Accidentally Deleted a File? How to Get It Back

That sinking feeling when you realize the file is gone: we've all been there. The good news is that "deleted" rarely means gone forever straight away. Work through these places in order, from easiest to hardest.

If the file isn't in the Recycle Bin or Trash, minimize use of that computer until you've tried recovery. Saving new files can overwrite the space where your deleted file still exists.

It sounds obvious, but it's where most deleted files end up.

• Windows: Open the Recycle Bin on your desktop, find the file, right-click → Restore.
• Mac: Open the Trash in the Dock, right-click the file → Put Back.

Tip: sort by Date Deleted to find recent items quickly.

If you just deleted or moved a file, press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Z (Mac) in File Explorer or Finder. This works surprisingly often.

Files are often accidentally dragged into another folder. Search your whole computer for the file name, or part of it. Also check your Downloads folder and the app's "Recent files" list.

If the file was in OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud Drive, deleting it on your computer sends it to the online recycle bin too.

• OneDrive: onedrive.com → Recycle bin
• Google Drive: drive.google.com → Trash (called Bin in some regions)
• iCloud Drive: icloud.com → Drive → Recently Deleted
• Dropbox: dropbox.com → Deleted files

These services keep deleted files for a limited time (often around 30 days, depending on the service and plan), so act quickly.

• Windows File History: If it's turned on, right-click the folder where the file was → Show more options → Restore previous versions, or search for "Restore your files with File History."
• Mac Time Machine: Open the folder where the file was, then click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar → Browse Time Machine backups.
• Office documents: Word, Excel and PowerPoint keep version history for files saved in OneDrive or SharePoint. Open File → Info → Version History.

If none of the above worked, recovery software may find the file on your drive.

• Windows File Recovery is a free command-line tool from Microsoft in the Microsoft Store.
• Other reputable tools include Recuva (Windows) and PhotoRec (cross-platform).

Install recovery software on a different drive if possible, and save recovered files to a different drive too.

Important: On modern SSDs, a feature called TRIM often clears deleted data quickly, so recovery software is much less likely to work than on older hard drives.

For irreplaceable data on a physically damaged or failing drive (clicking noises, not detected at all), stop using it and contact a professional recovery service. It's expensive, but sometimes the only option.

Set up automatic backups. Our guide to backups explains the simple 3-2-1 rule. With File History or Time Machine running, recovering a deleted file takes about 30 seconds.

Check the Recycle Bin, search, check your cloud trash, then look at previous versions. Most "lost" files are found in the first few steps.