Recovering accidentally deleted folders and files
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 11:42 pm
I have been using XnView for a few years (version 1.8.0 64 bit Libformat 7.192) on my Windows 10 Home laptop (2009 version build 19045.5608). I use XnView mostly for viewing and managing my collection of vintage car pics and vids stored in a series of individual folders in roughly chronological order on a password protected 1TB external SSD. For some reason the XnView is installed on the SSD, not on the laptop itself. When I use XnView, I usually have File Explorer open in the laptop which I typically prefer to use for any deleting, while using the XnView mostly for viewing and occasional moving by cutting and pasting within and between folders - but this not rigidly followed as I will sometimes use XnView for deleting. Normally all this is usually without major mishap. That is the background, now for the problem.
This last week I was in XnView (with Explorer open) viewing my collection when in one of the folders I noticed a lone empty subfolder that had found its way into that particular folder. Since it appeared a simple task I decided to delete it using XnView it so I selected it and pressed the XnView Delete. To my horror, I saw that not only the offending sub-folder had been selected but that all of the folders above it had been "selected" as well - and before I could do anything, this was immediately accompanied by a pop-up box showing progress as it whizzed through deleting nearly all of my folders - leaving only the few folders listed below in the series untouched. It all happened so quickly and I do not remember being asked at any point if I "really wanted to delete" so many folders!
After recovering my equilibrium, I noticed that there still remained a shaded representation of all of the now deleted folders showing in XnView so I hoped desperately that an "Undo" function might come to the rescue, but I could not find one. I then switched to Explorer that I knew had an "Undo" function but there I noticed that there was no trace of the deleted folders or their contents, and, worse, that the "Undo" option was not active. I checked Windows Recycle Bin but this, as I half expected, showed no sign of the folders.
Can anyone suggest any way I might recover my lost folders and their contents? (As may be apparent I am not a tech expert but, apart from checking on the remaining contents and Properties of the SSD I have refrained from using it to maximize the chances.)
This last week I was in XnView (with Explorer open) viewing my collection when in one of the folders I noticed a lone empty subfolder that had found its way into that particular folder. Since it appeared a simple task I decided to delete it using XnView it so I selected it and pressed the XnView Delete. To my horror, I saw that not only the offending sub-folder had been selected but that all of the folders above it had been "selected" as well - and before I could do anything, this was immediately accompanied by a pop-up box showing progress as it whizzed through deleting nearly all of my folders - leaving only the few folders listed below in the series untouched. It all happened so quickly and I do not remember being asked at any point if I "really wanted to delete" so many folders!
After recovering my equilibrium, I noticed that there still remained a shaded representation of all of the now deleted folders showing in XnView so I hoped desperately that an "Undo" function might come to the rescue, but I could not find one. I then switched to Explorer that I knew had an "Undo" function but there I noticed that there was no trace of the deleted folders or their contents, and, worse, that the "Undo" option was not active. I checked Windows Recycle Bin but this, as I half expected, showed no sign of the folders.
Can anyone suggest any way I might recover my lost folders and their contents? (As may be apparent I am not a tech expert but, apart from checking on the remaining contents and Properties of the SSD I have refrained from using it to maximize the chances.)