A common issue that many Windows users may encounter is the lack of space on the C drive, which is displayed as a red bar in "This PC" or "My Computer". The most straightforward solution that comes to mind for most users would be to delete some unnecessary files to free up space. But hold on, here's where the problem lies.

Drive C, or the computer's hard disk drive, stores the computer's operating system, the applications you use, and files downloaded from the internet. Some seemingly useless files may affect the operation of your computer's operating system or other software if they are deleted.

Recover Deleted Files from C Drive

What will happen if I delete files from the C drive?

Some of you might be wondering what happens if you delete files from the C drive. This can be a tricky question. What happens to your computer or the software on it depends on what kind of file you deleted. If you got rid of cache files from programs, congratulations – that shouldn't affect your computer. However, if the deleted files are related to your computer's system or how software runs, you might find certain programs won't open, or you could get error messages when starting up your computer.

Recover Permanently Deleted Files from C Drive with 'Data Recovery Wizard' Tool

Since you're already looking for solutions online, chances are that you've tried all the basic troubleshooting methods and failed. So, in this section, we'll dive straight into the most effective one – how to use third-party software to recover deleted files.

We recommend using the Data Recovery Wizard tool, which has an excellent reputation in the data recovery field. This utility will perform a deep scan to find deleted files on your computer. Here are some other important features of the tool:

Please download the file recovery software from the above button, and then follow the steps below to restore deleted files from C drive.

Step 1: Select the exact location of your file and click on the "Scan" button to proceed.

Select the location to scan for deleted files

Step 2: Once the process is finished, select the “Deleted Files” and “Other Lost Files” folders on the left. You can then use the “Filter” feature or click on the “Search for a file or folder” button to look for the deleted files.

Scan Results

Step 3. Click “Recover” and save your recovered file – it's best to choose a different location than the original file.

Recover Deleted Files

After retrieving the necessary files, try restarting your computer or reopening the software to see if it runs successfully.

However, it is essential to remember that the timing of data recovery is crucial. The sooner you begin the process of searching and retrieving your data, the higher the likelihood of successfully recovering it. Delaying the process can result in data being overwritten or issues arising with the drive from which you are attempting to recover data, making retrieval impossible.

Quick Steps: Recover Deleted Files from the Recycling Bin

Although it's quite rare, some users might not know that when you delete a file from your computer, it doesn't simply vanish. You can find these deleted files in the Recycle Bin. This is also the case for files erased from the C drive. If you haven't emptied the Recycle Bin yet, you can try the following steps to recover deleted files.

    - Right-click the Recycle Bin icon, then click "Open." - If you know the name of the file, type it into the search bar to find the deleted file you want to restore. - Right-click the selected file and choose "Restore" to put the file back where it was.

Extra Tip: How to Free Up Space on C Drive

To prevent any further loss of data, we would like to introduce a safer method to free up space on your C drive – using the Disk Cleanup tool. This is a built-in utility in the Windows system that helps users clean their disk without formatting the hard drive. Here are the detailed steps:

Step 1. Right-click on This PC/My Computer and select Properties.

Clean C drive without formatting

Step 2: Click "Disk Cleanup" and select the files you want to delete from the C: drive.

Clean C drive without formatting

Step 3: Tap OK to confirm.

Confirm cleaning the C drive

Important:
Disk Cleanup will empty the Recycle Bin. You won't be able to recover deleted files from the Recycle Bin after you do this.

It's time to save your stuff from C:.

Now you know the best way to recover lost files from C drive is to use a data recovery wizard. Don't hesitate, download the software and give it a try. Remember, next time when you find low disk space on C drive, don't directly delete files on it. If you want to learn more about how to free up C drive space, you can refer to the following tutorials for more information.

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