Skip to main content
Deleted and formatted

Deleted files and formatted drives: stop writing to the drive.

When a file is deleted or a drive is quick-formatted, the data usually stays on the disk until something new is written over it. That makes the first rule simple: stop using the drive. Then check the free places files often turn up before paying for a recovery.

Start a case with DriveSavers Ask us first: (585) 388-8780

What to do right now

  1. Stop saving to the drive. New files, downloads, and even browsing can overwrite deleted data. If it is the drive Windows runs from, shut the computer down.
  2. Don't install recovery software on the same drive. Installing it can overwrite the very files it is meant to find.
  3. Check the free places first. The Recycle Bin, OneDrive's recycle bin and version history, File History, and any backup drive.
  4. Don't re-create or reformat a lost partition. A new partition where the old one was can overwrite its file system.
  5. On an SSD, move fast. SSDs erase deleted blocks in the background, so deleted files on a solid-state drive disappear faster than on a hard drive.

Where deleted files often turn up

Recycle Bin

Files deleted in File Explorer from a local drive usually go to the Recycle Bin first. Files deleted from USB drives and network shares usually do not.

OneDrive

OneDrive keeps deleted files in its own recycle bin for a period, and keeps earlier versions of files.

File History and backups

If File History or another backup was running, earlier copies may be on the backup drive.

Copies elsewhere

Attachments you sent, files shared with other people, and copies on a phone or another computer.

When to send it to a lab

If the free places come up empty and the files matter, a lab is the safest route. A lab works from a copy of the drive, so nothing is written to the original. Per DriveSavers, they recover files that were deleted, drives that were formatted, and partitions that disappeared.

If the drive is also clicking, beeping, or not detected, it is a hardware failure first; see clicking hard drive recovery or SSD recovery.

Two ways to start

Path 1 · You know it's the drive

Go straight to DriveSavers

Files that matter, and not in any of the free places: start a case with DriveSavers and use code DS22831 for 10% off. The evaluation is free and inbound shipping is free.

Start a case
Path 2 · You're not sure

Bring it to us first

Not sure it's the drive? Bring the computer to our Fairport shop. A diagnosis runs around $50, and sometimes the files are fine and it's the cable, the power supply, or the board that died.

Call (585) 388-8780

J&N referral code

10% off your DriveSavers recovery

Give DriveSavers this code when you start your case, or use our referral link, and they'll take 10% off. Mention it up front: it can't be added once a job is already underway.

DriveSavers Data Recovery authorized reseller: get discount code
DS22831
Use our referral link

Deleted file recovery questions

Can deleted files be recovered?
Often, if nothing has been written over them. Deleted data usually stays on the drive until new data replaces it, so stop using the drive. Check the Recycle Bin, OneDrive, and any backups first. On an SSD, act quickly, because the drive erases deleted blocks in the background.
Can data be recovered after formatting a drive?
After a quick format, often yes: it replaces the file system's index but leaves most of the data in place until it is overwritten. A full format in Windows writes zeros over the whole volume, which generally makes recovery impossible. Don't copy new files to the drive, and send it to a lab if the files matter.
Is recovery software safe to use?
On a healthy hard drive, recovery software that saves its results to a different drive is reasonable for files of modest value. Never run it on a drive that clicks or is failing, and never install it on the drive you are recovering from. For irreplaceable files, a lab works from a copy and leaves the original untouched.
Where do deleted files go in Windows?
Files deleted in File Explorer from a local drive go to the Recycle Bin, unless they were too large or were deleted with Shift+Delete. Files deleted from USB drives and network shares usually skip it. OneDrive has its own recycle bin.
What is a lost partition?
A drive that shows as unallocated, or asks to be initialized, after a partition was deleted or damaged. The data is usually still there. Don't create a new partition in its place; per DriveSavers, they recover partitions that disappeared.
What does data recovery cost?
It depends on the device and what's wrong with it, so DriveSavers quotes each case after a free evaluation. Per DriveSavers, if they can't recover your data, you don't pay for the recovery. Our code takes 10% off the recovery.
How do I get the 10% off?
Give DriveSavers our referral code, DS22831, when you start your case, or start it through the referral link on this page. The discount is applied by DriveSavers, so mention the code before the job begins; it can't be added to a case that's already underway.

Other recovery guides

Clicking or dead hard driveClicking, beeping, grinding, or not spinning. SSD and NVMeNot detected, wrong capacity, or files deleted. RAID and NASFailed arrays, rebuilds, Synology and QNAP. External drives, USB, and SD cardsNot recognized, dropped, or asking to format. Phones and tabletsWon't turn on, water damage, broken. RansomwareEncrypted files and a ransom note.

Start from the main page: data recovery through DriveSavers, or data recovery in Rochester, NY.

Near Rochester Rochester Fairport Penfield Pittsford Victor Webster Gates Greece Hilton

Stop writing to it. Start a case.

Check the free places first, then start a case with DriveSavers using code DS22831 for 10% off.

Start a case with DriveSavers Call (585) 388-8780

J&N Computer Services is a DriveSavers referral partner and may receive a referral fee when you use our code or link. DriveSavers performs all recoveries and sets its own pricing, terms, and turnaround.