I accidentally permanently deleted some important files and can’t find them in the Recycle Bin. Is there a reliable way to recover deleted files without overwriting or damaging the data?
Stop using that drive immediately, since new data can overwrite the deleted files. Install a recovery tool such as Disk Drill on a different drive, scan the affected disk, and save anything recovered somewhere else. If the files were on an SSD with TRIM enabled, recovery may be impossible; for truly critical data, skip DIY attempts and contact a professional recovery lab.
Check whether you have a backup or cloud version history before scanning the drive. OneDrive, Dropbox, and similar services may keep deleted files separately from the Windows Recycle Bin, and restoring from there is safer than recovery software. If no copy exists, follow @cloudrouter5351’s advice, but run Disk Drill from another drive and recover files to another drive too.
Shut the computer down if the deleted files were on its main drive. Every download, update, or normal Windows task can overwrite the space where those files were stored.
Recovery software such as Disk Drill may work well on a traditional hard drive, but SSDs are less predictable because TRIM can clear deleted data before a scan finds it. Booting from another disk or connecting the affected drive to another computer is safer than installing anything on it. Use the preview feature first, then save recovered files to a separate drive.
If the files are irreplaceable, avoid repeated scans and consider a professional recovery service. Software cannot recover data that has already been overwritten, and a failing drive can get worse with continued use.
Nobody’s asked the obvious thing: was this a normal hard drive or an SSD? On a spinning drive Disk Drill has a real shot, but on a TRIM-enabled SSD you’re mostly wasting your time before you even start.