If important information has been accidently deleted from your hard drive, you can probably get it back fairly easily. Just follow the steps in this guide on how to recover data on your hard drive.
Have you accidentally deleted information that you wish you could get back? Fear not, for it is not difficult to retrieve data that has been “removed” from your hard drive. Even if you reformatted your system and cleared everything, the data is probably still there. You probably won’t even need the help of a pro if you follow the steps below.
Furthermore, if your computer crashes and you lose your saved files, you will also be able to recover what you has seemingly disappeared.
Step 1: Recovering Deleted Files
- First, check the recycle or trash bin to make sure the file is not there.
- Do a search of your entire computer to make sure the file isn’t just hiding somewhere.
- If you have emptied the recycle or trash, you will need “unerasing” or recovery software. Do a web search for products, or try one of these:
- Uneraser.com
- PCTools.com
- Stellar Phoenix Mac Recovery
- Data Rescue II for Mac
Recovering Data from a Broken Drive
- First, try hooking up your drive to a different computer to see if you can find your files.
- If you can’t access the files, but your drive is still running, use a diagnostic program such as Prosoft’s free demo version.
- If your files appear salvageable, use data recovery software. Some of the same programs listed in the above “deleted files” section will work. You can also try SalvageData.com.
- If your drive is completely broken, you will need to take in to a computer repair specialist. This won’t be cheap, so you may need to decide how much your lost files are worth to you.
Conclusion
Unless your hard drive has broken parts, you should be able to recover any lost information with the help of software. Make sure to search your computer thoroughly to make sure that the file has not just been misplaced or thrown into the trash or recycle bin. If worse comes to worse, a professional will likely be able to get your data back. To avoid this situation completely, always back up your important files. This is simple to do, and can save you a good deal of money and heartache
