Article Advise

submitted: Jun 29th 2008 | by: KayBrener | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 552 | |

For any Windows newbie, emptying the recycle bin means the complete loss of the files stored there for deletion, sometimes followed by accidental loss of critical data. As we will see, this is not always the case.

When a file is deleted or the recycle bin is emptied, Windows does not actually delete the data from the hard drive. Instead, Windows marks the data as no longer needed and, therefore, ready to be overwritten when the occasion arises. This makes the data unreadable for the user, but still in reach of specific data recovery programs. And here is the good news! As long as it is not overwritten, the data is not lost and it can be recovered.

Finders, Keepers

Let's start with the basics. First, we have the problem: a file is missing in action and you do not know whether you have deleted it or renamed it or whatever. If you decide right on the spot that you need to spend some money on an expensive recovery program, stop right there. Here is the first thing you need to do.

Firstly, if you think you may have deleted it, don't run any programs or services that write data to your hard drive. Remember when I said deleted files will eventually get overwritten given enough time? Well, this is why it's wise not to provoke Windows into doing any data output to your hard disk while your file is still on a milk carton.

Now it is the time to search the file through the most convenient method: Windows Search. Write down the whole name of the file, or, if you cannot remember it, at least a part of it. If successful, don't forget to create a backup of your lost and found file, by saving it on an USB pen drive or e-mailing it to yourself.

No Dice: Another Method

So, you've scoured your hard drive with Windows Search and have come up empty. It may be time to bring in the big guns. If you query Google, you'll find scads of file recovery utilities, alongside the supposedly more reputable pay-before-you-own programs. One example, FreeUndelete, may be just what you need to get your file back; it's interface is clean, simple, easy to use, and it's clean from the nasty, groping tendrils of spyware and adware!

Resurrection After Reformatting

Have you ever accidentally reformatted your hard drive? What a nightmare, I know, but how does one recover their data from such a catastrophe? This scenario requires a little more muscle than a simple data recovery utility provides. QueTek offers a solution called File Scavenger for $49 USD, which is a lot cheaper than many of the other recovery solutions on the market; File Scavenger also offers most of the features of its more expensive competition.

Recovery Of A Near Dead Hard Drive

Is scan disk showing you bad clusters? Do you get any strange errors when you try to save data on your hard drive? Is Windows behaving erratically? Those are the signs of a hard drive living its last moments. Don't waste time! Backup! Backup everything you think you may need from it! Make copies on another hard drive or write down important data on USB pen drives or even CD-R's or DVD's. This will save you, and your precious data, as well.

About the Author

Kay Brenner is a Windows crash expert who restores slow PCs, saving you time and money wrestling with a sick computer. To learn how to avoid computer problems, download a free PC Health Check

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