30 Jun 10 Formatted, Lost And Deleted Files Recovery

Trying to recover important data from your computer after accidental deletion/loss is something that everybody experiences at some stage or another. This article focuses on deleted, formatted and lost files recovery options.

Lost File Recovery: If the file is simply mislaid then search the full drive for the file name/type/text. Try using Google Desktop or Microsoft Search if you have these installed as they index all files on your computer. Be sure to also check the recycle bin, just in case. If the file is not found then file recovery software can scan the hard drives for data clusters of lost/de-indexed files.

As some background information, each file that you use is stored to the hard in data clusters that are stored around the disk. The File Allocation Table (FAT) stores the association between your own file (how you perceive the file) and the numerous data clusters (how the system stores the file’s data to disk). Deletion or loss of files may remove the index/association from the FAT but the data clusters may still be available on the drive.

Deleted Files Recovery: The starting point of deleted files recovery is the recycle bin. If files are present then simply restore them (right-click the file and choose ‘restore’). If the bin has been emptied then the FAT index for these files has been flagged in such a way so that the associated data clusters are available for use (in writing out more data). File recovery software should be able to scan and identify files from the data clusters, though the success rate diminishes with more computer use.

Formatted Drive Data Recovery: Formatting a drive is analogous to file deletion – the FAT index is flagged but the data clusters remain. Only when the formatting application uses recursive passes to wipe evidence (overwriting clusters) will your data be truly lost. As with mechanical damage to a computer, a data recovery expert may be able to complete PC repairs and reassemble some of the formatted data.

Tags: deleted files recovery, file recovery, file recovery software, files recovery, lost file recovery