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Recovering Documents

As a writer, the thought of losing a work-in-progress such as a book has occurred to me and it’s a sickening feeling. I am nearly done with a long manuscript and understand that if I were to lose it now, I’d never be able to recreate it. Just thinking about it frightens me and I can only imagine how you’re feeling. Fortunately, there is a glimmer of hope.

When documents are accidentally deleted, they aren’t necessarily vaporized, never to be seen again. This is because Windows doesn’t actual erase files right away after deletion. Instead, Windows marks the space where the files reside on the hard drive as “available.” In a sense, that space is “for rent” and until a renter shows up and occupies it, the data remains untouched. However, once new data comes along and fills the available space, the file is gone for good. This makes it important to NOT add anything to the disk until you’ve had a chance to perform a data recovery.

Recycle Bin

You’ve probably already checked the Recycle Bin, but just in case you haven’t, let’s do so now. The Recycle Bin is a temporary holding spot for deleted files. Go to the Desktop and double-click the Recycle Bin icon. If the book document is located inside, right-click it and choose Restore. This will restore it to its original location. For example, if your book was originally stored in My Documents/Writing, it will be restored to that same folder.

Data Recovery Software

The Recycle Bin doesn’t typically store large files. If your book document was too large for the Recycle Bin, don’t worry, it still may be recoverable using data recovery software. Filetonic recommends ParetoLogic Data Recovery for tasks such as this one. What’s nice about this product is that you can download a free scanner that will search for recoverable documents. That way, you can see if the product will be able to recover your book file before you buy it. Download the scanner to a USB stick, floppy, or CD (since you don’t want to risk overwriting any data on your hard drive) and then scan your drive for recoverable documents. If Data Recovery finds the book file in question, it’ll cost you about $40 or $50 depending on which version you choose. In my opinion, this is a small price to pay to get your book back.

In the Future  

I highly recommend storing important files in a safe location, such as online. I originally used to e-mail copies of my manuscript to my web-based e-mail account where it would be readily available in case of a computer crash or house fire. This was a poor man’s backup system that gave me a little peace of mind. However, I now use an online backup program (beinsync) which automatically backs up my files and stores them securely online. The moment I create and save a new file or make a change (and save it) to an existing one, BeinSync uploads a copy to the online backup. I couldn’t be happier with this arrangement and highly recommend it to anyone with critical backup needs.

Lost or misplaced data happens to become a fact of life for many of us over the years. Fortunately, retrieving missing data is now a simple task that depends almost solely on the individual’s willingness to obtain a data recovery software application that is compatible with his operating system. Find out what you need to know before beginning, and then, take action quickly to minimize the loss of data.

What Happens to Stored Data When Reinstalling the Operating System?

When the operating system is reinstalled, previously stored data is no longer readily accessible. Typically, this is due to the fact that this process requires the hard drive to be freshly formatted. This step wipes the data from the hard drive.

Recovering Data Using Windows Data Recovery Software

Windows Data Recovery Software can be used on Windows based computers to retrieve data that has been lost for whatever reason. However, any data that has been overwritten with new data will not be recoverable. Windows Data Recovery Software scans the computer’s hard drive, finds the data, and restores it.

Recovering Data Using Macintosh Data Recovery Software

Macintosh Data Recovery Software can be used on Macintosh based computers to retrieve data that has been lost due to a reinstallation of the operating system. However, any data that has been overwritten with new data will not be recoverable. Therefore, you should avoid using the computer until after you have had a chance to recover the files, etc that you are looking for. Macintosh Data Recovery Software scans the computer’s hard drive, finds the missing data, and restores it to a usable condition.

Data Recovery Software Applications

If you have a Windows based computer, you can use a trial run of ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro to see if the desired files are recoverable. You can obtain more information about this application as well as accessing a download of it at the following link: Data Recovery Pro.

If you have a Macintosh based computer, you can check into Kernel for Mac Data Recovery at Data Recovery Mac. Additionally, you can do a search on your own for other choices in data recovery software.

Windows might need to be reinstalled when files are corrupted, the computer crashes, the registry is corrupted or there is a hardware failure. When you reinstall Windows, it copies the original system files to the hard drive and resets most of the Windows default settings. When it is reinstalled, the Documents and Settings folder will be reinstalled and the files that are in there will be deleted. The same is true of the Program Files folder. The good news is that there are ways to get the files back - as long as you stop what you’re doing right now. Don’t save any more files to the hard drive. You can recover data from your hard drive as long as it is still intact. If you save files and overwrite the originals there is virtually nothing you can do to get them back at that point.

Data Recovery Software

You need to use recovery software to get your data back. There are many different programs available for you to use that range in price from about $50 to about $150. Some of the programs that are available are: Data Doctor , Windows Disk Recovery, Data Recovery Pro (a Filetonic Tech Jock favorite), and Handy Recovery.

Most data recovery programs are easy for even the novice techie to use, and were made for recovering programs and data that have been accidentally deleted by the users or by situations like the one you are in.

Back Up Files

In the future, make sure you are using quality backup to store your data so that you won’t be at risk should you encounter another catastrophic event. You can back up your data to a portable drive that plugs into your USB port, or even use one of the backup services online such as BeinSync or Carbonite. A service like this will keep your documents and photos safe offsite should your physical files become unrecoverable.

The age of the files and floppy disk are only incidental concerns here. The data, if it still exists, is recoverable.

Is the Disk Unformatted?

