Wiki File Recovery Tags » Lost Data Recovery

The two most likely reasons for needing computer file recovery

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:35:34 +0000

Computer file recovery should be viewed and attempted based on two possible scenarios. The first is when you have simply accidentally deleted files from your computer. This happens in several ways. One example would be the common practice of emptying your Windows recycle bin. If you empty the Windows recycle bin and a file you had meant to keep was inside of it is permanently deleted. You can of course restore emptied recycle bin files with a data recovery program. We also accidentally delete files when we’re working within applications. We also accidentally delete files when those files are stored on an external drive such as a flash drive or memory card. Externally stored files are extremely simple to recover.

The second scenario under which files are lost or more accurately described as inaccessible occurs when files needed to start up Windows and therefore access our computer hard drive have been damaged during startup or shutdown. When this happens, we face a double dilemma as the files that run Windows are locked away in a frozen hard drive that requires those same files to open it with. It’s a bit confusing, but the main thing to understand in dealing with files lost in a crashed hard drive is that you must access files using a third party data recovery tool, copy any files you wish to save out of the crashed hard drive and then entirely reload Windows.

What does a data recovery service company do for your money?

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:31:17 +0000

Companies offering data recovery services have been prospering for almost 20 years. These companies sprang to life in the late 1980s in response to the unreliability of 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 inch floppy disks. Of course those days are long obsolete. Through the 1990s the process of data recovery services shifted to an emphasis on recovery of files from physically damaged and broken computer hard drives. In those years it was very common for a computer hard drive to suffer a physical crash due to a motor burning out or an overheated control board. Today’s super large sized hard disk drives ranging in size from 100 GB to one full terabyte are far more reliable. In fact they seldom physically break ever.

This poses the question, what are these data recovery services companies charging us for? Most charge between 500 and 2000 dollars to retrieve all of the files stored on a crashed hard drive. But if the hard drive is not actually damaged, what are they charging so much money for? These companies now charge ridiculously high prices to simply connect your failed hard drive up to what is referred to as a technician computer and use that computer to open your drive. They then copy out your files and return your hard drive to you. You pay these companies hundreds of dollars an hour to perform a simple software operation you could easily do at home.

Recovery of email has become easier than ever

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:24:30 +0000

I believe the first file ever lost must have been an email. I distinctly remember looking over a list of messages on AOL and absentmindedly deleting several of them. In those days, when you deleted a message on AOL it was totally gone forever. Today email recovery is far less difficult. Most web based email services such as AOL or Hotmail send deleted mail into a trash or recycle bin. From there they can usually be restored to the inbox. However after a length of time has passed, those messages are automatically deleted from the web based trash bin. Most people assume that when a web based email has been auto deleted it can never be recovered. While these are some of the most difficult files to recover using a powerful third party email recovery program you can find and save them. Another type of email recovery focuses on searching for and rescuing emails that originate and are stored on your computer’s hard drive. These are usually sent and saved using either Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. Email recovery for this type of message is pretty simple. Whether you aim to recover messages sent and received using a web based email service or recover messages sent and received from your personal computer, the solution for this problem remains the same. To recover emails lost or accidentally deleted in any manner you will need a powerful email recovery program. Such a program must include a step by step guide to email recovery from both web based email and local hard drive based email.

Common reasons for file loss on hard disk drives

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:50:59 +0000

What makes a hard disk drives unique as compared to solid state digital storage is that a hard disk drive is still a mechanical device. As such, it is prone to all kinds of physical glitches. In laptop computers the hard disk inside of a hard drive can lose important data just by being bumped around too often. Desktop computers are more prone to data lost when startup of shutdown is interrupted. Because these computers seldom have battery backups they are very susceptible to incomplete data transfer resulting in file loss. Generally speaking these physical bumps and bruises do not result in permanent physical damage to the computer hard disk drive. But, very frequently they do result in loss of data and unfortunately the data lost usually is required to start Windows. Needless to say, if you cannot start Windows, you cannot start your computer and this means you cannot access any of the files on your hard drive. Often people innocently reload Windows so as to be given access to their computer without realizing that reloading the operating system deletes all of the files stored on the hard drive. Before you can reload Windows you must use a program for hard disk recovery. A great program for exactly this is difficult to find. You need a program that will start up your computer even if the Windows operating system has been damaged. It will then allow you to access your hard drive and copy out any or all files so that you may safely reload your Windows operating system.

Hard drive recovery for logically crashed personal computers

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:47:56 +0000

When we speak of hard drive recovery it is important to make note of the fact that most hard drive recovery required is the result of the logic crash as opposed to the drive being physically damaged. A logic crash simply means that important files which start up our computer and therefore grant us access to all of the stored files have been damaged. If the stored files were not important, all that is required to put your failed computer back on line is to reload the Windows operating system. But, if you’re like most people and have a variety of important records stored on your computer, you’ll need a powerful hard drive recovery program that can start your computer, open your hard drive, and assist you in copying out all of your important files. Once your files are safe and secure you can reload Windows. Few people realize when they see a black or blue Windows error screen that this type of computer crash is a relatively minor problem. Reloading your operating system is the cure, but only after you have used software to recover your files. Another point to remember is that you want to find a program for file recovery that loads only onto your computer’s RAM. Any program that must be loaded onto your computer’s hard drive before it can operate will likely destroy most of the files which you hoped to recover.

Easy data transfer corruption makes image recovery tools a necessity

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:38:51 +0000

Picture, photograph or image recovery is the most sought after type of file recovery. There are several reasons for this. One is that the digital data which forms image files tends to readily collapse during transfer. What we mean by this is that when you lose a few bits of binary code that comprise a digital photograph, there is a great likelihood it will damage a large percentage of the picture. This is shown when you attempt to view the photo as a section of the picture being grayed out. In comparison, when you lose a few bytes of data in a text message it is usually never even shown. For this reason the need for image recovery is far greater than other types of file retrieval. Another interesting point to consider is that image files vary greatly. While most file recovery programs are built to find and recover popular file extensions such as JPG and JPEG files. They do not always accommodate the search for what are known as RAW camera files. Most high and digital camera manufacturers store their saved digital images as RAW files. A good, workable program for photo recovery should be able to recognize any image file type and restructure the original file information so as to make the picture once again viewable.

The impracticality of ordinary laptop data recovery

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:33:33 +0000

Laptop data recovery differs from conventional desktop personal computer file recovery for one very obvious reason. Laptop computers are compact and small with all of their components being specially created and fitted to the case. This creates tremendous difficulty when a laptop hard drive has failed and one would like to access the files stashed away on that drive. Conventional data recovery requires that we remove from our failed computer the hard drive and connect it by means of cables to a working computer. For the average computer owner this is difficult. For a laptop computer owner it is pretty much impossible. This leaves available two options. One is to send off your laptop computer to a data recovery laboratory. These companies usually charge from $350 to several thousand dollars to recover your files. A far less expensive and far more viable alternative is to purchase a program for laptop data recovery. At the present time, there is only one effective program for laptop file recovery that does not require the use of a second technician computer and hardwired cable connections. This program will load directly onto your computer’s short term memory in its microprocessor. From there it will access your laptop computer hard drive and assist you in copying all of the contents to safe storage.