Due to accidental deletion, hard drive formatting, a system crash, or other reasons, you may lose some precious data. Fortunately, there are still methods to get them back, and several of them are free. In this article, we’ll tell you how to recover deleted files from a hard drive for free. You can select a desired recovery solution to retrieve your lost data without spending a dime.
When you mistakenly delete a file from your hard drive, it isn’t immediately erased from the disk. Until the file is overwritten, it remains recoverable. When you realize you’ve lost important files, you should first check the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac). Scroll through these deleted files or use the search bar to quickly find the specific file you want to restore. Right-click on it and choose to put it back in the original location.
If you have emptied the Recycle Bin or Trash on your computer, there are still other methods to recover your files. You can rely on the built-in File History feature in Windows to recover deleted files. If you’ve enabled File History, all types of files you ever backed up, including documents, pictures, videos, and desktop folders, will be restored with ease.
Go to the Start menu and search for File History. Click the File History option to open it. Ensure the File History is turned on.
Go to the folder where the deleted file was originally saved. Choose the version that contains the deleted file. Click Restore to recover the file and take it to its original location.
As a Mac user, try using the default backup feature called Time Machine to recover deleted files. Time Machine can back up the entire system, including files, applications, and system settings on your Mac.
Open Time Machine on your Mac and then use the timeline on the right side of the screen to navigate through your backups. Find your deleted file in the backup and choose it. Click Restore to recover the deleted file.
If you are dealing with a corrupted hard drive or a crashed computer and need to rescue your valuable files, you should turn to a reputable recovery tool like Aiseesoft Data Recovery. The software has a specially designed function to retrieve lost and deleted data from a crashed PC. It supports over 1000 file types and can recover all your commonly used files like pictures, videos, documents, emails, and audio files. Compared with other recovery software, Aiseesoft provides a safer and more secure way to ensure your original data won’t be overwritten during recovery.
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Question 1. Can I restore permanently deleted files from a hard drive for free?
If you have created a backup or enabled File History, you can try restoring these permanently deleted files from there. Otherwise, the recovery can be challenging, especially if the data has been overwritten or the hard drive has been formatted. There are some free methods and tools you can try to restore your files. However, the final success is not guaranteed. Start with the free version of Aiseesoft Data Recovery, Disk Drill, TestDisk, or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to retrieve your deleted files. For important documents or meaningful photos, you should seek professional help, even though these services can be expensive.
Question 2. Is Wondershare Recoverit really free?
Wondershare Recoverit is not completely free. It offers a free version with limitations. The free version of Recoverit only allows you to scan and preview recoverable files. The amount of data you can actually recover is limited. What’s more, it does not offer any advanced features. For really free alternatives, consider other recovery tools like Recuva or PhotoRec.
Question 3. Can I use Windows File Recovery to restore data on Windows 7?
No, Windows File Recovery is not available for Windows 7. It was introduced by Microsoft for Windows 10 version 2004. So, you can only use it to perform data recovery on Windows 10 and 11 computers. If you have enabled Backup and Restore in Windows 7, try restoring data from a suitable backup. Go to Control Panel, choose System and Security, access Backup and Restore, and then follow the steps to retrieve your lost files.
Conclusion
You can learn three helpful methods to recover deleted files from your hard drive for free. Actually, there are more free data recovery tools available for you to retrieve lost files. You can use reliable tools like Recuva and PhotoRec to restore files from hard drives. You should act quickly to avoid overwriting data. What’s more, always remember to back up important files to prevent future data loss.
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Aiseesoft Data Recovery is the best data recovery software to recover deleted/lost photos, documents, emails, audio, videos, etc. from your PC/Mac.
100% Secure. No Ads.
100% Secure. No Ads.
