Is it Really Possible to Recover Deleted Items?
If you have deleted an important file, you may have heard that it's possible to recover it. Sound too good to be true? The good news is that it is possible to recover deleted items – if you act quickly and appropriately.
First, in order to recover deleted items, the deleted file must still be intact. You have a short period of time in order to do this which is why you must act fast and do the right things.
When a file is deleted, it isn't erased immediately. You can no longer see it because Windows has removed it from view and has given the system the okay to overwrite the file when space is needed.
This means two things:
- The file can be recovered with the right tools
- The file can be overwritten with new data
To recover deleted items, you will need the right tools and you will need to make sure that no new data overwrites the deleted files.
Make sure that you take the necessary precautions so that the data does not get overwritten. Do not download anything to the drive where the original file resided. Do not install a new program. Do not save new documents. Disconnect from the Internet so that automatic updates don't download without your knowledge.
Once your disk drive is secured, get a copy of a reliable data recovery utility. These utilities make it possible to recover deleted items on your own. They use special algorithms and search your disk for deleted files. Because installing a utility to your drive could put your deleted data at risk, look for a data recovery tool that boots directly from floppy disk or CD.
The type of file you need to recover will dictate the type of data recovery software you need. For example, some utilities can recover deleted items from hard disks, CDs, DVDs, and removable storage devices while others specialize in reconstructing RAIDs. In addition, you can recover deleted items from digital cameras, MP3 players, and SmartCards with the right data recovery software.
If you aren't the do-it-yourself type, you can send your disk to a data recovery service who will recover deleted items for you. These companies will cost you much more than data recovery software. Plus, you will need to get the device to them. It may be more of a do-it-yourself job than you are willing to do. After all, you will have to open the computer case, carefully pull out the hard disk, package the hard disk securely using approved packaging, and ship it to the data recovery service. Unless your hard disk is physically damaged and making odd mechanical noises, you'll probably find that using data recovery software to recover deleted items is much easier.
Because of the way Windows treats deleted files and the data recovery tools that are readily available to the average computer users, it is possible to recover deleted items – and easier than you think!
