How to Recover Permanently Lost Files in Windows 7 PC

Often, mistakenly or intentionally, few people use ‘Shift+Delete’ to remove files (photos, videos, audios, documents, etc.) from their Windows PC which permanently removes the file(s) from the system’s hard drive. It could be devastating when you accidentally delete an important file using ‘Shift+Del’ keys. However, it’s a fairly common issue and therefore, you are not alone. Most of us have already experienced this critical data loss situation at some point in time.

Moreover, other factors as mentioned below can also lead to permanent data loss in Windows 7:

• Malware or Virus infection.
• Emptying of the Recycle Bin.
• Bad Sectors or a corrupt file on system’s hard drive.
• Deleted partition, etc.

Fortunately, accidentally deleted or missing files can be recovered back in Windows 7 PC using tools provided in the Windows OS or with the help of a specialized software as long as the files are not overwritten.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 7?

1. Using Backup

If you can’t find a file on your Windows 7 PC, you can take the help of your recent backup (if you are using Windows Backup) and restore your permanently lost files in Windows 7. To restore file(s) or folder(s) from a backup, connect the media or drive where the backup is saved to your Windows 7 PC and then follow these steps:

• Go to ‘Start’ and click ‘Control Panel’.
• Click ‘System and Maintenance’ and then click ‘Backup and Restore’.
• Click ‘Restore my files’ and follow the wizard to restore lost files.

If the backup contains your lost files & folders, the file and folder(s) will be restored successfully.

2. Previous Version

You may also use the Previous Version feature available in Windows 7 (if enabled). The Previous Version is the copy of the files and the folders that are saved automatically by Windows. This feature is also known as shadow copies.

To restore lost files in Windows 7 from previous versions, follow these steps:

• Click ‘Start’ and then click ‘Computer’.
• Browse to the location from where the file or the folder had got lost. Then right-click and select ‘Restore previous versions’. You may also right-click on a folder or drive and select ‘Restore previous versions’.
• List of available previous versions of the files and folders are displayed. It also displays files saved on a backup (if you are using Windows Backup) and the system-restore point if available.
• Double-click on the previous version of the file or the folder (with earlier date) that you want to restore.
• Finally, drag and drop the file or the folder you want to recover to a different location such as Desktop.

Selected file or the folder has now been successfully restored and saved to your desired location.

3. Using a Data Recovery Tool

Data recovery tools come handy in critical situations where you have lost important files and there is no backup available. It’s also important to choose a reliable data recovery tool from a trusted source in order to recover permanently deleted files and folders. One such tool is the Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows that can recover permanently lost files and folders from FAT (FAT16, Fat32), NTFS, and exFAT volumes and drives even if they are formatted, re-formatted, corrupt, or inaccessible.

Did you know that previously deleted data can still be recovered by a data recovery tool? If you are discarding/donating/exchanging your old computer, please ensure to erase the unused space of your hard drive as well. This is an important step to protect your data privacy. To do that, only trust a professional and efficient file eraser software like Stellar File Eraser. Read More.

Conclusion

To avoid such critical data loss situations, use a reputed antivirus and anti-malware program & protect your system from virus and malware attacks that lead to data loss. Also, enable Windows Backup and Previous Versions feature in your Windows 7 PC. That’ll help you quickly restore files lost due to various factors as explained above including accidental deletion of files and folder using ‘Shift+Delete’.

However, data recovery tools like Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows can help you recover data with just a few clicks. This software has a highly intuitive interface that makes it easy to use and a remarkably efficient way to recover lost data.

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About The Author

Satyeshu Kumar

Satyeshu is a Windows blogger and data recovery expert. He is having good technical knowledge and experience in Windows data recovery. He writes about latest technical tips, Windows issues and tutorials.