Check the Recycle Bin/Trash and restore the files
If you use cloud storage (OneDrive/Google Drive/Dropbox), check the file’s trash or version history and restore
Search for “Previous Versions” (Windows) and restore an earlier version of the file or folder
Check backup software (Time Machine on macOS, File History on Windows, third-party backups) and restore from the most recent backup
If you use Windows File History, open the folder, click History, and restore
If you use macOS Time Machine, open Time Machine and restore the file/folder from the relevant date
If the drive was deleted from an external drive or USB, stop using it immediately and restore from backups or the device’s recycle/trash if available
If you don’t have backups, use file recovery software and follow these steps:
Stop using the affected drive immediately
Recover to a different drive (not the same one)
Run a quick scan first, then a deeper scan
Select files to restore and verify integrity after recovery
For formatted drives, use recovery software to attempt partition/file recovery and restore to another drive
For RAID/NAS systems, check the NAS recycle bin/versioning or snapshot features and restore from snapshots
If the files were encrypted (e.g., BitLocker/FileVault), ensure you have the correct keys before attempting recovery
Contact a professional data recovery service if the drive is physically damaged, the data is critical, or recovery attempts fail