Deleted Files from other Hard Disk in Recycle Bin is lost after install fresh Windows 7

Yesterday, I just reinstall fresh windows 7. After I install the OS, I just realize that my recycle bin is empty. Before I installed windows 7, some of my deleted files on my other hard disk is there. But now, I could not find it anymore. After that, I tried to select show hidden folder, files, and drives and unsellect hide protected operating system files on folder options. I try to browse to one of my hard disk, which has the deleted files on recycle bin before, then I found it the recycle bin icon there as well (For instance, the path of the drive is: N:\$RECYCLE.BIN). I tried to look at the properties, and I found that the missing size of the deleted files was on there. The problem is I cannot access it. When I tried to open the recycle bin, it just empty. I need some help with this. How do I retrieve the files again to the OS recycle bin, not the hard disk recycle bin? Is it possible to access it again? I really need those files back.

For your information, I use only one drive for system drive (I never do partition for the system drive). All my other files are on different drives.

Why did you put important files in the recycle bin?

For the meantime, yes. The recycle bin contains some of my backup files

Hi

When you re-installed Windows it created a new recycle bin, my guess is that there is no way to retrieve the old one.

Your only shot may be that when you re-installed it sometimes creates a folder called Windows old, or something like that there's a slim chance that the files would still be in there.

Mike

When you reinstall, you start with a clean slate. That's what you have now and history is gone for good. A forensic lab may be able to retrieve them, but be prepared to pay big bucks.

How can I Recover Deleted Recycle Bin Files? might be of help

The files is still there. I just cannot access it

To recover lost, inaccessible and permanently deleted files from Windows partitions, there are several free tools available but they don’t provide guarantee to success in every case. Kernel for Windows is a robust third party software that efficiently retrieves lost, deleted, damaged and inaccessible data from Windows partitions having FAT & NTFS file systems.