Fault-finding
Files have been deleted or a drive was formatted
Often yes, if the drive is used as little as possible from now on. Deleting marks space as free rather than erasing it, so the data survives until something overwrites it. The single most important thing you can do is stop writing to that drive — including installing recovery software onto it.
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Why stopping matters more than acting fast
A deleted file's contents remain on the disk until the space is reused. Every download, every document saved, every update that runs is a chance to overwrite exactly the sectors you want back. Recovery odds fall with use, not with time, so a drive left alone for a week is in better shape than one used for an hour.
Do not install recovery software onto that drive
This is the mistake that costs people their files, and it is entirely well-intentioned. Installing a recovery tool onto the same drive writes to it, potentially over the data being recovered. Run recovery from another drive, or better, image the affected drive and recover from the copy.
A quick format is not an erase
A quick format rewrites the file system's index and leaves the underlying data in place, so recovery after one is frequently successful. A full format that writes zeros across the disk is a different matter and usually is not recoverable. Which one was performed makes an enormous difference to the answer.
SSDs behave differently
Solid-state drives with TRIM enabled actively clear deleted blocks in the background rather than leaving them, so recovery odds on an SSD fall sharply within hours rather than gradually. If files were deleted from an SSD and they matter, powering it down promptly matters much more than it does on a mechanical drive.
Can deleted files be recovered?
I emptied the recycle bin. Is it gone?
Usually not immediately. Emptying the bin removes the reference, not the data — the contents remain until overwritten. Stop using that drive and get an assessment. On a mechanical drive the odds are often good; on an SSD with TRIM they fall much faster, so act sooner.
I formatted the wrong drive. Can it be recovered?
After a quick format, frequently yes, because the data survives beneath a rewritten index. After a full format that wrote zeros, generally not. Stop using the drive either way and let an assessment tell you which situation you are in rather than guessing at it.
Should I try recovery software myself?
If the data is replaceable, it is a reasonable thing to try — provided you install and run it from a different drive. If the data genuinely matters, a failed self-attempt can reduce what a professional recovery would have retrieved. Weigh what the files are worth before experimenting on them.
Rather have it done?
Data recovery pulls files off drives that have failed, been formatted or been encrypted by ransomware. Assessment is PKR 3,000 and tells you what is actually recoverable before you commit. Logical recoveries start at PKR 8,000; physical failures needing a cleanroom are quoted after assessment.
Data recovery and migration in Islamabad — prices and scope