How to Recover Deleted Files Using Free Software
The computer ate my term paper! We’ve all been there. You delete an important file – perhaps even accidentally delete it (on Windows) – or forget about it until you empty your Trash or Trash for a split second. It’s gone forever, right?
Not really.
Before you summon the most epic of freaks, chances are very high that your file is still alive and working somewhere on your hard drive – you just need to know how to find it. With the right tools, you can recover this deleted file with just a few clicks.
Part I: Overview
Before going into full file recovery mode, take a second to double check the folder where you saved the file, as well as the recycle bin or trash can. Also think about your setup: do you have any backups stored elsewhere? Can an app like OneDrive , iCloud , Backblaze, or Google Backup and Sync automatically save everything you do to the cloud? If so, you can restore the latest (or slightly older) version of your file from there, instead of going through more complicated steps.
Otherwise, you will have to turn to a file recovery program for help.
1. Stop what you are doing
When your operating system deletes a file, all it really does is mark the hard disk space your file is occupying as free space. It is still there, but now your computer can write new data over it – at which point the process of recovering files becomes much more difficult. This means that you have to do as little computation as possible until you find the file you are looking for, as your chances of recovering the file are reduced every time your computer writes information to disk.
2. Find a suitable file recovery software.
Windows: You have many great free and free file recovery options if you are using Windows. We’re big fans of Recuva , which has both free and pro versions, but you should also consider EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard (2GB limitation for free version) and PhotoRec. Between these three apps, chances are good that you will be able to keep whatever you deleted and, yes, you will want to try different apps if one doesn’t find what you deleted. Do not give up!
Mac: You can also get a free version of EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac – the same 2GB limit as before, if you don’t prepay . Apart from this, PhotoRec is also available for Mac, as is the open source TestDisk tool. You can also try Disk Drill , although I believe it should be up and running before you delete the file (at least for the free version).
3. Recover your files
Once you have selected a tool, it’s time to scan your hard drive for lost files. This process depends on which application you are using, but it is very similar for all: just move the program to the hard drive or folder where the missing file was stored and run a scan. After the scan is complete, you will see a large list of messy filenames. Often, most of these files are nothing more than system files created by your operating system during basic operations, and you do not need to worry about them. You are just looking for the file type and name that match what you lost.
Once you find what you are looking for, select it and choose the recovery option, however you do it in each individual application. As mentioned, if you didn’t find anything in one app, try another – and another. Don’t give up until you’ve run out of some, because you can make it out of (early) failure if you persist.
Part 2: more specific problems
Above, you got a basic overview of recovering deleted files from your computer. We will now take a closer look at some of the more specific issues, data recovery techniques, and tools that can help you find your elusive lost data.
Recover files from a cleaned or unbootable hard drive
So you don’t just accidentally delete one or two files and empty the Trash prematurely – instead, you are dealing with missing data across your entire hard drive. First, you’ll want to stop using the drive, as we mentioned earlier. If your system’s primary drive has failed, stop trying to boot your computer. Remove the drive from your laptop or desktop computer (if you can), insert it into an external case, and use another computer to try to recover its precious contents. Many of the applications we mentioned earlier should work fine with your damaged or deleted drive.
If you can’t eject the disc or don’t have any other computers you can use (or borrow) to help, you can try using something like Active @ LiveCD , any other Live CD that comes with the TestDisk recovery tool. … You will boot to one of them, not your main hard drive, and hopefully you can restore your files that way.
(However, this is a perfect example of why it is so important for you to back up your important files elsewhere – ideally to the cloud , so all you have to lose in the event of a hard drive failure is the time it takes to buy a new one. disk., reinstall Windows, reinstall your apps, and re-download important stuff.)
Recover Lost Photos
If you need to recover photos from a damaged digital camera flash memory card, you will be happy to know that most of the applications listed in the first part above will do the job – you just need to plug in your camera or insert the card into your computer’s card reader. before launching any data recovery application. (I would try PhotoRec first and then other applications as needed.)
Assuming you haven’t lost your files due to some weird mechanical problem, the best way to be safe in the future is to make sure you import your photos as soon as you plug in your camera (or card reader). You can set this up on Windows or macOS directly, and there are tons of other apps like Dropbox or Google Backup and Sync that will happily send your files to the (more secure) cloud as soon as you connect your device. …
Recover Lost Word Documents
If the lost dissertation was saved as a Word document, you have some more interesting options for accessing your lost or deleted documents. Acronis has a great guide on the main ways Word lets you recover what you’ve accidentally deleted (or lost), just like Microsoft itself – definitely worth reading before you start to panic. And, as James Konik points out at Cloudwards :
“You can also try looking for files with the asd extension. These are temporary files that Word uses to store your work on the go, but before saving. If you can find them, Word can open and recover at least some of your lost data. “
Recover data from scratched CDs
Do people still use CD / DVD? If you’re in the minority – you still have access to an optical drive (built-in or external) on your computer – you have several options for recovering data from scratched, old, or other problematic CDs and DVDs. Above all, resist the urge to rub them with a banana . Yes, people do that.
If you are trying to copy data from an Audio CD, try the free Exact Audio Copy app. If that doesn’t work on your optical drive, try the same CD and app on a different optical drive – probably from a friend, as I doubt you have multiple drives. Otherwise, you can try the Live CD route again, boot into something like SystemRescueCD (on a flash drive) and use its built-in ddrescue tool to extract whatever you can from the scratched media.
Although it is almost ten years old at the moment, some people also think that Roadkil’s Unstoppable Copier is a great app for dumping the contents of your scratched disc. If that doesn’t work and you have no options, you can always try polishing your drive as best you can to see if that solves the problem. Some people have come up with different methods to resuscitate your scratched disc:
Part 3: Don’t Let It Happen Again
Whatever the reason for losing your file, the best data recovery method is a good proactive backup plan. If you’re on Windows , you have many options for making multiple copies of your critical data, ensuring that accidental deletion is more of a nuisance than a future disaster:
In macOS, Time Machine is your friend, as are iCloud backups. You can also use the same third-party services that Windows users can participate in:
Whichever you choose, make sure you choose something so that your data can be safely replicated elsewhere. I always recommend a three-pronged approach : keep a physical backup that you can easily access, such as a separate drive or external storage device, even if you update its contents in moderation (say once a month). Use a cloud backup tool or service – there are many free and cheap options available – to keep your most important files as well, even if you don’t update them regularly. Finally, pay for some kind of always -on backup service that syncs your work to the cloud, so even a quick oops (or shift-delete) will only cost you a few minutes to restore the file, not the hours you would otherwise spent on updating. your document or presentation.
This story was originally published on 6/10/08 and was updated on 7/29/19 to provide more complete and up-to-date information.