I have deleted an important file

The first thing I would do is look in my Trash Folder on the Desktop. That's if you're using windows. If it's there, you're home free.

No I deleted trash bin

There are several results from this Google search.

#1 is to stop using your computer as you risk writing over the file. This isn't as much of a problem with the large hard drives but it still could happen. Don't save anything to that drive. Just using the computer could result in something being written to the drive.

Now that you have stopped using the computer, we need to know a couple of things.

What OS are you using?
What kind of file did you lose?

If you are using Windows, you did not delete the trash bin, you just hid it. Right click on the desktop. In Windows 7 select "Personalize". Not sure about other systems but it will be something similar. In W7 on the left hand side is an option that says 'Change Desktop Icons". Select that and then check the box by the trash can. Now you can see it to undelete your file.

parados my entire "my documents file"

windows 7

I have never done this, so don't know if it will work for you but try this..

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Recover-lost-or-deleted-files

Restoring files from previous versions

If you deleted the folder and not just contents of My Documents, then try restoring
C:\Users\(your user name)

Try Recuva, by Piriform. It's free. I use other freeware by Piriform, CCleaner and Defraggler, regularly and like those programs, but haven't had the need yet, luckily, to use Recuva. The other two programs I use are very user-friendly. Here's the link:

http://www.piriform.com/recuva

mckenzie, I have recuva but it says if you recover to the same drive you will have less chance of success, problem is I only have drive "C" hardrive, and drive "E" DVD

I tried to recover to DVD Disc but it wouldn't work

Lovejoy, Did you read what Engineer said?

If when you said "deleted the trash bin" you meant "I made the trash bin disappear", then this is probably very good news. It means all the files are still there and easy to get at without using any of these risky and complicated recover program.

If you "emptied" the trash bin, meaning the trash bin is still visible but has no file in it, then you need to do a recover.

But could you answer, did you mean the trash bin disappeared? If so you can do the simple thing.

You can't recover to a DVD. You need another drive unless you want to take the chance you can't recover them.

Your best chance is to get another drive and use a recovery program that boots itself. Every time you start your computer and add programs or new hardware it will write to the drive and you risk writing over the deleted programs. If it was me, I would pull the drive with the lost files and install it as a second drive on another computer so I don't risk writing to it.


Let me REPEAT..

IF these are valuable files that you don't want to lose then STOP USING YOUR COMPUTER in any way shape or form.

If you don't care if you lose some of the files then you could try a USB thumb drive as your second drive. You are taking a risk because the computer may write to the hard drive when it installs the new device but you may not lose more than 1 or 2 files.

No I meant I just emptied it

I'm a computer idiot I wouldn't know how to get another drive unless you simply mean go buy one, but that sounds expensive.

I found a recovery prog that looks guaranteed to work but in dollars it's about $60 and I'm not paying that either.

I was hoping someone knew of a freebie one

As a matter of interest does it matter what the capacity is ?

Mine is 1 terabyte

What kind of files did you delete?

Were they mostly documents? If that is the case then you can buy an 8 gig USB flash drive for about $10 that would work as a rescue place. Any office supply place would have them.

Have you tried the restore I linked to earlier?

Are you using the computer you have lost the files on? Or are you using another one for getting online?

I only have the one computer.
the files were 100's of phone numbers, passwords, bank details, that kind of thing.

If it's only $10 I'll go that way

Restore link didn't work

Every time you use your computer your chances of recovery are reduced. I don't know how clear I can make that.

Go buy a USB flash drive and use the recovery software you are using.

Then spend $100 and get a USB hard drive and do regular backups to prevent this in the future.

Got all the files back thanks parados

So glad to hear that.

Are you sure it's a good idea to store passwords on your computer?