You must have, either intentionally or not, permanently deleted important files on your Windows laptop or PC. Such an event is certainly frustrating especially if the file is needed.
Files deleted with the Delete button will usually be moved to the Recycle Bin and can be easily restored with just a few clicks. If it's not done, the file will continue to be in the Recycle Bin for 30 days before being permanently deleted.
If you delete a file with a combination of Shift + Delete, empty the Recycle Bin or clean the laptop using a cleaner application, the file or folder will be permanently deleted.
But you don't need to worry, because even though it has been permanently deleted, it doesn't mean that this file is completely missing from the laptop. The deleted file is now marked as available space for the system and is waiting to be overwritten by new data.
That is, as long as your deleted files have not been overwritten, you can still restore the file. Here are 3 ways to restore files that are permanently deleted on a Windows laptop as summarized from various sources.
1. Backup and Restore Method
This method can restore files that are permanently deleted on a laptop without using software and can be used for Windows 7, 8 and 10. But this method can only be used if you have the latest data backup in Windows backup.
You do this by clicking the Start menu with the Windows symbol, then selecting Control Panel. After that, select the System and Maintenance option and select Backup and Restore.
Click Restore my files and select Browse for files or Browse for folders to select the backup that was made previously. Then select the destination to save your file.
2. Restore Method Previous Versions
If you use a laptop with Windows 7, 8 or 10, you can restore files that were permanently deleted by returning the previous version. But, make sure your File History feature is active before.
How to restore the file begins by searching for the folder where the file or folder has been permanently deleted. Right-click in the folder and select the Restore previous versions option.
You will see a list that contains various versions of files or folders. Select the latest version and click Restore to restore files that have been permanently deleted on your laptop.
3. Using the Application
The two methods above can be done without installing additional applications. But if for example you don't have a backup or can't do the method above, you can use the application to restore files like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.
The trick, download and install the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard application on your laptop or PC. After that, run the application as usual and select the location where your files are deleted.
Click the location and select the Scan option. This software will automatically scan the selected location and a few moments later the scan results will be displayed in the Deleted files section.
After that, select the file that you want to return and click Recover to save it to a new location or device. After that, click OK to complete this process.