What Is an SVG File and How To Recover It

Website designers are likely very familiar with SVG file extension and their importance when setting up a quality webpage. Creating and optimizing these files can be pretty intricate and painstaking work and losing them to accidental deletion or data corruption can be a devastating blow. Don’t panic just yet, however, as there’s a good chance that you can get your files back.

In this guide, we’ll help you get a little bit more acquainted with SVG files, what they’re for, the way they’re created, and how to recover them in case you encounter data loss.

What is an SVG File?

SVG is short for scalable vector graphics and was introduced back in 2001. It’s a type of graphic file that’s primarily used for rendering 2-D files online. Unlike more common image formats, SVG files house images in the form of vectors, meaning they’re composed of several points, lines, curves, and other shapes that are put together using math equations. 

One of the reasons why it’s so often used in website design is its ability to dynamically scale without losing image quality, allowing it to remain crisp and clear no matter what screen size or device you view it on. Furthermore, they boast a smaller file size than more conventional file types, can be easily modified, support certain types of animations, and are programmable.

How to create an SVG file?

You can actually create and edit SVG files through Notepad or a similar text editor completely through code, though you’ll have to be very well-versed in the file type and graphic design as a whole. More common programs used to create SVG files are Adobe Illustrator and Sketch, perhaps Inkscape if you’re looking for a free tool.

How To Recover Deleted SVG Files

As you may have surmised by now, creating SVG files can take a lot of time and effort whether it’s for work or a personal project, which makes accidentally deleting these files or losing them to hardware failure that much more painful. 

On the plus side, retrieving missing or deleted files isn’t as difficult as you think as long as you know what you’re doing. Just keep in mind that some of the recovery methods only work for specific data loss scenarios and may require you to have a specific tool enabled in order for them to work.

How To Recover SVG Files With Software

Utilizing an effective data recovery solution allows you to retrieve information from a wide range of data loss scenarios, making it the go-to method for rescuing missing files. Disk Drill is one of the better apps available for the job, thanks to its combination of a user-friendly interface, impressive recovery rate, and useful extra features. 

It comes with some excellent data protection and backup tools, along with the ability to resume a previous recovery session at any time. Plus, there’s a free version of Disk Drill that gives you access to all the features and a 500MB recovery allowance. Follow the steps below to rescue your SVG files with the app:

1. Download the installation file from the official Disk Drill website.
   
2. Run the downloaded file and follow the installation wizard until it’s successfully completed.
   
3. Launch Disk Drill, select the storage medium you want to recover SVG files from, and click the Search for lost data button.
   
4. The scanning process will now begin. This could take a while depending on how large your storage medium is and how quickly your computer can read information from it. While waiting, you can click any of the category icons shown on-screen and you’ll be taken to the results page where you can browse any recoverable files that have been unearthed so far.
   
5. Once you get to the results page, you’ll find your SVG files in the All Files section since Disk Drill is unable to place the file type into one of its categories. Highlight your files by ticking the checkbox on the left of the file name, then click the Recover button to get to the next step.
   
6. A pop-up will appear asking you to choose the destination path for your recovered files. This location must be on a different storage medium than the one you’re recovering from, so as to avoid any overwriting issues that might arise. Click OK when you’re ready.
   
7. Disk Drill will now finalize the recovery process and you’ll be greeted with a button labeled Show recovered data in Explorer once it’s finished. Click the button if you want to head straight to the folder where your recovered files are saved.
   

Recover SVG from Windows Recycle Bin or Mac Trash

Windows Recycle Bin

If you’re lucky enough to have deleted your SVG files using the Delete key on your keyboard or the right-click > Delete command, then you can easily recover the data from inside your Windows Recycle Bin since those files don’t just disappear. However, if you happen to use the Shift + Delete command, then you’ll have to resort to using a data recovery program instead. Here are the instructions to recover deleted files from your Recycle Bin:

1. Find and open the Recycle Bin tool from your Windows desktop, or fire up the Run command window by pressing the Windows + R keys, then type in “shell:recyclebinfolder” and hit Enter.
   
2. If your SVG files are located here, highlight the ones you want to get back, then right-click and choose the Restore option.
   
3. This will return your files to the folders they were in before being deleted.

Mac Trash

Restoring files from the Mac Trash is even simpler than the Windows alternative since ALL deleted files are first sent to the trash before being erased and they’ll remain there unless you set the tool to automatically empty itself every so often. This is how you can recover files from the Mac Trash:

1. Locate and open the Trash tool on the far-right corner of the dock.
   
2. If your files are there, highlight all of the ones you want to recover, then right-click and choose the Put Back option.
   
3. Your files will now be restored to their original location prior to deletion.

Restore from File History

File History is a really handy tool that’s available in later versions of the Windows operating system. It allows you to recover past versions of files that are saved in specific folders. You can configure the feature to create backups at designated intervals which is perfect for keeping your files and folders safe and if you ever find yourself having to roll back files to their previous versions. Keep in mind, though, that the tool cannot be used to recover unsaved information.

Furthermore, you need to make sure that File History is enabled before you lose your data, or else it won’t be able to help you in retrieving it and it has to be located in one of the folders that the feature safeguards. You’ll also need a second storage medium for the backups to be saved on. To recover files from File History, follow these instructions:

1. Pull up the search bar along your taskbar and search “Control Panel”. Select the top result.
   
2. Click on System and Security followed by the File History link.
   
3. On the left side of the page, you’ll find the Restore personal files link. Click on it.
   
4. Head to the folder where your SVG files were located, then highlight all the files you want to recover. From there, simply click the rounded green arrow along the bottom of the window and your files will be restored.