Data · 5 min read
Deleted an Important File? Do This Before Anything Else
Deleted data isn't gone straight away — it's just marked as space that can be reused. Whether you get it back depends almost entirely on what you do in the next hour.
Stop writing to the drive — right now
Every file you save, every program you install, every Windows update that runs can land on top of the data you're trying to recover. If the files really matter, shut the machine down and bring it to us. Don't install recovery software onto the same drive — that's the single most common way people destroy their own data.
1. Check the Recycle Bin (yes, really)
About a third of the "lost file" jobs we see are sitting in the Recycle Bin. Open it, right-click the file, choose Restore and it goes back to where it came from. If you emptied the bin, keep reading.
2. Check File History and Previous Versions
Windows quietly keeps older copies if File History or a restore point was ever enabled. Right-click the folder the file used to live in → Properties → Previous Versions tab. If anything is listed, open it and you may find your file intact.
3. Check the cloud before you panic
OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox all keep deleted files for 30 days in their own online bin — and that bin is separate from the Windows Recycle Bin. Sign in through a web browser and look under Trash or Recycle Bin. Microsoft 365 also keeps a second-stage bin behind the first one.
4. If it was a photo or phone backup
Google Photos and the iOS Photos app both hold deleted items for 30 days in a "Recently Deleted" album, usually protected by Face ID or a PIN. Check the phone before assuming the only copy was on the PC.
5. When it's a formatted, corrupted or failing drive
This is where DIY tools start doing damage. If the drive is clicking, not showing up, asking to be formatted, or was accidentally wiped, don't run scan-and-repair utilities on it — a failing drive can lose more sectors every minute it stays powered.
Bring it in for professional data recovery. We image the drive first and work from the copy, so the original is never put at further risk. Free assessment, and we tell you honestly whether it's recoverable before you commit to anything.
6. Once it's back — make it not happen again
One copy is not a backup. The rule that actually works is 3-2-1: three copies of anything you care about, on two different types of storage, with one of them off-site or in the cloud. An external drive alone won't save you from theft, fire or a storm surge in a Perth summer.
Not sure which way to go? Our cloud backup vs external drive comparison lays out the trade-offs in plain English.
Data that matters? Don't experiment.
Bring the drive or the whole machine into the Midland workshop. We'll assess it for free and tell you what's realistically recoverable — no fix, no fee.