Deleted a File by Mistake?

Deleted a File by Mistake? by James Walsh

There are times when people tend to delete their files by mistake. While this data loss incident is bound to frustrate you, the silver lining on this cloud is that it could have been worse. It is far easier to recover files that have been deleted than it is to restore them if they have been corrupted, physically damaged, or overwritten.

Deleted the File and Emptied the Recycle Bin?

How many times have you deleted the file in an attempt to free up the space of your computer and later realized that you actually needed the file? It has happened with all of us at some or the other point in time. However, the task at hand is not that difficult. This is due to the fact that when you delete the file from your computer, the file is not actually deleted. The file simply gets removed from the list of files in the folder.

If you have deleted the file and not emptied the Recycle Bin, chances are your file is still in the Recycle Bin. But what happens if you have already emptied the Recycle Bin? In this time of panic, it would be good to know that your file is still recoverable. Even when you empty the Recycle Bin, the file is not actually deleted. The file name gets removed from the Recycle Bin and the space that was initially occupied by this file is now made available to the system for storing other files. However, the system does not use this newly available storage space right away.

What are Your Chances of Recovering Your Data?

Typically, the longer you wait to retrieve your file after deleting it, the lesser your chances of retrieving the file intact. As discussed earlier, deleted file frees up the space on your computer without actually getting deleted. However, as you create and save more and more files on your computer, the chances of this free space being utilized increase. Therefore, your file will get overwritten by another file, which can become a serious data recovery issue.

There are times when people de-fragment their drive after deleting the file. This can also cause serious problems. De-fragmenting will cause all the pointers to the location of the deleted data to be lost. Therefore, even the undelete software tools will not be able to come to your rescue.

If your hard drive is already almost full, then your system will grab any empty space to save the next created file. Therefore, in such cases, if you delete the file and wait for too long to recover the file, chances are that it will get overwritten by another file. For that reason, you should stop using your computer as soon as you delete your file so that the chances of the file getting overwritten are reduced to a minimum.

Bringing Back Your Valuable Data Back

Choosing the right data recovery method can be a daunting task. Since accidental deletion is not a very serious data recovery issue, using DIY data recovery software can be a good idea. There are many different types of software available in the market. While some at good at recovering deleted files there are others that are good at even recovering the overwritten files.

There are many specialised data recovery software available for different types of files. For example, there are different software for retrieving Word or Excel files, and different software for retrieving photo images. Therefore, select the software that can retrieve your lost file type.

This software understands how your computer internal data storage system works and are successful at locating the clues that can eventually lead to the deleted file. However, always remember to use a second hard disk to install the data recovery software. This second hard disk will allow you to install the software and the save the recovered files without running the risk of overwriting on your deleted data.

Unsure About Buying DIY Software?

With a plethora of options available in the market today, anyone is bound to get confused. Therefore, if you are heading to buy DIY software, make sure that you have done your homework. Usually software reviews by industry specialists will be able to give you a fair idea about the best software available in the market, chances of recovery, and other’s people’s experiences after using it. These are easily available on the Internet. Make sure that software instructions are easy to understand because you do not want to ruin the situation further by selecting wrong options.

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. For more information on computer crime and Computer Forensics see http://www.fieldsassociates.co.uk

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