I have just done a completely stupid thing. I was sorting through my computer, transferring new files to my laptop via home network. after I did this, i decided to clean up my computer by deleting unneeded stuff. I transferred my Karaoke colleection to Laptop as I use that for my gigs. Now i had all these windows open, and as i was deleting what I "Thought" was files on computer, I was in fact deleting from the laptop "Via" the Main computer. The files i accidently deleted are not on the Main pc, so I cannot retrieve them. None of the files were too big for recycle bin, but I cannot find the deleted files in neither my main pc or the Laptop. Does anyone know how to find the files I deleted, when they are in neither pc's bin. I understood that everything stays in the bin until I empty it. I have not done this. Where do files go if you delete them via another pc on the network? I so hope I havn't lost them. Thanks for looking. Yodadude.

Your post isn't very clear so I will just give you my guess. If you are absolutely sure you cannot find them on both the desktop & laptop using Windows Explorer, they are gone by your transferring them to some destination other than the laptop. Trasnsferred files do not go into the recycle bin. Deleted files don't always go there either, depending on how you invoked the delete command. i_XpUser

use WinHex to restore the files: http://www.x-ways.net/winhex/ the finest in computer forensics! Today's subliminal thought is: 'Calm down ... it's only ones and zeros.'

Lol, my apologies xpuser, I'll try to explain.... Thanks mattie I'll try that. On my laptop, were folders a,b,c,d. From my main pc, I transfered some new folders e,f,g, to my laptop. I then decided to clean my main pc, and deleted folders a,b and c. I then realised I was not deleting a,b,c from from my main pc, but in fact deleting them from the laptop, "from" the main pc. I looked in my laptops recycle bin to see if a,b,c was deleted to there, but alas no joy. So I looked in my main pc's recycle bin to see if they were deleted to there instead (although my guess would to delete 23 gig of karaoke to another pc's recycle bin would take a long time through a network lol.). I must admit, now the panic has set in, I seem to remember backing up these files to another hard drive, and will be looking to see if I was in fact, a good boy. Many thanks for the help, but I suppose it interesting to know deleting files via a network does a proper delete, and not a send to the recycle bin. Could be something for Micro$oft to fix for the future.

First a little tutor for you if you don't mind it :-) 1. Recycle bin do not always pick up deleted files. THIS MSKB explain about the Recycle Bin switch that you may set and forgot all about. 2. Another way that files automatically bypass the recycle bin is when you press the [Shift] key while deleting files or folders or a combination thereof. Now with respect to your clarification: you have in effect deleted folders a,b, and c from the laptop, not desktop. If you deleted them from the desktop, they just get deleted without ending up in the desktop or laptop recycle bin. This is known as virtual deletion of files. By any chance do you have backup? Lastly I don't believe this is a reason for M$ to fix. We all know that what you have done is very risky routine. It is a route that no one should pursue ... unless you are absolutely sure you know what you are doing (as if you were a surgeon doing emergency organ transplant with no assistants available). i_XpUser

I am sure I have a backup, I will find out tomorrow when I retrieve my backup drive. Not too sure about micro$oft not "feeling" obliged to fix. You posted a comment about micr$oft telling us we were sad to use xp lol, when I read that articale, someone posted a comment on that site about the assumption of SAU's lol. I am no expert with pc's lol, but I sure understand them, but I reckon every one of us will learn something new about our beloved computers. I for 1 learned about this "virtual" deletion, which I definately agree was new to me. but a lesson I hope to have learned from without too much problems lol. I would also believe to produce a manual about pc's in's and out's would be an invaluable book, but we all also know this book would be bigger than the entire oxford encyclopedia hehe. That is why this site and all your members who help are the most invaluable guide on the internet for any of us users. Many thanks for the help. I shall keep this new information in mind next time I stupidly delete something I didn't want to delete lol.

Deleting over a network usualy does just that. It deletes without using the recycle bin. It's a very easy thing to do, I have done it myself. Kinda reminds me of when i did a format c:/s/f on a friends system instead of format d:/s/f annoying as I okayed the warning :/ Woof Always proof-read carefully to see if you any words out.