HDD Data Recovery Tools - PC Inspector File Recovery

     PC Inspector File Recovery - quite simple but, most importantly, a completely free tool to recover data on hard and floppy disks. It can take advantage of everyone by downloading the program from the developer's site (www.pcinspector.de). The effectiveness of a medium - on the one hand, claimed opportunities to restore lost files, support for all file systems Windows; the other - in practice, the work program is working as it half-heartedly - restores something, and something can not see the "point-blank" . Given the fact that its developers also offer paid services to restore the lost information, it seems that the possibility of free PC Inspector File Recovery is intentionally flawed - otherwise who then there will be traded on a fee basis? ..

     In the PC Inspector File Recovery, are organized three major search engine and recover lost data. When the program starts immediately you are asked to choose one of the ways of further work (Fig. 1): Recover deleted files - restore deleted files in a standard way the OS, bypassing the recycle bin Windows, of course; Find lost data - recovery of lost information due to file system damage or formatted disks - one of the most popular tools; Find lost drive - search logical drives that are invisible to the operating system, and restore them. The latter option can be used if the logical drive containing the information deleted, that is missing from the partition table, and do not see the OS - in truth, it means in the PC Inspector File Recovery shows a very low efficiency.

(Fig. 1)

     When you choose one of the ways below to restore the program first scans your system, and then offers mext window, from which to select a logical drive that contains information of interest to recover. And if you select Find lost data or Find lost drive in the logical drive in the tab list, there are two logical drives, repeating each other (Fig. 2), which sometimes can be confusing. The first is the list of logical drives for each physical disk «on fixed disk ...», and then a list of logical drives, indicated by letter - just as they are seen by Windows. In general, the first and second lists often repeat each other, especially if the system has only one disk. If your computer has more HDD's, then the order of the sections for the individual drives in Windows, the list of symbols and logical drives will already be different - depending on the way in which, say, the sections were selected active in partitioning hard drives. If the hard disk has lost logical drives, then they can only be displayed in the list shown to the physical device («on fixed disk ...»). Information on the amount of detected hard disks and partitions can be seen in the tab Physical drive.

(Fig. 2)

     If the method of recovery was given, and a list of the logical drives in front of you, then further reduced to the user the choice to drive from one of the lists, which should contain the data of interest to him. When you double-click on it with your mouse starts scanning the selected logical drive, the time is determined by the size of the disk and the power of the computer - the process usually takes 10 to 30 minutes. After scanning window pops PC Inspector File Recovery, which displays the information available for recovery. If was used the mode Recover deleted files, then the data will be found in the Deleted folder in the PC Inspector File Recovery. When restoring by modes Find lost data or Find lost drive found to restore the data will be displayed in folders or Lost Root respectively. Usually the names of the directories in the root of the restored disk will not be saved and replaced with the name of the program such as cluster ... (Fig. 3), and the names of the subdirectories and files, usually retain their original names.

(Fig. 3)

     To save the files and directories you are interested, is enough to click on the right mouse button on a name in the right window of PC Inspector File Recovery, and then, after selecting the Save to, in the context menu the location of the object being restored (Fig. 4). There is no guarantee that, after going through all the steps and even maintain the appearance of the file on disk, it will then open correctly or work. It is also necessary to note that often the search and recovery of information in the root folder of Root, Deleted, Lost, Windows PC Inspector File Recovery does not appear pre-existing files with the name of the type cluster ... with unrealistic size, extension and creation dates.

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HDD Data Recovery Tools (List of Software)

     Usually, all the operational information on any user's computer is stored on the hard drives. By themselves, the data on the hard disk are not protected from the action of any other programs or from accidental or deliberate user commands or by hardware failures that can lead to destructive consequences. As a result, valuable information may be lost due to random failures of programs, actions of viruses, user errors, or deliberate destruction by an attacker. What time does the estimated lost data - each defines for himself. This can often exceed the cost of the entire computer's worth and hard work.

     What if somehow you lost valuable files from HDD, or its logical drives all formatted or even deleted? Many believe that the data is lost forever. But it is not. Consider the most typical cases.

