Accidentally deleting any file can be frustrating. But deleting a birthday video or another important video turns frustration into panic. After all, videos often capture moments that cannot be recreated.
In most cases, deleted videos can still be restored. This article will explore how to recover deleted videos from a USB drive, SD card, hard disk, external drive, and more storage devices.
Part1: Is It Possible to Recover Deleted Videos?
Yes. You can recover deleted videos in most cases. When a video is deleted, the system only removes the file reference. The space occupied by the data is marked as free. However, the data remains on the drive until it is overwritten with new data.
The system usually hides deleted videos. This makes you think the data is gone forever. The data usually stays on the drive until it is overwritten.
Act quickly to improve recovery chances. Continuous usage of the device can cause overwriting. Once the video data is overwritten, it becomes nearly impossible to recover it.
Here is a list of some common situations and what you can do:
Part 2: How to Recover Videos Deleted from Recently Deleted?
If the videos were deleted recently, start with Windows tools. To improve the success rate, make sure to try these methods right away.
Method 1: Check the Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin is a special folder in the Windows operating system. Most deleted files are temporarily stored in this folder.
Recycle Bin makes it easy to restore deleted files in just a few simple steps. This is how to recover deleted videos from the Recycle Bin on Windows:
- Locate and open the Recycle Bin from the desktop.
- Find the deleted video files.
- Right-click on the videos and select Restore.
The videos will be restored to their original location. You can also drag and drop the videos from the Recycle Bin to any location of your choice.
However, not all deleted videos go into the Recycle Bin. For example, large video files are often deleted directly if they exceed the Recycle Bin’s maximum size limit. Files deleted via Shift + Delete are also deleted directly.
Method 2: Undo Deleted Videos
Another option to recover deleted videos is to use the undo shortcut. The undo feature is offered by Windows and allows you to reverse your most recent action. This option only works if the videos were deleted recently and you did not perform any action after it.
Let’s look at how to recover deleted videos from PC via the undo feature:
- Open the folder from where the videos were deleted. If the videos are not in a folder, just open the drive where they were saved.
- Press Ctrl + Z.
You can use it if the videos were deleted recently. However, it will not work if you restarted the computer or performed other actions, such as cut, copy, paste, or delete.
Part 3: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Videos?
If videos are not in Recycle Bin, they are likely permanently deleted. There are still several ways to recover them. You can use File History, cloud backup, DIY data recovery software, or a professional data recovery service.
- Method 1: Restore Videos from File History
- Method 2: Recover Videos from Cloud Backups
- Method 3: Recover Permanently Deleted Videos for Free
Method 1: Restore Videos from File History
Windows offers a useful feature called File History. If this feature is enabled, you can use it to restore deleted video files.
File History automatically makes backup copies of your videos and other files to a network location or external drive. Let’s look at how to recover deleted videos from PC Windows 10/11 via File History:
- Open File Explorer.
- Find the folder that had the video files.
- Right-click on the folder and choose the Restore previous versions option.
- You will see a list of all the previous versions or backup copies.
- Select a previous version that contains the deleted videos. You can preview the folder versions by clicking Open and then Open in File History.
- Select a backup copy and click Restore.
This option is ideal for users who have enabled the Windows File History feature.
Method 2: Recover Videos from Cloud Backups
Do you use a cloud storage service? Then you can also use it to recover your deleted files. All you have to do is download a copy of the video from the cloud backup. This method works even if the original file has been permanently deleted from your computer.
Here is how to recover deleted videos from SD card, HDD, or any other device if the videos were synced to cloud storage:
- Sign in to Google Drive or OneDrive.
- Use the search option to find your video file.
- Right-click on the video. Choose the Download option.
The steps to download a copy of the video remain the same for all services. You just have to sign in, find your video, and then download it.
Method 3: Recover Permanently Deleted Videos for Free
The Recycle Bin is empty, and you also do not have a backup? In that case, the best option is to use data recovery software.
RecoverGo Windows Data Recovery is your best option. It works even when files are permanently deleted, Shift + Deleted, or when the drive becomes RAW or formatted.
iToolab RecoverGo has these useful features:
- 99.7% success rate: This software can recover nearly all of your video files even in simple and complex scenarios.
- Free scan and preview: RecoverGo scans all storage devices and allows file preview for free.
- Supports 1000+ file types: Support for video files like MOV, MP4, 3GP, WMV, AVI, and more.
- Easy to use: You can recover deleted videos in just 3 simple steps: scan, preview, and recover.
How to Use:
Step 1 Download and install RecoverGo on your computer.Select the drive where the deleted files were present. Then click Search for Lost Data.
Step 2 Wait for the scan to complete. After that, click Filter and select video under the file type option.
Step 3 Select the video files and click Recover.
This option is ideal for all types of users. RecoverGo supports all devices and can handle various data loss scenarios. So, it does not matter if you lost videos on a USB drive, SD card, HDD, or external HDD/SSD; you can use RecoverGo to recover videos.
Also Read: Best Video Recovery Software for PC
Part 4: Pro Tips to Prevent Video Loss in the Future
There are multiple ways to recover deleted videos. But it is better to avoid this situation altogether by following these simple tips:
3-2-1 Backup Rule
The 3-2-1 rule is the golden rule for backup. You should make 3 total copies of your data. After that, store two of them on local storage and store one copy in an offsite location, such as cloud storage.
Avoid Overwriting
Stop using the storage device after accidentally deleting a video. You should not copy new files or install any new software on the affected drive. New data can overwrite the deleted videos and make recovery nearly impossible.
Use Cloud Sync
There are multiple services that offer cloud storage. You should make it a habit to regularly store your videos on cloud storage. In fact, you can get started for free with Google Drive.
Safely Eject Devices
Do not ignore the Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media option. You should use it before unplugging a USB drive, memory card, or an external storage device.
Part 5: Conclusion
That’s how you can recover deleted videos on Windows. You can use the right method based on the situation and storage device.
If the videos were deleted recently, check the Recycle Bin or use the Undo feature. If these methods do not work, you can also try File History, cloud backup, or a data recovery tool.
Out of all these methods, the best option is iToolab RecoverGo Windows Data Recovery. It is a user-friendly data recovery tool with strong performance. You can recover deleted videos in just 3 steps: scan, preview, and restore.