Any computer user can find themselves performing the undelete process on their system to recover lost files. It happens all of the time because nobody is perfect. It's so easy for anyone to get distracted and accidentally delete an important file. I know plenty of people who've done this, including me.
Here is the most important thing to remember: Undeleting files has a very high probability of success, but it depends on whether some other data has overwritten the file you need to recover. Running undelete or getting a recovery expert is the only ways to find out.
You may be wondering why you just can't you just look inside the recycle bin on your desktop and use the search function in the start menu? You can try this technique first to see if it does the trick. If you have already tried this and were unsuccessful, there are two more options: An undelete utility and file recovery services. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but software is where you want to begin.
How to get back your data
In order to recover deleted files on your computer, the following conditions must be in place: The lost file must still exist in the directory. The sectors that were used by the deleted file must not be overwritten yet. The file must not have been fragmented.
Directory: If you want to recover your files, the deleted file should still be available in the directory. In other words the undelete process requires that the lost data you are recovering not bee overwritten by new or different data created in the same directory.
Sector: In addition to the directory, it is important that sectors themselves, where the original, lost file was located, not be overwritten with a new file.
Fragmented files: If you really want to succeed with the undelete process, the file you are recovering should not have been fragmented since it was deleted. The sectors of the disk which once held your data must maintain it's sequential order, undisturbed and not fragmented.
You can recover your lost files
Files that were accidentally deleted can usually be recovered without problems, but you need to move quickly before another file is saved in its place. If this happens, there is nothing you can do to correct it. Don't wait a minute longer - take action now and begin downloading and using undelete software, or contact a disk expert. These two methods are the only way to know for sure if your lost data can be recovered.
Lost an important document after a system crash? Spouse emptied your Recycle Bin full of important stuff? Deleted a file by an accident? Don't panic! The data isn't lost when you delete a file. Instead, it is stored on the surface of your hard disk until the moment some other file takes its space. Winch means that you can get your work back if you use appropriate tools. But don't wait! Windows writes something to the hard disks all the time, and every disk write reduces your chances of successful recovery. Act now to improve your chances of successfully recovering the deleted files!
Undelete Wizard is probably the easiest way to just without having to consider variables such as Windows version or the file system used. Stop! Don't download the file just yet! Remember what I said in the beginning about write operations reducing your chances of successful undelete? That's right, downloading and installing a data recovery tool can wipe off the contents of the deleted files!
Is that a paradox? How can you use software to undelete files without downloading and installing it? Easy: just use another disk, drive, partition or even a flash memory card to save the download and to install the file undelete tool! With a separate drive is involved, you'll minimize any additional damage to the deleted data, and maximize the chance to successfully undelete files. Now, you are ready to get the Undelete Wizard and install it onto a separate drive or partition.
Are you qualified to undelete files yourself? You most certainly are! Undelete Wizard can be used by novice and professional computer users, offering the same level of automation and quality in locating and recovering the deleted files.
Wait a minute? Locating? Why? I know for sure where my files were! Unfortunately, it's not as simple as it seems. While you don't notice any complexity when using Undelete Wizard to undelete files, and all things happen completely automatically, a great deal of work happens under the hood. Undelete Wizard scans the file system that may still contain information about the deleted files, and then it scans the surface of your hard disk to locate the place on the hard drive where the file's data is actually located. Even if the deleted file is days old, even if there's no track of it in the file system, Undelete Wizard can still successfully locate, reconstruct and recover many types of office documents (think Word, Excel, PowerPoint), digital images and ZIP and RAR archives. You can preview the deleted files before recovering them to make sure you are about to restore the correct version, and that the file is still intact with no corruption.
Undelete Wizard can successfully and undelete data in most difficult cases. Don't take my word on it! Even if you don't have a specific file you want to recover, download and install Wizard just in case you need it later. Once a file is gone, you'd better act fast and be armed!