The problem of data recovery from a memory card and flash drive was considered. But, of course, the need for data recovery may be associated not only with external removable media. More often, the problem affects the internal memory of the PC. And under such circumstances, the top 5 programs to recover data from hard drive It may turn out to be useful not only in theory, but also in practice - as a source of information for selecting an appropriate solution to the problem.
But first, it’s worth deciding on the sources of possible troubles and the theoretical part of the problem of regaining access to lost data.
Hard disk and storage problems
A hard disk is an integrated device for recording and storing data directly in the computer's memory. The capacity of such media, as well as the number of disks in the device, can be different. But the information stored in memory, in fact, remains completely defenseless against any system failures, external influences, erroneous user actions. Accordingly, there is simply no guarantee that the data will remain safe and sound if it is damaged, accidentally deleted, or if system problems occur. Data is constantly at risk of being lost, and in some cases irrevocably.
So, anything can happen: from formatting or the complete removal of logical drives to a banal malware attack that destroys data from built-in media. And to recover the lost information, it will take a lot of time, even if the help of specialists is used - the BitProfi company, real professionals who can cope with any problem.
Loss of information from the hard drive: what to do?
What is the usual procedure for deleting information through the use of OS tools? Data is instantly "deleted" from user access. But this does not mean that they cease to exist. At the time of deletion they just get an additional prefix to the name and remain on the same hard drive. But there is one important fact: since the deletion of the file disk spacethe occupied by him will be available for rewriting - a new placement of data. And in this case, if you do not recover the lost information on time, the file will be lost forever.
The processes of formatting and even deleting a logical drive are not much different from the standard process of deleting information. Upon completion of the formatting processes, the data ceases to be visible, and a new allocation table becomes available to the user. But the data itself, again, does not disappear anywhere, and if necessary, it is available for emergency recovery.
But if hDD underwent a procedure low level formatting, during which the data is deleted completely - they cannot be restored in any way.
As a matter of fact, the first thing you need to do when you discover the loss of important data is to exclude the hard drive used as a storage device from the list of storage media new information. With this approach, the chances of successfully saving important and necessary data that have been deleted or lost will be close to 100%. It is worth considering that in the Microsoft system most vulnerable in this case is drive C - It is on it that most of the updated and new system information is recorded.
If you suspect that data has been lost as a result of a virus attack or other harmful effects - measures should also be taken immediately. It is a quick reaction that makes it possible to protect at least part of the information that is still to be restored from loss. And, of course, data recovery from the hard drive will be impossible without special utilities - programs that allow you to find and save lost information from a stationary medium.
Top 5 programs to recover data from your hard drive
This utility of commercial type is distributed in two versions - on a reimbursable and free basis. Paid offers different kinds installable tools for file storage systems NTFS, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32. Free version The product provides opportunities for restoring certain types of files through appropriate applications, while paid options involve restoring data directly from the program.
It is important to consider that this utility It is not focused on detecting lost partitions and it is unlikely to be able to restore data completely with its help. But as an area for scanning, you can select the entire C drive, on which the main working information is stored in Windows. Another important point: the program does not recognize file names typed in Cyrillic. You can download the utility on the official website.
When launching the utility into operation, it is necessary to select the desired file partition, within which recovery is to be performed. Next, you need to determine the area of \u200b\u200bthe hard drive that is subject to a thorough scanning process, and run the program in active mode.
Scan results are displayed in catalog format. Cyrillic names of individual elements in this case will be replaced by a set of characters.
After detection and reconstruction from the PC memory, the data will be available for viewing. You can go to it directly from the program interface.
Utility distributed free of charge and providing fairly effective work with file system Windows OS An extensive set of functions allows you to solve various problems, and the recovery mechanism itself makes it possible to "reanimate" almost any unintentionally lost data.
You can download the program on the official website of the developer company. After installation, it is fully ready for launch and operation.
PC Inspector File Recover provides three options for recovering information from system memory:
- in case of their unintentional loss through deletion by one of the standard methods for the OS;
- in case of inadvertent formatting of the disk or loss of information from it due to damage to the file partition of the system;
- in case of disappearance from the file storage system of data on previously existing logical disks on which it was stored necessary information.
The recovery of information lost from the hard drive itself is standard. After installing and choosing a recovery method, the utility starts the system scanning process, after which the user will need to select the one intended for recovery logical drive. It is important to note that when working with logical drives in the Lost Data / Lost Drive recovery options, two lists of drives similar to each other (with only one drive) will be displayed on the screen.
