How to get deleted files in linux

[Doshi1]

Hi,

I am using the Linux operating system for my home based computer system and windows is installed as well as.I was working on windows before this my child don't know the functionality an deleted the files from the disk that is very important for me,it was an Office file and need to get it back.

Do you all have any idea to get it back.

[Devasis]

Hello Doshi,

It's very common thing in every operating system that the files on the disk get deleted are being stored in the trash of the system.

The trash in the sense,the recycle bin which is same as the trash in linux operating system,you need to choose the trash icon in linux and commonly placed on the desktop,just open it and search the name of the file and using restore procedure ,you can restore the deleted files of your disk.

[Solomon]

If you have deleted it with the shift and delete command then you can't get it back,you need to check your trash and make sure your files are placed there or not.

If you have deleted it permanently way then you should be aware of the disk partitions and allocation of the files on the disk then you can get it back using partition of files,There are so many softwares tools are being used to recover those files and recover the deleted files with the help of those tools.

[MrChris-]

The file can be get back using different command which interacts with the internal procedure of the system and the files are getting back from the disk.

When you delete some files,they are not actually deleted from the disk,they are stored in the disk but kept at an unallocated space of the disk and using this way if you have deleted some files one years ago then you can get back these files but if you haven't formatted the disk.

The deleted files are stored on the unallocated place of the disk,but if you put another files on the disk then files would be overwrite and then you can't get it back.

[Calvin K]

If you have deleted the files using RM command of the linux operating environment then you can recover it using grep command that is used to search the file from the disk.

As you know already,Linux is a multiuser and multitasking operating system means other users and process can overwrite the space of the deleted file. So,if you need to recover the file then you have to go for the single user mode then after you can perform the disk related operation without any overwrite specification.

[Lillebror]

Yes,Calvin is right,you can recover the deleted files but you have to switch from the multiuser mode to single user mode.

If you need to recover just then you have to follow some steps as given below :

1- Quickly switch into the single user mode.
2- For that type the following command to get into the single user mode

# wall

3- Now Press CTRL+D to send message.
4- After that type the init 1 command to take system into a single user mode

# init 1

5- Now type the command to recover the file using the command :

  grep -b 'search-text' /dev/partition > file.txt

[Tasha Faith]

If you have atleast 1 other process using an already deleted file, You can retrieve it using the /proc filesystem and lsof