How do I retrieve an activity deleted by mistake

What is your device model?

Scroll down under History (if I remember correctly) and you'll find something like Transfer All, Select that and that will resend everything in your history - doesn't duplicate already uploaded stuff. Alternatively, uploaded activities are stored on your computer - you'll find the location in the forum somewhere - and manually upload the activity from there.

Yes, that sounds right. Not wanting to dig my 205 or 305 out of the rubbish in my garage. Although, I did a quick search and someone mentioned that the 305 didn't have "transfer all," but I'm not sure that is accurate.

Scroll down under History (if I remember correctly) and you'll find something like Transfer All, Select that and that will resend everything in your history - doesn't duplicate already uploaded stuff. Alternatively, uploaded activities are stored on your computer - you'll find the location in the forum somewhere - and manually upload the activity from there.

Where is this "History" I should scroll down under. I don't see anything that looks like it might be what you are talking about.

Nor can I find anything on my computer -- not that I know where to look or can find it in the forum. Knowing just what to search for would help!

Besides, I thought the whole idea of making us use the website was so we *wouldn't* have it on our computers & they wouldn't have to support that capability.

Transfer All, or its equivalent will be on the device itself. I think it's under History, but it's under wherever you get to look at your activities on the device. Step through the menus and have a look for yourself. You'll soon see something that is suggestive of being able to transfer everything. Might be Force Transfer. It's such a long time ago.

As for having files on a computer. When the FR305 came out GC was very rudimentary and we all used GARMIN Training Centre on our computers. Now we have GC on the interweb. If you're happy devolving everything to the interweb, all well and good. Personally, I like to keep my recorded activities somewhere under my control. Until recently, most devices automatically kept copies of recorded activities on a computer. Think of it as a form of backup. Now, with the 920, I run a script every time I charge my 920 to remove the activities and save them somewhere safe as well as having them uploaded to the GC.

You might find something useful in the manual - http://static.garmin.com/pumac/984_OwnersManual.pdf

Besides, I thought the whole idea of making us use the website was so we *wouldn't* have it on our computers & they wouldn't have to support that capability.

Sure, and if you as the user (erroneously, inadvertently, deliberately or otherwise) delete an activity, the whole idea is that it would be gone – so there is no need to make provisions for retrieving deleted activities, especially since the only person that would possibly be negatively impacted by accidental deletion is the user himself.

Reserved STOP

Mac or Windows?

To find the history folder:

On Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10
C:\Users\<user ID>\AppData\Roaming\GARMIN\Devices\<device ID>\History.

Also did you try the "Transfer All," as suggested?

Hope that helps.

Windows 10.
That "devices" folder is empty, even if a device is connected. (I have 3 devices in all)
What filename (or extension) would it be, anyway?

Where is this "transfer all" you suggest?
Somewhere in the Connect page?
On the device?

I know, you're not supposed to make a mistake in the first place, but it ought to be easier to recover from it!

I am not familiar with that device.

But when connected to the PC open explorer. And you will find an external drive. It might be labeled as USB drive or labeled with the name of the device.

Then open the Garmin folder, then Activities. Look for the activity. With my Edge 500 the date is in the name. In VAHR the file date identfies the date.

Then download it and manually upload it to connect.