In this case, look for lost files in the On fixed disk list containing data regarding physical device. And in the Physical Drive tab, you can specify the list of partitions and their volumes in more detail.
By choosing desired drive, it is necessary with two clicks of the manipulator to initiate the beginning of its scan. As a rule, depending on the amount of memory and PC power, the whole procedure takes up to half an hour. And its result is the conclusion on the screen of the window with a list of information that can be restored. It is enough to click on the name of the item to be restored and select for it the path to restore and save data.
Power Quest Lost & Found
This compact and reliable program perfectly copes with its tasks in recovering lost data, but has its own characteristics in work, as it is intended primarily for professionals. So, it requires the use of different drives to store information - it will not be possible to restore the lost files in the same place, so it is worthwhile to ensure the availability of free space on a USB flash drive or an additional hard drive in advance.
An important point: the program is launched using a bootable USB flash drive and does not require an installed OS. At startup, the creation of its own similar DOS is initiated operating systempossessing all the necessary tools and tools involved in the recovery of lost information. At the same time, even if a standard OS is present, during installation, a separate environment is created that does not affect the area of \u200b\u200bthe standard system.
After the successful installation of the PC utility, you can start working, and initiate the normal recovery process of the lost information.
The first step, as a standard, will be a general scan, after which the program will display a window asking you to specify the previous place of storage of the lost information (drive) and the place to restore them (when using a USB flash drive as a recording medium, you need to take care of the presence of clean media in the drive), and logical drives to save information.
Upon completion of the scan, a window opens on the screen with a list of the information placed on the scanned object (in the form of a tree-like catalog).
It is worth noting that the names of directories and files in the window can either correspond to the original ones, or can be composed of unreadable combinations of letters and numbers (most often true for foreign names) or simply numbered in a certain sequence. It is important to pay attention to the color that displays the name:
- empty directories are marked in dark green;
- data available for recovery in light green;
- data likely to be recovered in yellow;
- data whose recovery is hardly possible is red;
- unavailable for recovery - in gray;
- a record made up of different files will be marked in pink;
- data already recovered is blue.
It is important to consider that during the beginning of work on recovering information from a hard disk, you can initiate its conversion to a backup file format with significant compression of data volumes.
A utility to work on recovering lost information, available for launch both using a flash drive and by installing directly in Windows, which allows you to not experience problems with data recovery even if problems are found in the work of a standard OS. The main thing is that access to the PC file storage system should not be lost.
Ease of use of the program is achieved through a simple and intuitive interface with a step-by-step mechanism for completing tasks.
By initiating the process of scanning the system, you after a short time gain access to the structure of all scanned data and their storage sources, indicating sizes and parameters.
This utility is much more convenient than many analogues due to the simplified recovery algorithm. You can make it after the first scan. To do this, just select the desired logical drive and determine the operating parameters (automatically or manually).
After initiating a re-check of the disk requiring data recovery, all information that can be restored will be displayed on the monitor in the form of a list. It’s enough to select the necessary ones using the appropriate label.
Information is stored either on external storage, or directly on the PC disk system. If you are using data recovery using a USB flash drive as an installation tool, you can use an additional drive or USB flash drive to save the files.
Restorer 2000 // Restorer Ultimate
Easy to use utility with a minimalistic interface, allows you to work with various file storage systems (NTFS, FAT) and disk images, allowing you to backup data.
The utility is available for free download. Finding it is not at all difficult, but you can install it on a PC without any additional preparation.
Upon completion of the installation and the start of work, the utility scans, and according to its results, a window with a list of available hard drives and sections placed on them. The data to be recovered during scanning will be displayed in a list on the right side of the screen and will be marked with a question mark. You can get more information about their properties and stored data by double-clicking the manipulator on the desired line.
At the end of the process, all lost data will be detected and can be restored. Latest version Restorer Ultimate software.
The professional version of Restorer Ultimate primarily includes:
- support for reconstruction and recovery of RAID data (regardless of the level of complexity of the RAID structure);
- recovery raw files (search for files by signature);
- macintosh and Linux / Unix file system support;
- advanced text / hex editor.
Available online edition Restorer Ultimate is different in that:
- can connect to a remote computer;
- open and scan hard disks, sections or other parts;
- can recover files on remote computers same as on local computers.
In this article, we examined the top 5 programs for recovering data from a hard drive. But, the loss of data is often characteristic of mobile devices. That is why the following material on our website will be devoted to the topic of data recovery from the phone - relevant for each owner of a modern smartphone.
