Today, after several searches of both my computer and my external hard drive, I realized that I must have deleted several important video files from 2010… A long time ago. I haven’t used Windows Backup and it seems the folder the videos used to be in, doesn’t have a restore point from back in 2010. So of course I panicked.
However, according to sources I’ve read, no file is absolutely deleted from your computer forever. Since I trust Avast members opinions; what is one of the best and safest programs to use to retrieve files, even if they were deleted over half a year ago or so? I don’t mind paying for a product at all. In fact, considering the PC in question is disconnected from the internet, I’d prefer to buy the program from a store.
Is it really possible for me to retrieve those old deleted files?
Recuva from Piriform (makers of CCleaner) is the only one I’ve ever tried, and I dont know of any others right off the top of my head, though if you want a reliable file recover program I would do some research online.
I have done some research, except I don’t really know who to trust. There are some who say that program is great, while others completely disagree. That’s why I asked here; I trust most of the members of Avast forums, as they’ve helped me a lot.
Okay, more importantly, is it even possible for me to retrieve the files?
I probably deleted them accidentally a long time ago, so is it even possible? Could they have been overwritten by now?
Some people say it’s impossible to retrieve the files after they are over written and some say that it’s still possible.
So can I restore/retrieve these files even after several months?
Recuva is a good tool but will be limited in restoring files depending on how you deleted them, if you’ve run something like ccleaner then they might not be recoverable as it performs a much deeper clean and overwrites the files.
I’ve never intentionally “cleaned” my computer in that way. I’m pretty sure if I deleted them, (I’m 95%+ sure?) that I deleted them by emptying or deleting them directly from the recyle bin.
I’m usually very careful when it comes to deleting files and I usually back all my files up, but apparently I didn’t back the files up and I supposedly deleted them. The files were .avi’s and I searched my PC and external harddrive for them and didn’t see the files in the list of results.
The longer the duration the less likely the success rate.
Files aren’t actually deleted in the normal windows delete, the file details are removed from the file tables, so you can’t see the file but it is still there.
What happens is that the space which was taken up by this file is now marked as free/available in the file tables. Windows can now use that space for other files, so over time that space will have been overwritten, making recover much more difficult by conventional recovery means.
There are specialist programs and forensic tools that are supposed to be able to recover files even after having been overwritten, but they are very expensive and in some cases prohibited.
So now you have had your valuable lesson, if you don’t want to lose it, back it up.
When a file is deleted from your computer, its contents aren’t immediately destroyed. Windows simply marks the hard drive space as being available for use by changing one character in the file table. If you manage to start an undelete process before Windows overwrites that part of hard disk with new files. You can set that flag back to “on” and get your file. Kernel for Windows Data Recovery is impeccable and most proficient Windows Disk Recovery software that has been devised to cater the need of recovering the data lost from computer’s hard disk or other storage media like PEN drive, ZIP drive, etc. The tool has got GUI that further makes it easy to operate and user-friendly Windows data recovery utility.
