Lost all my photos...any suggestions?

[0ptics]

Hey guys
I took my D7100 out yesterday for my friend's graduation and once I got home I opened them in Nikon ViewNX. I was viewing the photos and decided to delete some and when I clicked on the next D7100 folder my computer lagged and rather than deleting the first photo of the folder, I deleted the entire folder...I'm extreme frustrated at myself and was wondering if there are any ways to recover my RAW/NEF files.
I found some recover program off google and currently waiting for them to finish. The ones I am currently usign are Asoftech Data Recovery, Flash File Recovery, and EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. I downloaded iCare Data Recovery Standard, but didn't not seem to work very well. Are recovery programs the only way? There's no way to do it through my recycle bin (I check it, but it said 0 files...)? Are there any recovery programs that are free and recover D7100 NEF files?
I am using a windows PC
It would mean so much if I could get these photos again...
Thank you all!!!

 

[480sparky]

I use R-Studio64.


Did you delete the file from the computer, or from the memory card?

 

[0ptics]

From my memory card, BUT someone told me about the program, Recuva, which worked very well! So thankfully I got my pictures recovered :]

 

[Light Guru]

In the future ALWAYS copy your images to the computer before you start doing anything with them.

 

[480sparky]

In the future ALWAYS copy your images to the computer before you start doing anything with them.

To at least two separate drives.

I always ingest to two drives and use one drive (labeled "Virgin Downloads") that I never venture into unless I absolutely need to. I can easily go back 2-3 years and pull out any image I've taken. A pure, unedited .NEF file.

 

[timor]

Nothing was deleted from your card, only file allocation table. Recovery should be easy with R-studio stuff.

 

[Braineack]

could have hit ctrl-z.