Deleted files from my geodatabase. Is there a way to recover them?

Question

Is it possible to recover files that have been [accidentally] deleted from my project's geodatabase- Not talking about a layer from the contents pane, unfortunately... I deleted the file and then closed the application (mid panic) in hopes that by not saving the project after that step, I would be able to recover the file. Mid panic though, I failed to consider that I also had not saved a few steps prior- by a few, I mean quite a few... Lesson being always save your steps, although still hopeful that I might somehow be able to retrieve the file? Please let me know!

DEAF_PROBERT_68 · Answer

Hey... See if you can recover it  through your Windows Exploerer  either in 10 or 11 and find the geodatabase where it was located.  In that folder,  right click there and in the Properties see if you have Previous Versions ?

RTPL_AU · Answer

@ElliottMcCowan

I hate those sneeze-deletes!  
My comment won't help you to recover data this round - Anything done in a FGDB outside an editing session can be assumed to be final.

Here are some thoughts to help prevent substantial impact when this happens again. It will happen. We are human.

Is your data on the local machine or on a network?
If local, use a proper backup tool that images your PC/laptop state incrementally every few minutes. Set it to match the volume of work you do.  Shadow Protect was a good one long ago and Veaam has a free version at the moment. Others exist.  Others don't include OneDrive/MyBestestCloudDrive4Eva.
The good tools allow you to recover individual files/folders easily, or do a bare metal restore if the laptop falls off the truck's roof at a Wendy's drive-through..
Best option is to have a 2nd SSD in the PC/laptop to use as destination. USB is an option but could affect overall performance while running a backup after a big data change.

I don't use local data. At all. Everything is on my servers.
File storage is set to snapshot every few min and these snapshots are available through Microsoft's Previous Versions menu in File Explorer. 
I break something > open a previous version > copy to a recovery folder > copy data back to main database > do work.

Data is also backed up to other machines/locations for DR but the you must have something you can access quickly without needing help from IT.

If you are US based, a TrueNAS Mini from IX Systems is a no brainer. 2 are better. Sync between them. 2 cost less than the impact of having to redo a client project without being able to charge anyone but yourself for the time. If you want it as part of a managed solution there are options like Lawrence Systems.

DanPatterson · Answer

upon reopening the project, where you prompted about a backup?

Save a project—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

your project and data are locally stored I presume?

addendum

Package Project (Data Management)—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

at critical steps either before or after