     How does deleting a file in the DOS or Windows operating systems using standard (passing, of course, shopping cart)? Although remote file and disappears from sight, but in fact the data on it is not immediately destroyed. Let's say you are removing, say, a file of several hundred megabytes - and it happens almost instantaneously, which could not possibly have happened if the operating system will be overwritten by all the clusters of the file. The operating system is simply renames the deleted file, adding a special label in the beginning of the name. The file is no longer visible - it is marked as deleted, but the information remains in the same place on your hard disk.

     An important addition: although the deleted file remains in the same place on the hard drive, but now it is the space available for recording new data on the first request, without any reservations. That is, if the record of this deleted file has occurred, previous data is lost forever. If nothing has been recorded, the deleted file is still possible to recover by using special software.

     Looks similar situation when formatting a drive. Simple formatting re-creates the file allocation table, which is now stated that the entire surface of the disk is empty. However, the previously existing data will not be erased intentionally and remain in their places. If in their place after formatting were not recorded new data, then disappeared in the process of creating a new format files can still be recovered using special software. The same happens when you delete and create logical partitions - create a new partition table, the new drives are considered empty, but most of the old information remains on their own place, but now it can not be accessed using standard OS. The exception is the so-called low-level format: while the entire surface of the hard drive is reset, data disappears forever.

     As can be seen, re-entry in the event of data loss is much more dangerous than even formatting the disk. Therefore, if it became clear that the data is still lost, in any case you can not write anything on the same disc, or better yet turn it off as long as no special tools will be developed for search and recovery. Particularly vulnerable in this is the system disk C. The operating system is constantly making official records on the system drive, randomly selecting the available recording space and erasing these deleted files. Important information in any case should not be stored on the C drive, while Microsoft has for some reason the default folder "My Documents" is always on the disc.

     If trouble came - you lost files, the logical drive format is not defined, a disk reformat, or deleted logical partitions - no need to panic. Chances are that valuable information can still recover. As mentioned above, for the complete destruction of the data would have to be systematically screw up the entire surface of the hard drive. Usually viruses are faster and produce only superficial damage. In the case of hardware or software failures, if the hard drive is physically operational, often is damaged FAT, but clusters remains intact.

     The data on the hard drive can be recovered using special tools that scan the surface, defining the logical structure and format partitions, seek out and retrieve lost files. Of course, the absolute guarantee can not be here, but in most cases in a timely and correct approach, it is possible to restore much of the lost information. Recovery program is always best to start with a different physical disk, and in any case does not make any entries on the disk with the lost information.

Here is a list of Tools for Data Recovery, click on one of them to read more about:

1. PC Inspector File Recovery
2. Ontrack Easy Recovery
3.Power Quest Lost & Found

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How can you recover deleted files - quickly and free

          Deleting files by mistake or simply lost data from various causes are not so pleasant things that can happen to anyone. When such accidents occur, you must find a way to recover lost files. This process depends on how the data were lost. For accidental deletion, the solution is to use a file recovery program.

          The good news is that there are many programs, some for money, others free to recover files. Their effectiveness varies, some are better, some worse. For example, I stopped at a program that has two important advantages, it's free and very easy to use. It's called Recuva and can be downloaded here.

Deleting - recovering principle

          The bad news is that recovering deleted files is only possible under certain conditions. For those who do not know, I'll explain how simple it is possible to recover files. When you delete a file, it is not actually deleted but only "out of circulation". That is quite simply to be recovered.

          The main condition is to try to recover files before writing other data on that partition or hard drive. The more new files appear, the chances of recovery are small, because they will be copied over the erased.

Recuva - Free, simple and efficient

          Recuva can be used either through a wizard or without it, in the main window. If you prefer wizard, you must tick three steps: to specify the file type (image, document, etc.), to mention was the director before being deleted (optional) and choose scan mode. By default, calls to normal scan mode, it has the advantage of being very fast. Alternatively, you can choose Deep Scan mode, more thorough and lasting.

           I tested a few deleted files, intentional used Windows Explorer Shift + Delete to not be stored in the Recycle Bin. All were recovered without any problem, it was small files, recently deleted.

          Experience with such programs may differ. No one guarantees that, for example Recuva will be as effective on any computer. But Recuva has the advantage that it is free and very simple to use.

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