Situations when users accidentally permanently permanently delete a certain file or format a flash drive with important information occur quite often. But despair in these cases is not worth it. After all, something was erased from the disk, physically this data is still stored. The main thing is that they are not overwritten. There are several ways to efficiently recover data, both on the HDD and on the Flash-drive. We will consider the most effective.
Recovery of information from the hard drive using standard Windows tools
First of all, make sure that the objects you are looking for are not in the Recycle Bin. If they are there, then all you need to do is right-click on the file and select "Restore".
If you did not find the file you are interested in in the Trash, you should try the following method. Click Start \u003d\u003e Control Panel \u003d\u003e System and Maintenance \u003d\u003e Backup and Restore. Next, select the "Restore System Settings or Computer" command and follow the prompts of the wizard.
The second option is to click on the Computer component and select the drive or folder where the deleted files were stored. right-click on this object and click “Restore previous version". Field of this you will see a list previous versions drive or folder. It will contain the files listed in the backup. Here, points for their backup will be available to you.
Data recovery from the hard disk using special utilities
To perform data recovery from the hard drive, go to the "Start" menu and select "Computer". Next, find the disk or folder where the deleted data of interest was stored. Right-click on a disk or folder and select "Restore Previous Version". After that, a list of files will appear, among which should be the ones you are looking for (saved in backup). Double-click on the desired object and select the version (for example, if you deleted the folder today, specify yesterday), and then drag the restored file (folder) to another location.
Recuva, for example, after starting, offers to indicate the type of files that need to be found and restored, as well as the place where they were located. After that, scanning will begin - the found files that can be fully returned are highlighted in green. Next is the recovery itself. When scanning, we recommend putting "Deep analysis".
Recovering data from a flash drive
Recovering files deleted on a USB stick is also possible. But before you use the application, scan the drive using antivirus. This can be done with or. The fact is that some malicious programs can provoke data hiding - they will not be displayed.
If it turned out that the information was still deleted on the USB stick, you can reanimate it with tools, Easy Drive Data recovery or .
When specifying the place where you want to find data sent to the unknown, select "Removable Disk" ("Memory Card", "Specified Location"). Note that some data can only be partially restored. During the analysis, Recuva marks what is in doubt yellow or red (unlike those that will be restored to 100% - they are marked in green).
There is a high probability of “getting everything back to normal” if you did not save anything to the Flash drive after you deleted something there. disadvantages free programsthat provide recovery deleted files- This is either a limitation in the term of use or a limitation of functionality (here the support of different file systems and different formats of the desired files is crucial). Compare Utilities From different manufacturers you can in the selection.
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Cleaning and formatting a PC hard drive is a pretty useful thing. Especially if you want to delete all or some sections of the data stored on it.
However, such situations often occur when formatting was unintentional and as a result, all necessary information from the PC is deleted. Naturally, the question arises about the possibility of recovering lost files.
I want to say right away that this is possible, but only on condition that a quick cleaning has been performed, nothing can be helped with full formatting. I will explain the difference between these two options for deleting files.
During quick cleaning, information is recorded in such a way that the system will assume that the disk is empty, but in fact, all the original information will remain unharmed.
That is, there is a change in the name of the files so that they are not visible to the OS or the user. However, as mentioned earlier, they can be restored.
When using full formatting, files are deleted completely and permanently. Here, even no programs will help.
This article will discuss how to recover files after formatting hard disk, as a result of applying quick cleaning, using specially designed programs for these purposes.
What programs can I use?
As mentioned earlier, it is possible to recover deleted files with quick cleaning. You can use various programs for this. These include:
- Recuva.
- Pandora Recovery.
- Undelete Plus.
- PC Inspector File Recovery.
- Free Undelete.
- Diskintemals Uneraser.
- Easy Recovery.
- R-Studio et al.
I think it’s worthwhile to analyze in more detail the work of the most popular programs, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
Some nuances before working with utilities
When using any of the programs, to recover lost data, some preparation is required. Also, do not use a logical drive or partition, including a USB drive.
The question is why? If the file that underwent renaming is still located on the disk, then it must be restored. However, when overwriting information, it will not be possible to restore anything, even when using special programs.
It is also worth checking the disk for errors on the disk. For these purposes, built-in tools or special utilities can be used. For example, Victoria or HDD Regenerator. It all depends on the degree of damage.
How to work with R-Studio?
If you are interested in how to recover files after formatting a hard disk, then it is worth considering a utility such as R-Studio. After downloading and installation, a window will appear in front of you, in which all the information will be indicated in English.
