Accidentally deleted files: what to do in the first hour

It happens in every office. Someone cleans up a folder, drags the wrong thing to the trash, or saves over a spreadsheet with an older copy. A moment later they realize the file they needed is gone.

The good news is that most deleted files can be brought back, especially if the person acts in the first hour. The bad news is that panicked clicking, installing random recovery apps, or carrying on as normal can make a recoverable file permanently lost.

First, stop and note what happened

1. Stop saving new files to the same computer or drive, if you can. New data can overwrite the space the deleted file used.
2. Write down the file name, the folder it was in, and roughly when it was deleted.
3. Note where the file lived: your local drive, a OneDrive or SharePoint folder, a shared network drive, a USB drive, or an email attachment.
4. Tell your IT contact early. A quick message now is far better than an urgent call next week.

Where the file lived matters most, because each location has its own recovery options.

Check the obvious places

• Recycle Bin or Trash. On Windows, open the Recycle Bin on the desktop, find the file and choose Restore. On a Mac, open the Trash in the Dock and choose Put Back. It sounds simple, but this solves many cases.
• Search. Sometimes the file was moved, not deleted. Search the computer and OneDrive for part of the file name.
• Recent files. Word, Excel and other Office apps keep a recent list. If the file was cloud stored, the link may still open it.

Keep in mind that files deleted with Shift and Delete, files that were too large for the Recycle Bin, and files deleted from many network shares or USB drives often skip the Recycle Bin entirely.

Files in OneDrive, SharePoint or Teams

If the file was stored in Microsoft 365, you have more options than most people realize.

1. Open OneDrive or the SharePoint site in a web browser and go to the Recycle bin. Deleted items are usually kept there for a limited time, 93 days by default, before they are removed.
2. If the file was overwritten rather than deleted, right click it and open Version history. You can view or restore an earlier version.
3. If many files were deleted or changed at once, OneDrive can restore your whole library to an earlier point in time. Ask your IT team before doing this, since it rolls back every file in that library.
4. Files shared in a Teams channel live in SharePoint, so the same recycle bin and version history apply.

Recycle bins and version history have time limits, and some settings vary by organization. Do not wait weeks to check.

Files on a local drive or file server

• Previous versions. On Windows, right click the folder that held the file and choose Properties, then Previous Versions. If File History or server snapshots are turned on, older copies may be listed.
• Time Machine. On a Mac with Time Machine, open the folder and enter Time Machine to browse back to an earlier date.
• Your backup system. If your business has managed backup, your IT provider can usually restore a single file or folder from a recent backup point.

What not to do

• Do not download and install free recovery tools onto the same drive. Installing software writes data, and some of these tools are unsafe.
• Do not keep working heavily on the affected computer if the file is critical and not in any backup.
• Do not empty the Recycle Bin or Trash while you are still looking.
• Do not run disk cleanup, defragment or reformat the drive.

Also note that solid state drives clear deleted data quickly in the background, so a file deleted from a laptop SSD may not be recoverable with software at all. That is one more reason to keep company files in backed up locations.

Make the next one easier

The best recovery plan is a backup you know works. Keep company files in OneDrive, SharePoint or a backed up server rather than on desktops. Make sure every important location is covered by backup, and run a short test restore from time to time. Our post on running a backup restore drill shows how to do it without disrupting the office.

Getting help

If the file is not in any recycle bin, version history or backup, stop and call us before trying anything else. Creative IT USA provides data recovery and managed cloud backup for businesses across Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire and Ventura County. The sooner we look, the better the odds.