How to Manage Deleted Files on Windows and Android

I have a bad habit of accidentally deleting files I suddenly need a day later. Fortunately, when files are “deleted,” they are not entirely erased from a system – and if they are backed up to connected cloud storage services, well, those services have their own ways of dealing with deleted files. So it’s a good idea to know where to look.

This is also something to keep in mind if you’re selling or donating a system – because in that case you’ll want to make sure your files are completely erased.

Whether you want to restore previously deleted files or permanently delete them, here’s what you need to know about them on Windows (and OneDrive) and Android (and Google Drive).

Delete a file normally in Windows File Explorer – using the Delete key – and goes to the Recycle Bin, which has been helping Windows users recover files that have been accidentally deleted since Windows 95.

Go to your PC’s Recycle Bin folder and you can restore deleted files to their original location or permanently delete them. There are several ways to find it.

• To make things easier, look for the Recycle Bin shortcut on your desktop. If you don’t see it, right-click an empty part of the desktop and choose Personalize > Themes > Desktop Icon Settings to show this.
• You should also see a Recycle Bin shortcut in the left navigation pane of File Explorer; otherwise, right-click at the bottom of the panel and choose Show all folders.
• You can also access the Recycle Bin by searching for it in the taskbar search bar or in the address bar at the top of any File Explorer window.

When in the Recycle Bin (which is shown in File Explorer):

• Click Empty the trashcan in the top toolbar to delete everything stored in it.
• Click Restore all items to restore everything to the Recycle Bin.
• Select one or more files and you will see another option: Restore selected items to bring the file(s) back. You’ll find the same options by right-clicking a file.

By default, deleted files remain in the Recycle Bin for 30 days before Windows permanently deletes them. To change this:

• Open Settings and choose System > Storage > Storage Sense.
• Make sure Automatic cleaning of user content is enabled.
• To search for Delete files from my trash if they’ve been there longer…, with the drop-down menu offering the following options: 1 day, 14 days, 30 days, 60 daysor Never. (Files stay in the Recycle Bin until you clean them manually.)

By the way, if there is something private and confidential that you want to permanently delete immediately (bypassing the Recycle Bin), select it in File Explorer and press Shift + Delete. You receive a warning, but after clicking Yesthe file will be gone forever and cannot be recovered.

Then there’s the Windows-attached cloud storage service, OneDrive. Depending on how your computer is configured, OneDrive may be backing up your Windows files: you can check by going to Settings > Accounts > Windows Backup > OneDrive folder sync.

OneDrive has its own Recycle Bin, which you can find by opening OneDrive on the web or by looking for the cloud icon in the bottom left corner of the taskbar.

• Click recycle bin to find files deleted in the last 30 days.
• Select individual files to open Delete or To restore options at the top.
• With no files selected, click Empty the trashcan erase everything permanently or Restore all items to bring them all back to your PC.

When you delete a file synced to OneDrive and your local PC, it will be sent to the Recycle Bin in both locations and you can restore it to either location. However, the Recycle Bin in the cloud and the Recycle Bin in Windows are not synchronized, so you may find that something you permanently deleted in one place is still available in the other.

When it comes to Android, apps often manage file deletion and restoration on their own. If you’re using Google Photos to manage your photos and videos, for example, you can tap Library and then Trash in the app to see recently deleted files. From there, they can be permanently deleted or brought back.

Any files that were synced to the cloud when they were deleted will be retained for 60 days; if they were stored locally, they remain in the Trash folder for 30 days. The same junk folder you see in the app can be found at Google Photos on the web in the left navigation pane.

You can also use Google’s Files app (the default file manager on Android) to find deleted items on your Android phone. In the app, tap the three horizontal lines (top left) and then Trash. Files are kept for 30 days and if you select a file you will see the message To restore It is Delete the options are active at the bottom.

If you have a Samsung phone, you may be using Samsung’s own apps. Inside Samsung Galleryyou can tap on the three horizontal lines (bottom right) and then recycle bin to view, delete and restore photos and videos you deleted.

Then there is the My files Samsung’s app, which handles files more generally on Android. There is a recycle bin link on the app’s front screen: Tap it to see your recently deleted files and find options to permanently delete them or restore them to their original locations. In both Samsung apps, files are kept for 30 days before automatic, permanent deletion.

Finally, for apps that sync with Google Drive and the Google Drive app itself, you have an extra safety net in the cloud. In Google Drive on the webyou can click the Trash link in the left navigation pane to see deleted files, which are kept for 30 days. Files can be sorted by type or by the date they were last modified, and when you select files, you’ll see options to restore or permanently delete them above the file list.