In it you will need to select what you want to scan and select "SCAN". Then the utility will scan and after a while a new window should appear in front of you. Here you need to find the line “EXTRA FOUND FILES” and left-click on it 2 times.
This is done to go to the next window. It will be divided into two sections. On the left side, you can perform full or partial data recovery. Information on all files that were found by R-Studio will be provided on the right.
If partial recovery is required, then you need to click on “RECOVER”, if you need to select everything, then click on “RECOVER ALL”. After choosing the action of one of the actions, select the place where all this should be entered.
However, there is one point where all the data should be transferred, should be 2 times the memory size than the total weight of the files themselves. But if the space is sorely lacking, it is better to do a partial recovery. For example, “jpeg image” in other words, pictures, and “ microsoft word" this is text documents etc. After that, everything will recover.
The disadvantages of R-Studio is that it is provided for users only in English. The pluses include the fact that it is free and fairly easy to use.
Recuva
Solving the issue of how to recover files after formatting the hard drive, you can use a utility called Recuva. When the utility starts, a window will appear indicating the types of files to restore.
If you do not remember where they were previously located, then this is not scary, in this case the line “location unknown” is used.
After the scan, a list of what was recovered will appear, but only those with the “Good” status will be available from them.
The Recuva utility is best stored on a USB flash drive. As for the pluses, it allows you to preview the desired one, as well as the utility can sometimes recover even badly damaged files.
The disadvantages include the fact that at a time, it is possible to choose to restore no more than one category.
What is Diskintemals Uneraser capable of?
An application such as Diskintemals Uneraser is powerful enough because it can recover even a badly damaged hard drive.
In addition, it is very easy to use. Another of the benefits of Diskintemals Uneraser is the ability to work with large quantity files.
But no matter how good it is, this utility has one big minus. It does not work with any OS above Windows XP.
Easy recovery
After installing Easy Recovery, you need to reboot the PC and only after that you can start working with it. After starting Easy Recovery, you need to select "Data Recovery".
If the whole has been cleaned up hard section disk, then you need to select "Recovery after formatting" and check the item "Deep scan".
Then, using the left mouse button, you will need to select a local disk, to analyze the deleted partition and click on "Next".
Be sure to specify the parameters local disk Before formatting, if there are any problems with this, be sure to indicate this fact. Then click Scan.
Such an operation will take some time. After providing information about the files found, it is necessary to note those that need to be restored. Then click on the “Save” button and on “Next”.
As soon as the information is processed, start the "File Reconstruction". This function is especially convenient in situations when deleted file documents are damaged.
How to recover files after formatting the hard drive, the result
As you can see, solving the question of how to recover files after formatting a hard disk, subject to all conditions and using certain programs, lost data can still be returned to its original state.
Of course, it is best to use professional utilities, however, what exactly will be used for these purposes depends on your preferences and requirements.
If necessary, consult a specialist. However, no program or specialist gives a 100% guarantee, recovery of all lost data.
This must be taken into account and remembered. I hope you enjoyed the article and will help in resolving your issue.
The computers, smartphones and other digital devices that we use contain all our personal and important data. We cannot allow ourselves to lose our data, and fortunately, none of these devices are reliably protected. They can be damaged at any time, and lose our important data in the process. Unfortunately, there is no 100% tool that guarantees that you will never lose data. However, if you lose some important data due to a damaged system or accidental deletion, you have a chance to reestablishthem.
When you accidentally delete data from your system or they are deleted for any other reason, they are not actually deleted. Instead, they are marked as deleted and hide from the OS so that it looks like they are deleted (this is easier than actually deleting them). Over time, this invisible data is rewritten when you add more data. This means that if you have not added any additional data yet, then you can still restore it with special recovery tool.
To help you recover deleted data, we created list top programs for data recovery. Each software has its own unique features of compatibility and performance. You can try several tools mentioned here (for recovery) if one tool does not work.
Note: The tools below will not help recover data from the SSD. On SSDs, data is deleted completely to provide faster data rewriting speed. This way you are out of luck if you have an SSD. However, if you use the HDD you still have a chance of getting recovered data. (To recover data from an SSD, there are some expensive methods that you can find using Google.)
List of the best programs for data recovery on PC, MAC:
1. Recuva
Recuva is created by developers software Piriform, who are also the developers of the popular CCleaner PC cleaning tool. As with other products, you will get an attractive interface with high quality. Recuva has a built-in wizard (option) that guides you to the recovery steps every time you want to recover data.
