Can files deleted but not erased during "Reset PC" be recovered?

Question

After doing "RESET PC" and opting to delete personal files but not to erase them, can the deleted files be recovered?

Answer 1

If the files are not in C:\Windows.old\, and you do not have a disk image backup (always a good idea) or data backup, then the only possibility is to try to recover them using data recovery software, or a commercial (likely expensive) data recovery service.

First, do not save anything to the HDD before attempting data recovery, since files just marked as deleted would get overwritten. Shut down the PC without hibernation or Fast Startup (because they save a few GB to the HDD) and use a rescue disk to try to get back data. Free recovery software such as EaseUS data Recovery Wizard, Recuva and other alternatives can sometimes get back files that have been marked as deleted, though rebuilding the linked list of sectors can be problematic. See the answer by @harrymc on NTFS recovery. My own experience is that most files cannot be recovered.