subject: Restoring Files With Undelete Plus [print this page] I get many emails asking for advice on recovering deleted files. I have written articles on the subject previously but due to the requests and apparent continuing popularity I thought I should compose a fresh article to cover the matter again.
The Windows recycle bin is a godsend for many users as in the majority of circumstances a deleted file will be transferred to the recycle bin so it can be quickly recovered if necessary. There are some instances however when a deleted file won't go via the recycle bin or alternatively the bin will be emptied before the mistake has been discovered. However fortunately there is usually still a way to retrieve the data.
To appreciate how this process works, it is necessary to understand the basics of how your PC deals with deleted data. When you delete a file using Windows, instead of removing it from the hard-drice completely it marks the space where the file in question was being stored as being free for data to be stored there. It will then remain so in anticipation of the computer needing to save another file in that specific spot, only then is it actually deleted. For this very reason it is important to fully remove all data with an application like dBan when getting rid of old computer equipment so no data can be recovered.
There is no way of telling when Windows will choose to start reusing the space where your deleted file was once stored and as such the use of an undelete program won't always guarantee that you will retrieve your data. A good analogy I heard recently is that recovering a deleted file is a similar experience to losing a contact lens at a party. The process of the lens falling out of your eye and dropping on the floor is unlikely to damage it so if you were to immediately yell "nobody move" and retrieve your lens then you would probably be able to recover it. If, however you were to allow the party to continue for 15 minutes then chances are that with the general movement around the room that your lens would be destroyed. Using your computer even for simple tasks such as browsing the Internet involves a certain amount of data being shifting around the hard disk and as such increasing the probability of data los.
In order to minimise the amount of disruption caused when you do accidentally delete a file it would be best to download and install an undelete utility such as the fantastic free of charge application Undelete Plus (www.undelete-plus.com) BEFORE you actually have the need to use it.
You can choose to do a general search for all recoverable files however the sheer number of files that are created and deleted by your computer on a daily basis without your knowledge means that you will almost certainly be presented with several tens of thousands of files that can be undeleted. Fortunately the program allows you to sort these in to categories (applications, music files, pictures etc) as well as filtering the results by name, size or modification date of the file. Once you have located the file(s) simply tick the appropriate checkbox and then the 'Start Undelete' button and the program will restore it to the original location; simple!