You don’t have to do anything, just answer the wizard’s questions, such as data type, scan area and scan type, etc., and Recuva will handle the rest. Despite the fact that a normal scan will be enough, you can also use the deep scan option (this takes longer) to further increase the possibility of data recovery. You can recover data such as pictures, audio (MP3), documents, videos, compressed files and messages email from any storage device for Windows, you can read, for example, data from a digital camera, hard drive, etc.
Price: The free version (which will be enough for data recovery) and the paid version for $ 24.95 (Advanced File recovery, virtual hard disk support, automatic updates, premium support).
Compatibility:
2. Wise Data Recovery
The Wise Data Recovery tool is not one of the most feature-rich or customizable software. It has an intuitive interface with few options for customization. This may limit it a little, but this tool is ideal for quick work.
All you have to do is run the tool and select the drive you would like to scan ( removable drives can also be scanned). The software will quickly scan (very fast, compared to many) the disk and show you all the data that can be restored, for example, deleted photos, documents, videos, emails, etc. The program also exists in portable versionto be with you all the time.
This tool is the best for people who are looking for a quick and easy data recovery tool, but the program is not able to recover all data, such as other tools can.
Price: Is free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
3. Free Undelete
Free Undelete is another easy-to-use data recovery tool similar to Wise Data Recovery. The program does not offer any additional options for choosing the type of data you are looking for, all you can do is scan the disk (including removable ones) and see the results.
After scanning, the program will show all the files that can be restored, and even show all remote folders. You can simply open folders to recover data from them or simply restore everything with a single click. The program allows you to recover images, music, documents, videos, emails (from email clients) and compressed files.
Price: Free for personal use and paid for corporate use, the price is from $ 69 to $ 103 for a separate version (customer support guarantee is offered).
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
4. Pandora Recovery
Pandora Recovery is a multifunctional tool with a huge number of configuration options and the ability to deep scan. The program does not have such an attractive interface as Recuva, but the program is certainly more multifunctional and convenient, which makes it an easy replacement recuva programs. Pandora Recovery allows you to recover a FAT32 or NTFS file system. It is also complemented by a wizard to guide you through the process and allows you to choose how you want to scan.
You can scan by file type, entire disk or apply deep scan to search for all files that require recovery. You can connect removable storage devices and scan them, also applying all scanning methods to them. You will also find tips to help you understand how each button works as soon as you try to use it.
Price: Is free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
5. Minitool Partition Recovery
This is a really amazing tool with a very simple but attractive interface. However, its free version is limited to only 1 GB of data recovery. After that, you will have to upgrade to the paid version. The tool is able to recover data from formatted, damaged and even deleted partitions with amazing results.
The tool does an amazing job of recovering data from a simple disk. The Minitool Partition Recovery restored 5 times more filesthan the other tools mentioned here and split all the files according to their extensions, which makes it extremely easy to find the file you need. Although, it also takes a little longer to scan the disk, but the results will please.
This is a good tool for people who really need a deep scan and do not mind paying if necessary (1 GB of data recovery for free). It supports FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS and NTFS5 file systems.
Price: free up to 1 GB, after which they can cost $ 69 and $ 89
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
6. Glary Undelete
Glary Undelete is a simple and easy tool with disabilities just like some of the other tools on this list. However, it does have some really interesting filtering options that you can use to easily find the files you need. You have the ability to scan a disk (including a removable one), but it will be a quick scan, not a deep one.
You will be presented with all the data that can be restored, divided into categories by their extensions. Here you can filter the search by size, time, state and restore the file name. Glary Undelete supports FAT, NTFS, NTFS + EFS file systems. Also allows recovery of compressed or encrypted files.
Price: Is free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1.
7. UndeleteMyFiles Pro
UndeleteMyFiles Pro offers one of the most functional recovery programs with some handy features. You can separately search for media files or regular files, and if this is not enough, you can also add filters to search for a specific file. For example, you can add filters to search only a file with a specific name, extension, size or attributes (like, hidden or read-only, etc.).
In addition to data recovery tools, you can also use “Files Wiper”, a tool for irretrievable removal file or create a “disk image” to make sure that no deleted files are overwritten with other data. The tool also quickly performs a deep scan to recover all files. You can find almost twice as many files as compared to some of the quick scan tools listed on this list.
Price: Is free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and Mac OS X.
8. PC Inspector File Recovery
This is an advanced tool for complex use, we would not recommend it for a novice user. It doesn’t have such an attractive interface or features. However, the tool will allow you to deeply scan the disk and select which sectors to scan. A full deep data scan of about 40 GB may take more than 2 hours.
