How to recover deleted files from your computer

Hi there, I have permanently deleted some important files by mistake, is there any way to recover it?

Other than recommendation questions, this is one of the most frequently asked question I have encountered. So I'll be covering that topic this time. This is not a recovery guide, it's more of a tips and tricks for keeping your important files safe, because as they say, "prevention is better than a cure". But don't worry, I'll also address some methods to recover lost data. 

How to keep your data safe?

There's no foolproof way of keeping your data safe. So the next best option is: make backups. If the file is important to you, then you should make multiple copies. You can keep the copies on following places.

1. Your internal storage : Cheapest method. Most of us have multiple drives or multiple partitions on a single disk. Keep one copy in each drive. Preferably in zip folders or iso files. So that they're safe from viruses also. Most common viruses don't affect compressed files and iso files.
2. Cloud storage : Most of us have Gmail account. With each Gmail account, we get 15GB of Google drive storage. Keep a copy of that zip or iso file on your Google drive. You can also use any other cloud storage, but you need to sign up for their service. And I'm pretty sure you already have a Gmail account.
   
3. Portable storage : Most expensive of the options. Last two options were practically free. You can buy a USB thumb drive or portable SSD dedicated for keeping a copy of your important files.

If you save a backup in atleast two of the above mentioned location. Then your data is pretty safe. You don't need to read any further. But for any reason, you're facing mother of all bad luck and you lost all your backups and the original file got deleted too, keep reading. 

Preparing for the worst case

1. Have a recovery software ready : if you got a new PC or did a fresh installation of Windows, install any data recovery software immediately. Most popular free recovery software is Recuva. 
   
2. Using Window's built in tool : If you're using Windows 10, you can use File History tool to create a backup of your files and folders. You can also use the Backup and Restore tool(available only in Windows 7, 8 and 10) to create a restore point with all the files, even entire HDD. If you're using any other version of Windows except 7, 8 or 10, keeping a recovery software at your disposal is recommended.

Why prepare in advance?

You might be wondering, why did I suggest to install any recovery software immediately after fresh install? Because if you install a recovery software after you lost the file, there's a probability that the software files can overwrite the HDD sector that your deleted files were written into. Once the sector is overwritten, you cannot recover your files. Even the background processes running by Windows can sometimes overwrite the sectors.

Exception case : SSD

If you're using SSD, you probably can't recover your data. Because in HDD, when you delete something, usually just the pointer is deleted, data is still there. But in case of SSD, data is actually deleted for sake of speed.

Last resort 

If none of the tips and tricks so far can help you, or of no use to you, then your last option is professional data recovery services. If your data is extremely important, only then going to professionals is recommended because of the cost.

Thank you for taking a time out to read my blog. If you find my writings helpful, share with others. If you notice any mistakes or have a suggestion for next piece, do let me know in comments section.