How to Recover Deleted Files from an Emptied Recycle Bin on Windows

Accidentally deleted important files and even emptied your Recycle Bin? Don’t panic—there’s still a chance to recover them. When a file is deleted, it isn’t immediately erased from the hard drive. Instead, the space it occupied is marked as available, and until new data overwrites it, the file can often be recovered using specialized software.

The success of file recovery depends on factors such as:

• How much new data has been written to the disk since deletion
• Whether the file has been fragmented across multiple locations

In this guide, we’ll show you two reliable tools to retrieve deleted files from an emptied Recycle Bin on Windows.

Method 1: Recover Files Using Recuva (Free)

Recuva is a popular undeletion program for Windows, developed by Piriform, available in both free and paid versions.

Step 1: Download and Install Recuva

• Download Recuva from the official site.
• Important: Install it on a different drive from the one you want to scan (e.g., install on D: if you are recovering files from C:). This prevents overwriting lost files.

Step 2: Scan the Recycle Bin

1. Launch Recuva.
2. Select C: drive, then type C:\$Recycle.Bin in the File name or path box.
3. Click Scan to let Recuva search the Recycle Bin for deleted files.

⏳ Tip: Because the search is limited to the Recycle Bin, the scan usually takes just a few minutes.

Step 3: Preview and Recover Files

1. Once scanning finishes, Recuva shows a list of recoverable files, including file name, path, size, last modified date, and file status (Excellent, Poor, Very Poor, Unrecoverable).
2. Preview files like images before recovery.
3. Select the files you want to recover by ticking the checkbox.
4. Click Recover, then choose a different drive (not C:) to save the recovered files.

⚠️ Tip: Saving to the same drive reduces the chance of successful recovery.

Method 2: Recover Files Using Recoverit

Recoverit by Wondershare is another powerful file recovery tool. It comes with a free trial (scan only) and paid version (full recovery).

Step 1: Install Recoverit

• Download Recoverit and install it on a different drive from the one containing the lost files.

Step 2: Select Recycle Bin for Scanning

1. Launch Recoverit.
2. On the home screen, select Recycle Bin from Quick Access.
3. Use filters such as file type, file status, size, or date to narrow the search.

Step 3: Recover Your Files

1. Select the files you want to recover.
2. Click Recover and choose a different drive to save them, avoiding overwriting lost data.

⏳ Tip: If the file is not found, use Deep Scan. It takes longer but can detect more deleted files.

Bonus Tips for File Recovery

• Search by name or file path to locate specific files quickly.
• Switch between views (grid, list, hybrid) to organize scanning results.
• Both Recuva and Recoverit can also recover files from external drives such as SD cards, USB drives, portable hard drives, and cameras.
• Act quickly: The sooner you attempt recovery, the higher the chance of success. Avoid writing new files to the drive before recovering.

With these tools, you can efficiently retrieve deleted files from an emptied Recycle Bin and even restore data from external drives—all without expensive software.