The results will please, because the tool finds almost all the files that can be recovered. You can also add a filter by file name / extension. If you are an experienced user and want to use a deep computer scan, then PC Inspector File Recovery will do wonders. It supports FAT 12/16/32 and NTFS file system.
Price: Is free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
Best data recovery software for smartphones (Android) and iPhone
Although, the above tools can scan and recover data on smartphones via connected USB, but they are not created specifically for them. To recover smartphone data such as messages, logs and chat history, etc., you will need to use a separate tool. We recommend using the tools below to recover smartphone data.
9. Wondershare Dr.Fone
Wondershare Dr.Fone is a well-known data recovery tool for Android and IOS. It is extremely easy to use, with step by step instructions. Using this tool, you can restore contacts, messages, audio, video, photos, call logs and WhatsApp history. All you have to do is connect the phone to the computer and let the tool do the rest.
However, support for compatible phones is limited, supported brands: Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, LG, HTC and Google Nexus. If your phone is rutted, it will work on any Android phone, and some supported brands may also require superuser rights.
Price: free Trial and Paid version for $ 45.95 with support for up to 5 devices or $ 499 for unlimited devices.
Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP and Mac OS X 10.6-10.10 & iTunes 12.1, iOS 8.3 / iOS 9, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and upto Android Lollipop.
10. EaseUS MobiSaver
This is another great recovery tool. android data or iPhone. The interface, complexity and recovery are almost the same as in Dr.Fone, the difference in the supported formats, devices and price. MobiSaver supports fewer file types for recovery, including SMS, Contacts, Documents, videos, audio, and photos. However, it has the support of more brands, including Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese brands.
It is also a bit cheaper, which is a good choice if you do not need to restore your chat history or call log. On the EaseUs website, you will also find several useful articles that will help in recovering data from your smartphone (the process is a bit more complicated compared to a PC).
Price: The free version with limited features and the Pro version for $ 39.95 on Android and $ 30 for the iOS version.
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and Mac OS X and iOS 8, 6 and iPhone BEFORE Android Lollipop.
The data recovery tools mentioned above are the best in the industry and are used to recover deleted data from a PC and mobile devices. If you know any other reliable and best data recovery tool that deserves to be listed, feel free to let us know in the comments section.
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Loss of data from the hard drive, unfortunately, is a frequent occurrence. If this happened due to its malfunction, then to restore data you need to contact service centers that are engaged in data extraction from damaged storage media.
However, if the hard drive is healthy, then in most cases it is possible to recover deleted data on your own using specialized software, which will be discussed below.
Causes of Lost Files
The reasons for data loss from the hard drive may be different. They are divided into two categories: mechanical and software.
Mechanical causes include:
- blows;
- shakes
- overheat;
- failure of the hard drive controller.
Photo: recovering information from hard drives
The second reason includes software crashes and user errors:
- computer viruses;
- sudden power outage;
- errors
- formatting;
- accidental deletion.
Deleted files disappear completely
If the data was lost due to errors, formatting or accidental deletion, then they can be completely restored. For example, when formatting, the data itself is not deleted, only the header is erased, which contains information about their location on the hard drive.
The same goes for accidental deletion. The operating system marks the sectors in which data is stored ready for recording and displays them as free space. In this case, the files themselves remain on the HDD to their sectors with new information.
In some cases, even with mechanical damage, such as shock, you can restore data from the hard drive, but only service centers do this.
Video: Data Recovery
What to do if important information is deleted
The most important thing is not to panic. The likelihood of recovering a file just deleted is very high. In this case, users have a reasonable question: how to recover data? They will come to the rescue special programsthat will scan the indicated areas of the hard drive and help you perform recovery even after full formatting.
To reduce the risk of complete loss of information, you must adhere to the following tips:
Overview and principles of utilities
Recovery utilities provide the user with various tools that, when used in a timely manner, produce almost 100% results.
In their work, they use the following recovery methods:
- reconstruction of the file system (FS) structure. Used when quickly formatting or deleting a logical volume. At the same time, the directory structure is not violated, which makes it possible to restore entire directories and subdirectories with saving paths.
- file recovery. This method involves reading FS service records by which the software determines the location and attributes. This method works if there was no data substitution.
- the ability to recover information from signatures. Performed by sector-by-sector scanning for known signatures. However, their paths and names are not saved, and the result is sorted by their type. The method is used if the FS is damaged and its reconstruction is impossible.
Modern programs use all three methods. This approach provides the maximum and effective result of the necessary software. The article presents the most popular and powerful programs. Many of them are free, but there are also paid versions.
