Where do deleted files go?
When you erase a file on your computer, it usually ends your operating system’s “recycle bin” or “trash” folder. It’s placed in this temporary garbage area in case you change your mind and you want to later retrieve the file using data recovery software.
Most people think that after they “permanently” delete the file from the recycle bin, it is not gone forever from their hard drive and that there is no way to recover it. But, using appropriate data recovery software, miracles happen.
What many people aren’t aware of is that there is a strong possibility that recoverable data may still remain on their hard drive even after they have deleted the file from the recycle bin.
When you delete a file, the operating system may simply remove the pointer record to the file, making it inaccessible via the operating system’s file browsing tools. This doesn’t mean that the actual data was ever removed from the disk drive.
Recovering data on drive
Sometimes it’s even possible to recover data on a drive that had been formatted. If a “quick format” was used, then only the File Allocation Table (FAT) may have been deleted, possibly allowing recovery of files that are assumed to have been deleted during the format process
The best way to recover from unexpected data loss is to prepare yourself properly. While the best defense against data loss is real-time backup, sometimes data loss sneaks right up on you. Here are some of the data recovery tools that are available in emergencies when you think that you have lost some important data on your computer.
Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery
Pros
Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery can recover nearly 200 file types from a variety of devices, including hard disks, USB drives, SD cards and DVDs. You can check it out here.
Cons
The home-use, entry-level product does not include all advanced features. Only the Pro version can recover RAID arrays or create a disk image.
R-Studio Windows
Pros
R-Studio includes all the basic and advanced tools you need to attempt recovery of all file types from all types of disk disasters.
Cons
This software is complex and more difficult to use than some consumer-level, do-it-yourself data recovery software.
Data Rescue PC 3.2
Pros
Data Rescue PC can restore files even if you cannot get Windows to run. It also works over a network connection. This makes recovery from severe disk disasters much easier, even if you know nothing about data recovery.
Cons
The search and sort options have limitations compared to other products; however, the preview tool works exceptionally well.