How to Recover Deleted Files Not Showing in Recycle Bin

You go through the Recycle Bin, trying to locate a file you deleted earlier but just can't find it. This may have happened to you before. Your deleted files mysteriously disappeared from the Recycle Bin, where they are "supposed" to be after they are deleted. Truth is, the recycle bin is not a safe where the deleted files are stored and we shouldn't use it as a temporary folder to put aside files we don't currently need.

There could be a number of reasons why your deleted files are not showing in the Recycle Bin:

1. You emptied the Recycle Bin. Recycle Bin is supposed to give us a chance to undelete files when you make a mistake. It acts like a safe net to inadvertent operations. When we emptied the Recycle Bin, those deleted files will be considered as "no longer needed" and will be permanently deleted by the file system. Once the headers, or file references, are removed, the operating system will no longer be able to locate these files. The spaces the files are taking will be marked as "not in use". Even if you didn't actively empty the Recycle Bin, your PC cleaning software might have done it for you.

2. You made your system to remove files immediately when deleted. Check the Recycle Bin Properties. Right-click on the desktop Recycle Bin icon and select Properties. See if you have the checked the option "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted." This option is by default off. If you accidentally check this option, files will not go to recycle bin when deleted.

3. The recycle bin is full. If you check the Recycle Bin properties, you will find that recycle bin is not a bottomless pit after all. It has a default size and you can customize the size to fit your need. When the Recycle Bin is full, the oldest files in the recycle bin will be removed to make space for the newly deleted files. 

4. The deleted file is too big for Recycle Bin. As is mentioned above, the Recycle Bin has its size limit. When a file is too large to fit in the recycle bin in the first place, you will receive a warning "file too big for recycling bin do you want to permanently delete". If you hit yes, the file will be deleted right away without making a tour to the recycle bin.

5. You used Shift + Delete to delete files. By pressing Shift + Delete, the files will be deleted without going to recycle bin first. With default Windows tools, this action is effectively permanent removal of files. It is suggested that you use Shift + Delete with caution and certainty. Otherwise, use Ctrl + D or right-click-delete in case you delete something useful by mistake.

6. You delete the files from removable devices. Windows Desktop Recycle Bin is a virtual folder that stores the information of files deleted in Window Explorer by users. It is not an actual folder that stores files. When a storage device, such as USB flash drives, is considered as removable storage devices, the deleted files will be removed right away rather than being put aside for future restoration. (See Data Recovery: No Recycle Bin for USB Flash Drives? for more detailed information)

How to Recover These Permanently Deleted Files?

Above are some of the common reasons why deleted files are not showing in the Recycle Bin. If you cannot find your files in Recycle Bin, don't worry. You can use 3rd party data recovery software to help you retrieve your lost files. We would recommend H Data Recovery in this particular case. H Data Recovery has 6 unique data recovery modules, each is designed to handle a different data loss situation. You can choose the Accidental Deletion Recovery module to get your lost files back. You can also recover any files that have been cleared out from the recycle bin with the Recover From Recycle Bin module.