subject: How Can You Recover Lost Data? [print this page] Almost everyone has had it happen at one time or another. You're typing away or working on a big project for school or work and then, nothing. The screen goes black or blue and everything disappears. Perhaps everything freezes a moment before disappearing. Maybe it is a stroke of bad luck like your child turns off a program that you're working in before you hit the save button. Maybe there is an error that causes the shut down. Whatever it is this is the moment that you become overwhelmed with panic and begin to wonder can you recover lost data on your computer.
Some computer programs such as OpenOffice and certain versions of Microsoft Word have autosave features that can save all of your work in case of an unexpected system shut down. If this is how it is with the program you're working with then there is no longer a need to panic. Simply restart the computer and the program, along with the project you were working on, will reopen.
If your program doesn't have an autosave feature then you have a little of an issue. There are a few steps that you can follow to help recover lost data. One way is to search the hard drive for the document.
Simply click the Windows icon for the start box then put the name of the document within the Search box. If this doesn't find it then move on to the Recycle Bin. Double click on the icon. Click the right mouse button. Then choose Explore. Search for the document that you lost and click Restore. This can return the lost document to your hard drive. If this isn't working then you have another alternative. Go back to the Windows icon for start and go to the Search option. Under the All files and folders heading kind in ".WBK" where it says "all or part of file name". Then within the "Look In" box kind in "my computer". This should allow you to find the file. Remember to save the file in the proper name and program as soon as possible.
While this may not be the surefire answer to being able to recover lost data, it is a good way to get started without having to pay somebody else. There is nothing more discouraging than having somebody push a few buttons and you paying them a bunch of money for something you can have done yourself.
