How to Recover Important Files Deleted by Child?

How to Recover Important Files Deleted by Child?

When you find your child accidentally deleted important files from your device, don’t lose hope. Whether you’re using Windows PC, Mac, or any other device, instances like sudden data loss is quite common and may put you in trouble. Your child may delete these files unintentionally or erase them due to formatting, system error, or any other reason – losing important files is painful.

Don’t worry! All your lost data is easily recoverable. Fortunately, several DIY workarounds and third-party free data recovery software tools are available that can help you restore lost files. Read on this article to get your files back.

1: Avoid Saving New Files on Your Device

When you find files deleted from your PC, don’t lose calm! Data loss is quite common, and moreover, your lost data is easily recoverable. Firstly, avoid performing unnecessary tasks on your device. Don’t download any new software, install updates, or save new files on your device. Any new information will overwrite deleted data, making data recovery much more complicated.

In case your child deleted some files on the computer, make sure he/she stops using the particular drive until you find out the options for file recovery.

2: Check the Recycle Bin or Trash Folder

Every device has a temporary placeholder for recently deleted files. Whether it’s Recycle Bin (in Windows) or Trash (on Mac), these folders store deleted files temporarily for some time post that the files get permanently erased.

Before you apply advanced free data recovery methods to restore the files deleted by your child, it’s important to check the Recycle Bin or Trash folder. Open these folders on your device, browse through deleted files and choose the Restore or Recover option to get your deleted files back. Your file will be restored to the original location.

In case the files are there, then there is no need for recovery software.

However, in case of permanently deleted files using options like “Empty Recycle Bin,” “Delete Immediately”, or some keyboard shortcuts, the files will not appear there. Here, proceed to the next recovery method.

3. Look at Cloud Storage & Syncing Services

It is possible that your child deleted files from a synchronised cloud storage. If this happens, there may be an alternative copy via the recycle bin or recovery tool offered by the particular cloud platform.

Some common cloud platforms include OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud, depending on the cloud storage used for keeping the files.

Most cloud platforms keep the deleted files for some time. Recovering deleted files from cloud backup is quite easy; you have to sign in to the respective account, check the deleted or trash folder, find the files and restore them if available.

If there are multiple devices, then a delete action on one device can synchronise to other connected devices. In case the files are found on another device, do not make any changes regarding synchronisation until the file has been restored.

4: Check for Backups   

If you’ve synced your device with backup utilities, your deleted file must be present in these backups. A backup is one of the most reliable methods for retrieving files that have been deleted unintentionally.

Windows users can look into File History or other built-in backup options that might have been installed. If your child has deleted file from Mac, you can search for Time Machine backup.

You can also explore external hard drives, NAS systems, and other types of backups which might include older copies of the deleted files. We also recommend that you check the date of the backup before performing a restore using free data recovery software. The older backup should include the missing files.

If your child accidentally deletes an important school assignment or family photos, any of these backups is often a better and safer solution to get your deleted data back.

5: Utilize Data Recovery Software

If the file accidentally deleted by your child is not found in the Recycle Bin, in cloud storage, or in backups, specialized data recovery software may help you to restore it.

Tools like Stellar Data Recovery Free or Recuva scan the storage device and look for files or folders that have been deleted. Depending on the state of your storage device and its utilization after deletion of the files, data recovery software will find some recoverable documents, images, videos, archives, and other files.

It is important to choose data recovery software which is compatible with the affected device OS and the storage device. Good data recovery software should have options for deep scanning, file preview, support for various file systems, and recovery from various storage devices.

The recovery process for restoring deleted files using the Stellar Data Recovery Free software is simple, as you need to select the types of recoverable files, scan the affected storage device, scanning it for recoverable files, preview the results, and restore files to another storage device.

The key point of data recovery is always installing the software on another drive if possible, because installing the recovery tool on the affected drive can overwrite your recoverable files.

Teach Your Child to Avoid Accidental Deletion in the Future

Data loss can happen anytime. When you find any file missing from your device, it’s important to immediately act with recovery workarounds. You can also consider the below preventive measures to avoid such data loss issues in the future:

• Develop a backup plan for important pictures, files, videos, and homework. The 3-2-1 backup method is an efficient general plan: make at least three copies of your important data; use two different media types and have one copy stored in a separate location from your primary computer.
• Also, you can create clear folders for important files and never save documents in temporary or shared folders.
• For kids, create a separate folder for schoolwork and implement built-in backup solutions. Teach them how to distinguish important files and folders to prevent accidental data loss instances.

Conclusion

In case a child accidentally deletes some files, prompt and cautious measures may make the difference. First, try easy methods like Recycle Bin, Trash, cloud storage, and backups before using any free data recovery software. The most important thing is not to use the storage drive as much as possible since the new information may simply overwrite the deleted files.

If there is no backup, the right data recovery software will restore deleted photos, files, videos, and other kinds of data. Physical damage to the drive or extremely valuable data will require professional data recovery. Last but not least, regular backups and proper file management skills for children should be learned.

Guest Article.