Before reaching for recovery software, check Previous Versions — Windows may have an automatic shadow copy from before the deletion.

How to check Previous Versions:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder that contained the deleted file.
2. Right-click the folder → Properties.
3. Click the Previous Versions tab.
4. Look for snapshots created before the deletion date.
5. Click Open to browse the snapshot, or Restore to roll back the folder.

💡 Tip: If the Previous Versions tab is empty, System Restore may be disabled on your PC. You can enable it by right-clicking This PC → Properties → System Protection → select your C: drive → Configure → Turn on system protection.

Shadow copies are created automatically by Windows when System Restore is active, often daily or at each major system event. They provide a fast recovery path without any third-party software.

Part 3. Use Windows File History Backup

File History creates continuous backups of your personal folders and can restore deleted files that were captured in a backup before deletion.

Steps:

1. Open Settings → Update & Security → Backup (Windows 10) or search "File History" in Settings (Windows 11).
2. Click Restore personal files.
3. Navigate through backup time points using the arrows.
4. Find and restore the file.

🗣️ r/Windows10 user: "Shift+deleted a folder of work files. File History had a backup from 2 hours before. Set it up on an old USB drive and it just quietly backs up in the background. Saved me completely."

File History must be configured before the deletion. If it wasn't running, move on to recovery software.

Part 4. Choose the Right Recovery Software

For files with no backup and no shadow copies, data recovery software is the primary remaining option. These tools scan disk sectors directly, bypassing the file system index to find deleted file data.

🗣️ r/datarecovery user: "Emptied the Recycle Bin by accident. Ran a deep scan and found the files. Key thing: don't install the recovery software on the same drive — put it on a USB or another drive."

Comparison of recovery software options:

Recovery success factors:

Part 5. Step-by-Step: Recover Permanently Deleted Files with Software

Follow this process to maximize recovery success:

1. Stop using the affected drive immediately — do not save, download, or install anything.
2. Install recovery software on a different drive — use a USB stick, external drive, or second partition.
3. Launch the software and select the affected drive.
4. Run Quick Scan first — finds recently deleted files based on MFT remnants.
5. If Quick Scan fails, run Deep Scan — scans every sector for file signatures, takes longer.
6. Preview recoverable files — most tools show thumbnails for photos, text previews for documents.
7. Select and recover to a different drive — never recover to the same drive you're scanning.

💡 Tip: For large drives or older deletions, Deep Scan can take several hours. Let it run to completion — interrupting a scan may miss files that would have been found near the end of the scan.

Part 6. Recover Permanently Deleted Files with Ritridata

Ritridata is designed to recover permanently deleted photos, videos, and documents from Windows PCs, Macs, SD cards, and external drives — including files deleted with Shift+Delete or after the Recycle Bin was emptied.

How to use Ritridata for permanently deleted files:

1. Install Ritridata on a drive other than the affected one.
2. Select the drive or partition where files were deleted.
3. Run Quick Scan for recently deleted files.
4. If not found, run Deep Scan — this reads every sector and reconstructs files by signature.
5. Preview results and recover selected files to a separate location.

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FAQ

Q: Can permanently deleted files always be recovered? Not always. Recovery success depends on how much time has passed, whether new data was written to the disk, the drive type (HDD vs SSD), and whether TRIM was active. In many cases recovery is possible, but it's never guaranteed.

Q: What is the difference between Shift+Delete and normal delete? Normal delete sends the file to the Recycle Bin where it can be easily restored. Shift+Delete skips the Recycle Bin entirely and removes the file's MFT entry immediately — it goes directly to the "permanently deleted" state but the underlying data typically remains.

Q: Does emptying the Recycle Bin immediately erase files? No. Emptying the Recycle Bin removes the file system entries but doesn't zero out the disk sectors. The data remains accessible to recovery software until overwritten by new data.

Q: Can I recover files from an SSD after Shift+Delete? Possibly, but chances are lower than on an HDD. Many SSDs have TRIM enabled, which instructs the SSD controller to erase the sectors marked as available. If TRIM has already run on those sectors, data may be unrecoverable.

Q: How long does a deep scan take? Deep scan duration depends on drive size and speed. A 1TB HDD typically takes 2–4 hours. An SSD may scan faster. Large drives can take longer — let the scan complete before stopping.

Q: Should I pay for recovery software or use a free tool? Free tools like Recuva are effective for many cases. Paid tools like Ritridata often offer better file previews, camera RAW support, and more reliable deep scan algorithms. For valuable files, the cost of a paid tool is typically worth it.

References

• Microsoft: Using Previous Versions
• Microsoft: System Protection and Restore Points
• CGSecurity: Disk recovery tools overview
• Piriform: Recuva Data Recovery
• Ritridata Data Recovery Software