5 Free Tools to Recover Deleted Files

I just had to say I liked this one on lost files, and how to recover. I read all your suggestions and love your site Bob.TNX WA9FWT

You conclude, "Oh, and did I mention that if you backup your hard drive, you won't need ANY of these tools?" Certainly a good backup practice will minimize the problems, and may avoid them completely. But a file can also be lost before the next scheduled backup, even if you back up important folders every few minutes. So a good recovery program could still be useful.

Oops! I didn't intend to post my comment quite yet. I was about to add that I wish something like Testdisk had been available mid-2002. Keep up the good work.

People from Brooklyn do not speak strangely. You're thinking of films made in the '40s. :-P

Good column today.

The biggest problem I have losing files is when I open an attachment to an Outlook email (e.g an excel file), do some changes, click "save", rather than "save as" to where the file should be saved (and I can find it again). Instead the default saves it to some temp internet file with a name like "OLK6882". I have looked for this and can never find it.

Thanks Bob another fine article, but one question
What about SSD Hard Drives, with TRIM command;

Extracts from Internet....

"The TRIM command causes the SSD controller to physically clear data blocks that were used to store deleted files" --> "the controller will receive a command the very moment you delete a file"

BUT

"Older versions of Windows (before Vista) do not support TRIM"

AND

"TRIM is not supported over USB and FireWire protocols, so your external SSD’s can be recovered"

SSD's are the best HDD, but there is always a negative with any performance gain..

The first step to recover a file is to use the folder toolbar/edit and use the 'undelete' option.

Have used Recuva [with an English accent] in anger and recovered deleted files.

******
To Tom Plain:

You should be able to go back to the original email and open the attached file again, which should be the saved version.

If you have deleted the email, try 'saving' another attachment file and you may see your lost file in the menu.

Another really good article Bob, loads of info and directions to make life easy. I have a paid for Outlook Express program that will either backup or restore from a previous backup. It has saved my bacon so many times that I have lost count. As I can backup at any time I have been able to archive all my Outlook info every month and have found it very handy when wanting to look up some email that I sent 12 months ago.

Tom Plain: The "OLKxxxx" folder is a temporary location, and is hidden probably somewhere under AppData/Local/Temp, depending on Windows and Office versions.
My wife often does the same thing - edits documents attached to emails, and I suppose, expects the saved document to go back into the same email. As you note, it doesn't - though MS Office 2010 seems to know you shouldn't do that. That version of MS Office makes you 'Save as' somewhere more reasonable.
So, although I hate to blame the user, don't do that! Save attachments somewhere before editing them.
Or (if you trust the 'cloud') store your documents there and just send links instead of attachments. That will work because the document isn't really in the email.
-bb

Tom Plain,

>>>> I have looked for this and can never find it.

You can find the file easily by searching your system disk for all files created at a timeframe that includes the estimated time you modified the attached file.

Terrific! And I am most grateful. I had just -- accidentally, of course -- deleted all the files from an important folder on a USB drive, but only RECUVA identified them. Unless I was doing something wrong -- not impossible -- the others would / could not search my USB drives.

I suggest you take the help of Remo recovery application, its an effective software and is also a free tool, which is capable of recovering deleted files.

I'm from Brooklyn. I don't speak that way and none of my acquaintances, relatives, friend, or neighbors do. Please don't offend your readers.

Thanks Bob, for a great article, on a topic that will affect so many computer users!!!

Listen, I can get very "brainless" at times and will delete an important file, before I realize it. If, it is only in the Recycle Bin, I can easily retrieve it, but, should the file be deleted from the Recycle Bin, then I am in trouble.

While, I don't have company business files, on my PC ... I do have a lot of personal business on my PC. Things like Lease Agreements, confirmation of payment of bills, insurance information, so on and so forth. These kinds of files are exceedly important to me and my Hubby. Some may say, why not have a paper copy in a safe, secure place? I prefer, to not have lots of paper copies. Keeping them on my computer is the best way, and when, I need a copy, my printer can do it.

Thanks for recommending GlarySoft. I happen to love their products and did not know that, there was a Recovery File program, from them. I have downloaded it and love that it is FREE!!! GlarySoft really does, have a lot of Free Versions that work great. Plus, Glary's FilePuma is safe, without any foistware on their downloads.

I also, downloaded Piriform Recuva. I also, trust Piriform products, having used CCleaner for years, without any problems. I now have the Pro version of CCleaner. Just so I can have the capabilities of doing "automatic cleanings", that can not be done with the Free Version.

Again, thank you for doing the research for your readers, Bob.

Actually, could anyone recommend me the software which recovers the data from ExFAT drives and verify disk permissions as well in Mac?