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How to Recover Deleted Files?

How to Recover Accidentally Deleted Files on TerraMaster NAS?​

During the use of TerraMaster NAS, it is inevitable that important files may be accidentally deleted. The TerraMaster TOS system provides several native solutions such as Recycle Bin, backup tools, and snapshots. If these features were not set up in advance, third-party tools or professional services can also be used to attempt recovery. This article will provide a detailed process for file recovery after accidental deletion on TerraMaster NAS, and guide you on how to enable protective features in advance to reduce the risk of data loss.

1. Using the Recycle Bin to Recover Deleted Files​

The TerraMaster TOS system’s Recycle Bin function can be enabled individually for shared folders. Deleted files are temporarily stored in the Recycle Bin, and can be quickly recovered before being emptied or overwritten. This is the most convenient recovery method, provided that the function has been enabled for the corresponding shared folder.

(a) Enable the Recycle Bin for Shared Folders​

  1. Enter the Control Panel and find and click on the Shared Folders option;
  2. Select the shared folder for which you want to enable the Recycle Bin, and click the Edit button on the page;
  3. In the pop-up Edit window, check the Enable Recycle Bin option; if you wish to limit access to the Recycle Bin to administrators only, check the corresponding permission restriction option;
  4. After confirming the settings, click Save to enable the Recycle Bin feature for that shared folder.

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(b) Recover Deleted Files / Folders from the Recycle Bin​

Method 1: Recover via the #recycle Directory in the Shared Folder​

  1. Launch File Manager, and enter the target shared folder where the Recycle Bin is enabled;
  2. In the folder directory, find the #recycle subfolder and double-click to enter;
  3. Find the file or folder to recover in the Recycle Bin, right-click on the file/folder;
  4. Select the Restore option to quickly restore the file to its original location before deletion. If you need to restore the file to another location, you can select Move to and specify the target storage path.

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Method 2: Recover via the Global Recycle Bin Shortcut (Applicable for TOS 7.0 and Above)​

  1. Launch File Manager, and directly click the Recycle Bin option in the left navigation tree. The system will display a list of deleted files from all shared folders with the Recycle Bin feature enabled;
  2. In the list, find the file or folder you mistakenly deleted, right-click on the file/folder, and select the Restore option. The system will automatically move it back to its original storage location without requiring you to manually specify the path.
Note

Files in the Recycle Bin are not permanently stored. If the Recycle Bin is manually emptied or the system automatically cleans it based on preset rules, the files will be removed. Therefore, it is recommended to recover the files as soon as possible after accidental deletion.

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2. Using Other Options to Recover Deleted Files​

If the Recycle Bin was not enabled, the files in the Recycle Bin have been emptied, or an entire shared folder was accidentally deleted, you can attempt to recover using TerraMaster TOS system’s built-in tools: File System Snapshot | TerraMaster, Snapshot | TerraMaster, TerraSync | TerraMaster.

Note

All the above recovery methods rely on pre-configured snapshots or backup tasks. It is recommended to build a corresponding data protection strategy based on your usage needs and enhance your NAS security protection system. This is a key measure to safeguard your data security.

3. Remedial Recovery Methods When Protection Features Are Not Enabled​

If neither the Recycle Bin nor backup/snapshot features were enabled in advance, there is still a chance to recover the deleted files by following these steps. The key principle is to immediately stop any read/write operations on that NAS partition (such as creating files, uploading data, formatting, etc.), to prevent the deleted data from being overwritten by new data. After this, you can try to recover using the following methods:

1. Using Third-Party Data Recovery Software​

Choose professional data recovery software that is compatible with NAS storage, These tools can scan the NAS hard drive for residual data and recover deleted files.

2. Seeking Professional Data Recovery Services​

If the deleted files are extremely important and cannot be recovered using third-party software, you can choose to seek professional data recovery services. These institutions have specialized equipment and technology to extract data at the hardware level, allowing them to recover files that have been deleted or overwritten.

TerraMaster NAS provides a full-range data protection solution, from basic Recycle Bin to professional backups and snapshots. As long as you configure these features in advance, you can easily handle most file deletion situations. If unfortunately no protection is in place, using third-party tools or professional services in a timely manner still gives a high chance of recovering deleted files.