How to Recover Files from a Recycle Bin in DOS

The recycle bin is the savior for many users who accidentally delete important files. When you delete a file on your Windows computer, it is sent to the recycle bin for backup. If you want to recover the file, double-click the icon on your desktop and recover the accidentally deleted file. It's not a well-known fact that the recycle bin is also accessible in the DOS command prompt. You can navigate to the recycle bin through the DOS prompt with only a few commands.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Run." Enter "cmd" in the textbox and press the "Enter" key.

2. Type "cd recycled" in the command prompt. This navigates to the recycle bin directory.

3. Change the file attributes in the directory. Files in the recycle bin directory are hidden, so the attributes on the files need to be changed to view them. The following command removes the hidden attributes, so you can view them:
   attrib -R -S -H *.*

4. Copy the files to a directory. To copy the files from the recycle bin directory to another directory, use the following syntax:
   xcopy <source> <destination>
   Replace "<source>" with the file in the recycle bin. Replace "<destination>" with the location of where you want to copy the file.

References

• chami.com