Managing File Systems
Recovering Files and Folders
Restoring Files and Folders
- When you open the Recycle Bin, Windows displays the names of recently deleted items in an ordinary Windows Explorer window. In Details view, you can see when each item was deleted and which folder it was deleted from. You can use the column headings to sort the folder-for example, to display the items that have been deleted most recently at the top, with earlier deletions below. Alternatively, you can organize the bin by disk and folder by clicking the Original Location heading. If these methods don't help you find what you're hoping to restore, use the search box.
- Note that deleted folders are shown only as folders; you don't see the names of items contained
within the folders. If you restore a deleted folder, however, Windows re-creates the folder and its contents.
- The Restore This Item command (on the toolbar) puts the item back in the folder from which it was deleted. If that folder doesn't currently exist, Windows asks your permission to re-create it. If no object is selected, a Restore All Items option is available on the toolbar. If your Recycle Bin contains hundreds or thousands of deleted files dating back weeks or months, this option can create chaos. It's most useful if you recently emptied the Recycle Bin and all of its current contents are visible.
- If you want, you can restore a file or folder to a different location. Select the item, choose Edit, Move To Folder, and then specify the new location. (If the menu bar isn't currently visible, you can right-click the item, choose Cut, and then paste it in the new location.) Or, simplest of all, you can drag the item out of the Recycle Bin and put it where you want it.