💡 This article is written by humans, with all solutions and steps verified.
The Recycle Bin is a very useful tool for any Windows user. It can temporarily save files and folders we delete from our computer hard drives. Thus, when you realize that this was a mistake or change your mind, you can easily restore them.
Some users might take for granted that every deleted item will be put into the Recycle Bin. However, it’s not always the case. When you find a deleted file that isn't in the Recycle Bin, don’t worry. In this article, we will explain why this happens and offer solutions for recovering it. Besides, we will also guide you on how to properly set up the Recycle Bin to avoid such problems from happening again, even if a file is deleted from the flash drive, SD card, or external disk.
We believe that the Recycle Bin has helped many users avoid accidentally deleting files. However, it might not work for the following reasons.
Sure! Even for a permanently deleted file, Windows merely removes its index information from the File Allocation Table, causing you not to be able to see it in File Explorer. In fact, the file itself remains in its original disk sectors until new data overwrites it. Therefore, please follow these suggestions to increase your chances of success before attempting to recover it.
Once you are ready, let's take a look at the available solutions for a deleted file but not in the Recycle Bin!
No matter what reason causes the deleted files or folders not to show in the Recycle Bin. If you want to recover them, using data recovery software should be your first choice. To save you time, we suggest you try the following two options first.
Its design is very user-friendly. Even if you're using this type of tool for the first time, you can quickly find the correct operating steps. Besides, iBeesoft Data Recovery offers specific features to ensure you have the highest file recovery success rate.
And yes, as its name suggests, the Windows File Recovery Tool is developed by Microsoft. Though it works via the command line, it can still help you recover files that were deleted but not in the Recycle Bin. The following is how to use the Windows File Recovery Tool to do the task.
Even without third-party tools, there are still ways to recover files that are not in the Recycle Bin on Windows 11 and 10. Let's take a look at them now.
If you had enabled System Protection or File History and the directory containing the deleted file was included in the scope, Windows periodically creates snapshots to record all changes. This means you can recover the files by finding a previous version of them in these snapshots after the files have been deleted. Here are the detailed steps.
Note: It will revert all files in this directory to the selected time point. If you have edited other files or saved new ones recently, please copy them to another folder.
This method uses File History backups to restore deleted files not in the Recycle Bin. Compared with the previous method, it allows you to select file(s) to revert, without affecting any other file.
This should be a solution that many users have ignored. If your files have been deleted by antivirus software for security reasons, they will not be permanently erased but will be moved to the quarantine area. In this case, you can easily recover the deleted files by opening your antivirus software and locating them in the quarantine area.
Nowadays, many cloud storage services, such as Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box, are available for syncing important files. Although they will sync local deletions, these cloud services also offer a "Recycle Bin" or "Recently Deleted" folder to temporarily store deleted files. If you use one of them, then you might find the files you accidentally deleted there.
As mentioned in the first part, although there are many reasons why deleted items are not showing in the Recycle Bin, the good news is that the methods above allow you to recover them. However, prevention is better than cure. To prevent this problem from recurring, please follow the steps below to resolve the issue.
In the Recycle Bin properties, please do not select the option "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted". Additionally, if you frequently delete some large files, it is advisable to increase the Recycle Bin's allocated space to a sufficient size, as shown in screenshot 2.
By default, deleted files are kept in the Recycle Bin for up to 30 days before being permanently deleted. You can right-click the "Start" icon on the taskbar, then select "System". Finally, go to "Storage" > "Storage Sense," and set the duration to "60 days" or "Never."
The Windows Registry serves as the core configuration database, storing critical information such as hardware and software configurations, user preferences, and security policies. Among them, the item "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > Desktop > NameSpace" under the "{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}" is the unique identifier of the Recycle Bin.
When it becomes corrupted or incorrect, it may prevent the files you deleted from appearing in the Recycle Bin. For this, you can delete the existing key, then right-click on the "NameSpace" folder and select "Create New" > "key" to create a new one. Finally, double-click "(Default)" in the right-hand pane and set its "Value data" to "Recycle Bin" to reload it.
You may have noticed that files deleted from a USB drive, SD card, or external disk in Windows are not put in the Recycle Bin. Although the deletion mechanism restricts this, the problem can be solved by simply adding the appropriate entry in the following location of the registry.
Once you have completed these two settings, restart your computer to apply the changes.
By now, you should have successfully resolved the frustrating issue of deleted files/folders not in the Recycle Bin and restored the previously lost items. However, the Recycle Bin is only applicable to one of the various deletion methods. Therefore, understanding them can help you better manage your data.
| Deletion Methods | Consequences |
|---|---|
| Standard deletion (Press the "Delete" key or select "Delete" in the right-click menu) | The file usually goes to the Recycle Bin, allowing for restoring when you realize the deletion was a mistake or that the file is actually needed. Of course, on Windows, if the Recycle Bin for external storage devices is not set up as described above, files deleted from it will not appear in the Recycle Bin and will be permanently deleted. |
| Permanently delete (Shift + Delete) or format your disk | This bypasses the Recycle Bin to delete files. As long as you do not save new data here after the deletion, it is usually possible to recover them using tools like iBeesoft Data Recovery. |
| Use the command line | Type the "del" command (e.g., "del filename.txt") in the Command Prompt to soem delete files or folders. Windows will delete these items permanently. |
| Use third-party erasure tools | While performing permanent deletion, overwrite the contents of the deleted files with blank or random data in the corresponding sectors. This renders them unrecoverable, thereby preventing privacy leaks. |
While there are many reasons for losing important data, it’s especially frustrating when a deleted file isn't in the Recycle Bin. Fortunately, with the help of this article, we believe you will not only recover them successfully, but also configure the Recycle Bin correctly to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
Yes, you can. You just need to right-click on the blank area of the desktop, then select "Personalize" > go to "Desktop icon settings" > check the "Recycle Bin" box > click "OK". It’s done and done.
Yes. To keep the Windows OS running smoothly, it automatically deletes files from the Recycle Bin every 30 days by default to free up space.
Unlike other file types, Sticky Notes are not saved as separate files on your disk. Instead, they are saved as database entries within files such as ".sqlite", ".snt", or ".sqlite-wal extensions." Usually, they are stored in the folder "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Sticky Notes" or "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState".
If you accidentally deleted some Sticky Notes, then please use iBeesoft Data Recovery to restore the files with the aforementioned file extensions first, and then place them back in their original positions.
Of course! Here are some popular options:
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