How To Restore Deleted Files From The Recycle Bin
How To Restore Deleted Files From The Recycle Bin
How To Restore Deleted Files From The Recycle Bin
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There's a very important reason Microsoft called this tool the Recycle
Bin and not the Shredder—as long as you haven't emptied it, it's easy
Tip: Can't find it? See the directions at the bottom of the
page for help.
2. Locate and then select whatever file(s) and/or folder(s) you need to
restore.
To select more than one file or folder, hold the Ctrl key while
selecting. To select a range of items, use Shift.
3. Note the Origin l Loc tion of the files you're restoring so you know
where they'll end up.
Note: If you use the Restore option (and don't drag them
out), all files will be restored to their own respective
locations. In other words, you can restore all of the files at
once but that doesn't mean that they'll go to the same folder
unless, of course, they were deleted from the same folder.
The time this takes depends mostly on how many files you're
restoring and how large they are all together, but your computer
speed is a factor here, too.
6. Check that the files and folders you restored are in the location(s)
that were shown to you back in Step 3, or that they're located
wherever you dragged them to in Step 4.
cd\
The text to the left of the typing area should now read C:\>.
cd $Recycle.Bin
dir /s
All the deleted files are listed in the Command Prompt window. If
there are any folders in Recycle Bin, those files (and original file
names) are shown as well.
In Command Prompt, the name for the folder isn't the same as
what it shows up as in Recycle Bin. Folders have "
6. Type cd, make a space, and then hit the Tab key over and over to
cycle through all the folders in Recycle Bin.
The point here is to find the one that lists the directory you
identified in Step 5. In our example (see the screenshot below), the
directory ends in "1002" (the very top section) so we'll keep
hitting Tab until we find it.
7. Press Enter.
8. Type cd, make a space, and then use the Tab key again until you
find the folder that has the deleted files you want to identify.
In the example image, our folder is called $R0035T3.
9. Press Enter.
Now you're inside the folder that has the deleted files you want to
look at.
11. Use the copy command to copy the deleted file out of the deleted
folder and into the folder of your choice.
In our example, we'd type this, since we want to copy that BMP file
to the Desktop folder:
13. To restore other files from the same folder, repeat Step 11 and
Step 12.
Windows 8
Open Control Panel and search for show or hide common icons on
the desktop. Select that link from the results and check Recycle Bin,
and then choose OK.
Windows XP
There is no built-in ability to hide the Recycle Bin in Windows XP but
it is possible via a program called Tweak UI. If you're using Windows
XP but don't see Recycle Bin, it's probably because this program was
used to hide it, which you can also use to "unhide" it.
If you'd prefer that the Recycle Bin stays off the Desktop, another way
to access it is via searching for recycle bin via Cortana (Windows 10)
or the search bar (most other versions of Windows) and then opening
the program when it appears in the list of results.
You could also start Recycle Bin by executing start
shell:RecycleBinFolder from Command Prompt, or
shell:RecycleBinFolder from the Run dialog box, but those methods
are probably only helpful in the rarest of circumstances. In some
versions of Windows, desk.cpl ,5 works, too.
Tip: Take note of the Custom size setting to make sure it isn't
too small. If it is, Windows will "permanently" delete files if
there's no room in the Recycle Bin.
FAQ
How do I change the Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11?
Right-click on the desktop > select Personalize > Themes. Go to the
Related Settings section > select Desktop icon settings > select
Recycle Bin icon > Change Icon.
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