PC Inspector File Recovery
A simple but powerful application that allows you to recover not only data, but also deleted sections. Detects HDD even if there is no boot sector. Supports work with network carriers and FS FAT. PC Inspector File Recovery can be installed both on Windows OS and create a bootable floppy disk, which allows you to run it even in the absence of the OS or in case of file system corruption.
PC Inspector File Recovery is free and supports the Russian language, but the quality does not always correspond to the declared one. In this case, the developers offer to use paid services. In general, the application is great for most users in view of ease of use.
Work with the program
The interface is convenient, and most importantly simple. The work is performed step by step.
When launched, it will prompt you to choose one of three work options:
- search for deleted files. Used for accidentally deleted information;
- search for lost data. The option will help to recover data in the event of a system failure or quick formatting;
- search for a lost volume. If the drive is unavailable or lacks an alphabetic identifier, this option will fix the problem.
After selecting a mode, PC Inspector File Recovery will start a scan and display information about available volumes.
Then the necessary section opens, where the user selects the search area, noting the start and end sectors of the scan. The application will find all the lost data in the specified range and display it in a window where you can save.
Similar actions are performed for the other two modes. Despite its simplicity, the utility effectively searches for and stores deleted data.
Recovering data from the hard disk with the R-Studio utility
R-Studio is considered one of the best programs among analogues. If the loss is not associated with physical damage to the media, then in most cases R-Studio is highly likely to save deleted data.
Initially, it was intended for specialists in the field of recovery, but over time its capabilities expanded and R-Studio became available to ordinary users.
A photo: r-Studio program Data recovery
TO key features programs include:
- support for all major file systems in Windows, Linux and Macintosh;
- recovery from damaged, formatted and reformatted media;
- the ability to view content of any type, and assess the chances of a successful return;
- treatment bad sectors;
- the presence of a hex editor;
- professional RAID reconstruction module, which is comparable to specialized software packages.
R-Studio can be used in almost all operating systems of the Windows, Linux and Macintosh family. It is also possible to create bootable media.
The application has an intuitive interface. At startup, displays available media (including removable media).
To start a scan, select the volume from which data must be restored and click the Scan button. After that, the search process will begin.
It can easily recover lost data, even in the most difficult cases.
Recovers data that is lost as a result of:
- virus attacks;
- system failure;
- incorrect shutdown of the computer;
- fS damage;
- formatting (including full);
- errors creating volumes.
There are times when the operating system does not start as a result of loss system files, in this case, you can create a bootable diskette and save them.
Thanks to a powerful algorithm, Ontrack Easy Recovery is able to restore damaged ZIP archives, as well as text documents created in the MS Office software package. The unique Ontrack Data Advisor module is able to diagnose the general condition of disks and identify bad sectors.
Ontrack Easy Recovery Interface
Perfect for anyone, from a home user to specialists in service centers. A discreet but simple interface allows you to quickly understand the controls and immediately get to work.
In the main window of the program, you only need to select the type of medium and click the “Continue” button, then a window with a list of sections will appear in which the user selects the drive with which to work.
After that, access to the tools opens:
- view logical volume
- return after formatting the section and deleting;
- drive diagnostics;
- disk tools.
The last paragraph includes the following operations with the section:
- image creation;
- deploying a volume from an image
- copying;
- viewing;
- update.
Depending on how the files were deleted, the appropriate tool is selected and scanning of the marked area begins. Compared to other software packages, this process is quite fast. Upon completion, the found information that can be saved will be displayed in the viewing window.
The program supports the Russian language, but is paid.
Bootable diskette with Windows Easy Recovery
Windows Easy Recovery will help to save data in case of file system corruption or inability to start the operating system. She saves all the data on a working HDD, partition or removable media. The application is loaded into the RAM and works from it. This is convenient if the media has a damaged FS.
Its interface is no different from any other software running in a Windows environment. Unless all names will be reduced to 8 characters. To create a diskette, you need to download a special installer and go to the item “Make Emergency Boot Diskette”.
Windows Easy Recovery is free, but unpopular, despite the good quality of work.
Power Quest Lost & Found
An effective utility to recover deleted data. Only works with bootable media. It is distinguished by the need to carry an additional drive for storage (flash drive or second hard drive), because Power Quest Lost & Found does not save to the restored partition to avoid overwriting them.
The installer of the program serves only to create a bootable diskette with the DOS operating system and the necessary tools for working. After that, the computer boots from a floppy disk, and Power Quest Lost & Found is ready to go. Reliability of recovery is very high. The application itself runs from random access memory a computer.
