Published 16 June 2026 · Home Users · by the 365 Techies team — Microsoft Partners & Dell specialists, looking after Dorset since 1995
The most important thing first: stop saving new files to that drive. When you delete a file, the space it used is not wiped straight away — but new data can overwrite it, so the sooner you act, the better.
Where to look first
Start with the obvious: open the Recycle Bin, find your file, right-click and choose Restore. If you use OneDrive or another cloud service, check its online recycle bin too — deleted files often sit there for weeks. If File History or Previous Versions was switched on, you can right-click the folder and restore an earlier version.
If it is really gone
If it is not in any bin, your backup is the hero of the day — restore it from there (this is exactly why backups matter). For genuinely lost files with no backup, recovery is sometimes still possible if you act fast and stop using the device — get in touch and we will take a careful look. We would gently steer you away from random ‘recovery’ downloads, which can do more harm than good.
Key points
- Stop saving new files to the drive straight away
- Open the Recycle Bin and restore from there
- Check your OneDrive or cloud recycle bin too
- Try File History or Previous Versions if it was turned on
- Restore from your backup if you have one
- Act fast, and contact us for tricky cases
Prefer to let us handle it? Our monthly IT support plans include this and much more, from £18.25/month per computer — with a friendly techie on hand whenever you need one. Call 01202 775566 or view our plans.