Recover Files Deleted from Google Drive: 4 Solutions

With the increase in technological awareness, more and more people are starting to take precautions and store important documents in the cloud to keep them safe. Google Drive is undoubtedly one of the most widely used cloud-based storage services, allowing people to access, store, and share files securely. However, accidents can happen anytime, and you might accidentally delete your important file from Google Drive or lose it for other technical reasons. But don’t panic, we’re here to help you. In this article, we will show how to recover files deleted from Google Drive with a few simple methods.

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

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Recover Files Deleted from Google Drive via Trash

The “Trash” feature of Google Drive works just like the Recycle Bin of your PC. Whenever you delete a file or folder from Google Drive, it will move to the Trash and stay there for 30 days. Therefore, as long as you don’t empty the Trash or the 30 days aren’t over (since the file was moved to Trash), it will stay right there. Moreover, you can retrieve it with a few simple actions.

Follow the steps below to recover files deleted from Google Drive using its Trash option:

Go to Google Drive and sign in to the Google account. If you have multiple Google accounts, you need to log into the Google account that had the file you’re looking to restore.
Next, on the left panel, click on the “Trash” option. Once you click on it, you will see all the Google files and folders you have deleted within the last 30 days.
After that, search for the file you’re planning to restore. Once you find it, right-click on it. A new menu will pop up with multiple options.
Next, click on the “Restore” option from the pop-up menu. When you do it, the file will be restored to its original location in Google Drive. If you’re not sure where the file is located, just type the file name in the “Search Box” of Google Drive and press the “Enter” key to find it.

There you have it. Simple and easy, isn’t it? If you have more than one file to recover, simply repeat the four steps we mentioned above. That way, you can finish the recovery of files deleted from Google Drive.

However, if you have already deleted the files from the Trash or the files have exceeded the 30 days threshold, you can’t use this method. In that case, you’ll be forced to utilize one of the following methods to restore your deleted files from Google Drive.

Restore the Files using Google Vault

No luck with the first method? No worries. You can get back your deleted drive files using the special features of Google Vault. But before we explain how to use Google Vault to restore your deleted files, let’s see what it actually is.

What is Google Vault?

Google Vault is a special service from Google specially designed for administrators and legal personnel to control and protect sensitive files and licenses. With Google Vault, you can hold, search, or export data for the proper governance, retention, and file discovery needs of your organization.

Google Vault is included in G Suite’s Enterprise, Education, Business, and Drive Enterprise versions. Ergo, there is no need to install it on your computer separately. With Google Vault, you can manage the following files and data:

Google Meet recordings
Messages shared in Gmail
Google Drive files
Google Hangout chat and Google Talk chat data as long as its history is active
Data of Google Chat if its History is turned on
The data of Google Groups

For more information on Google Vault, you can check the official Google Support answer that explains everything in great detail.

Recover Files Erased from Google Drive via Vault

Alright. At this point, you already know what Google Vault is and its significance in managing data on Google Workspace. Now, let’s see how you can use it to recover files erased from Google Drive:

First, go to Google Vault and sign in to your Google account.
Once you get in, click on the “Matter” option.
After that, click on “Pre-Existing Matter.”
Now, on the left panel, click on “Search.”
Next, select the “Drive” option on the right panel.
After that, type your email address in the empty box under the “Accounts” text. You can put more information in the other boxes to narrow down your search range.
Next, click on the blue “Search” button. It will show you all the files that meet your search requirements.
Once it’s done, click on the “Export results” option.
After you complete exporting, click on the “Download” option. The exported files will be downloaded to your computer as a .zip file.

Please note that this option is only available to those who are using G Suite. If you aren’t a G Suite user, you can use the techniques below to recover your removed Google Drive files.

Contact Google Drive Support for Help

Are you using Google Drive with a consumer account and lost your important files or folders? Well, in that case, you can always reach out to Google Drive support to recover your erased files. As long as they haven’t been deleted for too long, that is. Of course, to get the data back or request support, you need to own the file or files you seek to recover.

Now, as long as you meet the conditions, follow the instructions below to rescue your deleted Google Drive files:

First, go to the official Google Drive support page to initiate contact with Google Support representatives.
Next, write down your first name in the box under “First name” and select “Missing or deleted files” under “Select your issue.”
Explain your situation in the “How can we help you?” box and click on the “Submit” button.

Now, please wait for the Customer Support staff of Google to contact you.

Recover Deleted Google Drive Files through a Third-party Data Recovery Application

Were the Google Drive files you lost once uploaded from your computer? If the answer is yes, you can easily get the files from its storage. What’s more, if you no longer have the files on your machine, you can always use professional third-party data recovery software to get them back.

You can choose any data recovery application of your choice. However, you need to ensure the data restoration software is from a reputed company that has plenty of positive reviews. Once you install the application on your computer, you can use the following steps (or those similar to the instructions we provide) to recover your lost files:

Launch the software for data recovery in your computer and look for the drive or folder where the deleted files were located.
Once you find the right folder or drive, click on it and then click on the “Scan” option.
After the scan completes, you will see a list of recoverable files. Search for the files you want to get back before selecting them.
Next, click on the “Recover” button, select a location to save those files.
Click on the “OK” option. Now, the files will be downloaded to your selected location.