Technology can be as frustrating as it is useful. There are many things that make computers part of our daily lives but also things that will give us major headaches and lead to hours of frustration. One of the things that we could definitely live without is the time spent trying to undelete files.
Files on your computer range from worthless documents that you probably don’t need to invaluable business or personal files that would be disastrous if lost. The problem is that on a computer it is easy to delete files that may be important without even knowing it. For example, if you delete a folder without knowing exactly what it contains, you may be deleting important information that you really don’t mean to get rid of. This makes it especially important to make sure you know what files you are deleting before you push the delete button. Open documents to ensure they are the ones you really want to get rid of because it is very difficult to undelete files. Make sure you check the files in your trash can before you empty it. You may have accidentally put files you did not mean to in the trash and can avoid deleting them if you review what is being emptied.
Once the files have been deleted and removed from the trash it is very difficult to get them back, but it may be possible. Software available both online and in computer stores can be helpful but are usually needed before the files are actually gone. These programs are not included in standard software for any operating system so will need to be purchased from a third party.
On windows machines, a program called Uneraser has been proven to work fairly well in undeleting files. It can be tried for fee with a trial version available on the companies website. Another effective program for windows users is the Data Recovery Wizard. This is similar to Uneraser and allows users to take a free trial before purchase.
On Mac systems, the program Data Rescue 3 is a powerful, professional grade data recovery program.
When dealing with undeleting files prevention is the best option. It would be a wise idea to set up a hard drive as a back up disk for your files. This will allow you to backup your data and have the assurance of a second copy of it if the original is accidentally deleted.
The Free Undelete website has additional information you might find useful.