Recovery process
Power Quest Lost & Found works in a step-by-step mode, after launch, scanning of the surface of the media immediately begins for the presence of damaged sectors, which will be suggested to be skipped. Upon completion of the verification, the user can select the partition to be restored and the medium on which the data will be saved.
After the scan is completed, the utility will display the tree structure of all directories, and also note the probability of their recovery:
- green and yellow - high;
- red - low;
- gray is impossible.
To save, select needed files, then click "Start Recovery". Depending on their size and quantity, the process can take up to several hours.
Note: Since control is carried out only using the keyboard, you need to familiarize yourself with the necessary key combinations. To do this, call up the help menu with the F1 key.
Restorer 2000
Another interesting application, which can be called an analogue of R-Studio, but with more meager functionality. Despite this, Restorer 2000 efficiently performs the tasks assigned to it. Works with FS FAT and NTFS, and also supports the creation of backup images.
The interface is similar to the R-Studio shell. To start scanning, select the object and press the scan button. Discovered data will appear in the right window, where you can view its contents.
In general, Restorer 2000 fully copes with its tasks, but it is not advisable to purchase a paid version, as there are analogues with a large number of functions and tools.
Getdataback
A powerful tool to recover lost information. Distributed separately for FS NTFS and FAT. The latter is suitable for removable media (memory cards, flash drives). Regardless of the type of deletion, GetDataBack will most likely return them completely safe, but only if no write operations have been performed with the drive.
Its distinctive feature is the possibility of recovery both after full formatting, and from media having physical damage, however, the developers here do not give one hundred percent guarantee, but the very possibility is already a huge advantage.
In addition, GetDataBack includes the following functions:
- search for lost on the basis of service records;
- the ability to recover files by signature;
- reconstruction of the FS;
- work through the network;
- flexibility of settings.
These features allow the program to occupy a leading position both among professionals and among ordinary users.
Work stages
Initially, the software package is delivered in German, but you can download the crack separately. The interface is the same as its counterparts - step by step. The first step is to select a work scenario that will configure it for the appropriate mode.
There are several modes:
- i do not know and will use the software settings (default settings);
- quick scan (used for loss of volume or accidental deletion);
- fS loss, for example, after formatting or markup;
- significant FS losses, for example, after installing a new operating system;
- recover deleted files.
After selecting a script, GetDataBack will open a window where you want to mark the restored drive or partition. After that, the application will start scanning and in a new window will open the tree structure of files and directories. There you can browse and save.
In general, GetDataBack is very good, in most cases it did an excellent job.
Acronis Recovery Expert - data recovery from hard drive
The last but well-known program on the list, featuring flexible functionality and high quality search for lost information. However, Acronis specialization Recovery Expert - reconstruction of directly sections that were lost for one reason or another. If there are no accidentally deleted volumes on the computer, the program cannot be verified.
The main features of the program include:
- the ability to recover missing partitions from any file system and any size;
- ability to work with boot disk or floppy disks;
- support for almost all types of hard drives with IDE and SCSI interfaces.
Principle of operation
Unlike other programs, Acronis Recovery Expert is trying to restore the entire section completely with all the data, reading information about it from the MBR and MFT. However, despite the popularity of the program and the manufacturer, it has its pitfalls.
Effective work of Acronis Recovery Expert is provided in case of partial filling of disk space. If most of the space was occupied, then it is highly likely that the utility will not only not restore, but also spoil the data, since it writes information to the same section, thereby increasing the risk of overwriting information.
Interface
A feature of all Acronis products is a clear and intuitive interface. Work can be performed in automatic or manual mode. The first is suitable for beginners. Manual mode provides the user with information about the structure of volumes, as well as the ability to select a search location. After that, the process will begin, which may take several hours.
Recuva includes the following features:
- search for data deleted from the recycle bin, from the player or flash drive;
- support for all types of files;
- support for almost all types of removable media;
- multilingual interface.
For "everyday" data recovery from a hard drive recuva is ideal.
The loss of important files is not a new phenomenon, therefore it is always recommended to make them backups, and also keep on hand one, or better, several utilities that will help restore data even if the operating system crashes. It is important to remember that after losing files, you cannot write any information to disk. An ideal option would be to start using bootable media.
Here are some tips to help minimize the risk of data loss due to software failure:
- always keep the disc clean. Do not litter it with useless data;
- regularly clean temporary files;
- regularly defragment and check for errors;
- there should always be at least 10-15% free space on the carrier.
Important! After the file is deleted, defragmentation and error checking is strictly prohibited! This can lead to a complete loss of data and the inability to restore it.
