Problems with Windows and file deletion

The Recycle Bin and the Undo function in Windows Explorer are good basic features to help if you delete a file by mistake and realize it right away. There are many instances, though, when Windows will delete a file that you can't get back using its tools:

• You empty the Recycle Bin and want to get a file back from it.
• You use Shift-Delete to delete a file.
• A Windows program deletes a file using its own methods and does not use the standard Windows delete functionality.
• You delete a file from an SD card, USB stick, or a networked drive (the Recycle Bin does not track such files).
• The file index for the Recycle Bin or the hard drive becomes corrupted.
• The hard drive or external storage becomes corrupted.

Recuva can recover many files in this situation, as long as the contents of the files have not been overwritten by other files.