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We've all experienced moments of despair after accidentally deleting an important file or emptying the Recycle Bin before checking what was inside.
Fortunately, deleting a file doesn’t always mean losing it forever. The good news is that in most cases, the data is still on your disk, just “hidden” from the system, waiting for you to recover it before it gets overwritten by new data.
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With the right software and a few tips, you can most likely recover your deleted photos, documents, videos, and other files.
How Does File Recovery Work?
When you delete a file, it is not immediately erased from your hard drive. What happens is that the system marks the space occupied by that file as “available”.
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This means that as long as no new data is written to that space, it is possible to recover the file using data recovery programs. Therefore, it is essential to act quickly and avoid using the affected drive until recovery is attempted.
Below, we'll explore the best file recovery tools and how to use them.
File Recovery Tools
There are several data recovery software options, each with its own features that cater to different types of users. Let’s break down the three best options for you.
1. Recuva: The Popular and Free Option
THE Recoil is one of the best-known and most widely used programs for recovering deleted files. Developed by Piriform, it stands out for being free and very intuitive, even for those who have no experience with this type of software.
How to Use Recuva:
- Step 1: Go to Piriform's official website and download Recuva. Make sure to download only from the official website to avoid malicious software.
- Step 2: Install the program and open it. A wizard will guide you through the process.
- Step 3: Choose the type of file you want to recover (photos, documents, videos, etc.) and select the location where it was deleted.
- Step 4: Recuva will scan and show you the files that can be recovered. Select the ones you want and click “Recover”.
Benefits of Recuva:
- Free: One of the main advantages is that it is a free tool with many features.
- Simplicity: The user-friendly interface makes it easy to use even for beginners.
- Portable Version: There is a portable version that can be used directly from a pen drive, thus avoiding installation and possible overwriting of data on the disk.
2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: Efficiency and Ease of Use
THE EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a robust recovery software, ideal for situations where Recuva fails to deliver good results. It has a very simple interface, but is extremely efficient at finding files that no longer appear in other software.
How to Use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard:
- Step 1: Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard from the official website and install it.
- Step 2: Open the program and select the location where you lost the files (a disk, a specific folder, etc.).
- Step 3: Click “Scan” to start the scan. It will do a quick scan first, and then a more in-depth scan.
- Step 4: After scanning, preview the found files and select the ones you want to recover. Click “Recover” and save them to a safe location.
Benefits of EaseUS:
- Deep Scan: Performs a detailed scan that finds files that other tools miss.
- Simple Interface: Even though it is a powerful software, the interface is very intuitive.
- Free and Paid Version: The free version allows you to recover up to 2GB of files, which is already very useful for small files.
3. Stellar Data Recovery: For Complex Situations
THE Stellar Data Recovery It is ideal for more complicated situations, such as corrupted disks or data lost after formatting. It is known to be extremely reliable and efficient in recovering files that were considered unrecoverable.
How to Use Stellar Data Recovery:
- Step 1: Download Stellar Data Recovery from the official website and install it on your computer.
- Step 2: Choose the file type you want to recover (photos, documents, etc.) and the scanning location.
- Step 3: Click “Scan” to start the scan. Stellar offers a “Deep Scan” option for situations where data loss is more critical.
- Step 4: After scanning, select the files you want to recover and click “Recover” to save the restored files.
Benefits of Stellar:
- Efficiency in Difficult Situations: Excellent for recovering data from formatted or corrupted disks.
- Wide Compatibility: Works with multiple file systems including FAT, NTFS, and exFAT.
- File Viewing: Allows you to preview files before recovery, ensuring that you are restoring the correct files.
Important Tips for Recovering Files
- Stop Using the Disk: Once you realize that you have deleted an important file, avoid saving new data to the affected drive as this may overwrite the deleted data, making recovery impossible.
- Choose a Safe Location: Whenever possible, recover files to a location other than where they were deleted, reducing the risk of overwriting data.
- Be Quick: The sooner you attempt to recover files, the higher your chances of success. Over time, the disk space that was occupied by the deleted file can be reused by other data.
Which Software to Choose?
The choice of software depends on the situation:
- If you recently deleted a file and want to try something simple and free, Recoil is an excellent option.
- For more comprehensive recovery with support for different file types, consider EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.
- If you are dealing with a formatted or corrupted disk, the Stellar Data Recovery will probably be the best choice.
Conclusion
Losing important files can be distressing, but with the right tools, you can turn this situation around and recover your photos, documents, and other data.
This guide has shown you how to use three of the best data recovery programs available – Recoil, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and Stellar Data Recovery – and how to choose the one that best suits your needs.
The important thing is to act quickly and follow the steps correctly to maximize your chances of success. So next time you face data loss, remember: there is always a solution, and with the right tools, you can bring back those valuable files you thought were lost forever.
