How to Restore Deleted Files from the Recycle Bin in Windows

Files in the Windows Recycle Bin are not permanently deleted yet. You can restore them to their original folders or drag them to a new location. If the Recycle Bin has already been emptied, stop using the affected drive as much as possible and use a backup or recovery tool instead.

Restore files to their original locations

1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.

   

2. Select the files or folders to restore. Hold Ctrl while clicking separate items, use Shift to select a continuous range, or press Ctrl + A to select everything.

   

3. Check the Original Location column so you know where Windows will return each item.

   

4. Right-click the selection and choose Restore. Windows returns each item to its original folder.

   

To place a file somewhere else, drag it from the Recycle Bin to the desktop or another folder. Large files or a large selection may take longer to restore.

Show a missing Recycle Bin icon

In Windows 10 or Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings, enable Recycle Bin, and select OK.

On Windows 7 or 8, open Personalization or the desktop-icon settings in Control Panel and enable Recycle Bin.

Turn on delete confirmation

Right-click the Recycle Bin, select Properties, enable Display delete confirmation dialog, and select OK. Also verify that Don't move files to the Recycle Bin is not selected if you want deleted items to remain recoverable there.

If the Recycle Bin is empty

Check File History, OneDrive, another cloud backup, or an external backup first. Avoid installing recovery software on the same drive because new data can overwrite deleted content. If no backup exists, review data-recovery software options. To avoid emptying the Recycle Bin accidentally during maintenance, also review what Windows cleanup commands remove before running them.