Since the disk has files stored to it, it has already been formatted. An unformatted disk does not have the capacity to store any data.

Why is the Message that the Disk is Unformatted Appearing?

Unformatted files cannot hold any files. Therefore, the prompt is probably inaccurate and another reason exists for the inability to open the file. Two primary reasons exist behind an “unformatted disk” message that is not actually accurate. When a disk bites the dust and is no longer viable for saving files to, it will prompt the same message as an unformatted disk. Additionally, if the disk drive is bad, it cannot recognize the floppy disk and it will prompt the same message.

Is the Data Recoverable?

Fortunately, you can use a data recovery program to retrieve the files from the floppy disk. Only those files that were not overwritten will be recovered. Therefore, you should obtain a data recovery program to retrieve the files.

How Do Data Recovery Programs Work?

Data recovery programs scan the media for files and retrieve them. Depending on the size of the drive, floppy, or whatever that is being scanned, the entire process can take as little as a few moments to a much longer period of time. With a floppy disk, the entire process will most likely take only a few, short moments.

Using a Data Recovery Program

The easiest way to retrieve data from a floppy disk that cannot be read by the computer is to use data recovery software. One of the most reliable applications that I have had the opportunity to try personally is ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro. You can check out its features and capability at the following link: Data Recovery. This application offers a free scan to determine whether or not any data is recoverable. Plus, it is capable of retrieving many different types of files including documents, graphics, photos, and more.

I’m assuming that you’ve already cleaned out the “Deleted Items” folder or Recycle Bin that is in your email program. When you click “delete” on an email in your inbox, it will go to this folder until you manually empty it out. I’m embarrassed to say that I have to go in there all the time to recover things that I was too quick to delete. Good thing that most email programs have this “holding pen” so that you are absolutely sure you want to get rid of it.

If you have already emptied out the deleted items file, then you have a few options that you can try. All of this advice applies to emails that have been downloaded onto your computer. Emails that have been deleted on Web-based servers such as Yahoo or Hotmail have an extra layer added to them that makes them almost impossible to recover.

Disk Recovery Software

The best solution is to use disk recovery software that you can download as freeware. It will recover both files you recently deleted as well as those that were deleted a long time ago in case you discover down the road that needed files have been deleted. Disk recovery software can recover files and save them to any disk that is visible to the operating system. The program looks a lot like Windows Explorer and is easy for even a non-techie to use. You can find it on the DiskInternals website here: http://www.diskinternals.com/ . Scroll down until you find the program that works with your system.

Another good program to try is the Data Recovery Wizard. It has similar properties and can recover data from almost any device.

Data Recovery Pro is also exceptional at recovering deleted emails. A free scanner is available so that you can see if the e-mail is indeed a good candidate for recovery before purchasing the full version.

Recover from Outlook

There is another way to try to recover deleted emails in Outlook, but it is a process that is not for the faint of heart as you will intentionally corrupt the files and then use Outlook Inbox Repair Tool to recover the deleted emails from the corrupt folder. The entire process is detailed on this blog.

If you try recovery software and still can’t find your email, you can try talking to support to find out how to find it on your specific operating system. Find them here: www.filetonic.com/support.

The Good and Bad News about Data Recovery

Yes, you can recover much of your data after the hard drive has been reformatted and written over with a new operating system. That’s good news for many and bad news for others. First the good news: if you’ve had to resort to reformatting your hard drive, you may be able to recover most of your data files with data recovery software. The bad news: if you reformatted your hard drive in order to remove your data before selling or donating your old PC, someone else can recover your data files using data recovery software.

Data Recovery Basics

Most of us have been taught that reformatting a hard drive completely wipes out everything on it, including our data files. This isn’t exactly what happens. Reformatting doesn’t create a blank disc, it simply empties out the master index tables so that the operating system thinks it is empty. It’s kind of like tearing out the table of contents to a book. The table of contents is no longer there - but unless the pages of the book are also removed, then they’re still there. In the case of a hard drive, you can use data recovery software to get past the indexes and directly to the data.

Data Recovery Options

Not too long ago, data recovery was left to computer forensics experts such as crime labs and computer technicians. Today, many computer repair shops and remote technical support sites will recover data for a fee. In addition, inexpensive do-it-yourself data recovery software is also available.

Data Recovery Gotchas

While it is possible to recover data, not all data is recoverable. When a file is deleted or a disk reformatted, Windows marks the hard drive space as “free space.” If no new data comes along and occupies that space on the hard drive, then the data should be recoverable. However, if the file has been overwritten with new data, then you’re out of luck. This includes reformatting. After reformatting a hard drive, most people immediate reinstall their operating system and most used program files. In addition, they download updates and so on. As more data is written to the hard drive, it is overwriting “free space” and this “free space” may have the data that you needed.

Give it a Try

The Filetonic Tech Jocks use and recommend ParetoLogic’s Data Recovery and Data Recovery Pro tools. You can try a free download of either product and perform a data recovery scan. This free scan will show you exactly what files are recoverable on your computer. Should you find that you’d have recoverable files, you will need to purchase a license to do so which is in the $40 to $50 range depending on the product you choose. You can download the Data Recovery scan to floppy or CD so that you don’t accidentally overwrite data on your recently formatted hard drive.

Now that You Know

Now that you know how easy it is to retrieve data, when the time comes to dispose of your computer or hard drive, don’t settle for reformatting it. Instead, use a tool that completely wipes the drive clean or physically destroy the hard disk so that identity thieves cannot recovery your financial data.