Accidentally deleting an important file on your computer is a common situation that can happen to anyone. Fortunately, thanks to modern technology, it is often possible to recover deleted files. In this article, we will explain in detail how to recover deleted files on Windows computers, the solutions offered by Microsoft, and popular paid/free programs.

What Really Happens to Deleted Files?

When you delete a file, the data is not actually destroyed immediately. The system marks the space occupied by this file as "empty" and available for new data to be written. Therefore, if you intervene as soon as the file is deleted, your chances of recovery are very high.

First Step: Check the Recycle Bin

Open the "Recycle Bin" on the desktop.
If the deleted file is here, you can easily recover it by right-clicking and selecting "Restore".

Recovering Files with Windows Features

Restore Previous Versions (Windows Backup)

Right-click on the folder where the deleted file was located.
Go to "Properties" > "Previous Versions" tab.
If available, you can restore the file from a saved older version.

Recover with File History

If File History is turned on in "Settings > Update & Security > Backup", deleted files can be recovered.
If specific folders (Documents, Pictures, etc.) are automatically backed up, you can select and restore them from here.

Windows Recovery Tool (Microsoft Official Program)

You can download the official Microsoft tool called Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store.
It works via the command line.
It can recover deleted files from NTFS, FAT, exFAT, or ReFS systems.

Usage example:

winfr C: D:\Recovery /n \Documents\*.docx

This command recovers deleted Word documents from the C drive to the D drive.

Free File Recovery Programs

Program	Platform	Features
Recuva	Windows	Easy to use, deep scan mode
PhotoRec	Windows, Linux, Mac	Recovers from disk, USB, and memory card
Windows File Recovery	Windows (Microsoft Official)	Works from the command line, powerful recovery
TestDisk	Windows, Linux, Mac	Recovers lost disk partitions as well

Note:

Very popular programs like Recuva are ideal for beginners with their user-friendly interfaces.
PhotoRec is a more powerful alternative for technical users.

Paid (Premium) File Recovery Software

Program	Platform	Features
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard	Windows, Mac	User-friendly, multi-format support
Stellar Data Recovery	Windows, Mac	Deep scan and preview support
Disk Drill	Windows, Mac	Ease of use, high recovery success rate
R-Studio	Windows, Linux, Mac	Professional-level recovery

These software programs usually offer free recovery up to 1GB, a license is required for more.

Things to Consider When Recovering Deleted Files

Do Not Write New Data: Do not write new data to the disk before recovering the deleted file.
Recover to a Different Disk: Save the recovered files to a different disk or external USB, not the disk they were deleted from.
Avoid Disk Configuration: The "Format" operation greatly reduces the chance of recovery.

Recovery Methods for Special Cases

Recovery from USB Sticks and SD Cards: You can use PhotoRec, Recuva, or Disk Drill.
Recovery from Corrupted Disk: More technical software such as TestDisk or R-Studio should be used.
Files Deleted from SSD: Recovery can be very difficult if the TRIM command is active. Immediate action should be taken.

Conclusion

Deleted files are usually not lost and can be easily recovered with the right steps. You can recover data by first checking the Recycle Bin, then using Windows' local backup systems, and if necessary, using free or paid recovery programs.

In particular, Microsoft's official Windows File Recovery tool is very successful for simple scenarios.