Optimize file recovery prospects
Imagine the scenario. That file you'd copied.... where is it? You've already deleted the original, but where's the copy gone? With a gut-sinking feeling, you remember what you'd forgotten... and now your file is gone. GONE! Doesn't take much imagination does it? We've all been there. You could almost enjoy the adrenalin rush if it wasn't for the sick feeling that goes with it. What are you file recovery prospects?
But never fear, there's such a thing as file recovery software. Quickly clicking away, you open your browser and do a little on-line hunting. There, found one. Quite good reviews too. Let's download a copy. Opening your downloaded software on your desktop, you're met with a message. “Click here to install”. Another. “Accept Terms and Conditions”. Another. “Create a short-cut”.
After negotiating with your chosen package the 'where', 'how' and 'why' it's going to be installed on your hard drive, you're ready to rock 'n roll. Clicking open your new toy, you start to perform a scan only to be immediately prompted by a reminder telling you to pay for the software or it won't recover anything larger than the size of a mouse dropping. You decide it's best to sure your new file recovery tool will at least find your lost file, so you continue scanning....... and scanning...... and scanning....... and you start to think file recovery could be a bit like Russian Roulette!
You'd be right to think it could be like that.
Let's consider how files are written and stored for a moment.
Files aren't liberally scattered across a hard disk like confetti. The file allocation system writes data according to specific criteria using defined algorithms. Vista and XP using NTFS will, subject to file type, look for the next available contiguous block of space large enough to accommodate the file. The system also looks for the first empty record in the Master File Table to write details about that file, and where exactly on the disk the data is being stored.
All of the above means you have to recover accidentally deleted files as fast as possible. The moment it's deleted, the MFT record becomes free for re-use and the disk clusters storing your valuable (but lost) data are now marked as reusable. Consider too that modern operating systems create and delete files all the time in the background, as do many memory resident applications.
If the MFT contains plenty of other empty reusable file records before the one containing the details of your particular file, there's a good chance those details will still be available when you perform your scan. And if the area of the disk containing the data isn't subsequently overwritten as well, there's every likelihood your file can be fully recovered. But the more the computer is used after the deletion event, the less chance there is of successfully recovering your files.
The moment you open your browser, files are written to its cache. The more you hunt for a recovery utility, the less chance you have of retaining that important MFT record, as available records are overwritten by the new file entries your browser creates. All the time, you use potentially critical drive space storing these files. Even more drive space is then used downloading an appropriate file recovery utility. Worst of all (because it's so unnecessary) the file recovery software will invariable require you to install it. Yes, you've guessed it, the installation routine will create and use even more available MFT records as well as using more disk area for its installed files.
It might be tempting to think 'large drive, small installation', but the area most commonly used and reused is the available space on the disk closest to the edge of the platter, simply because it's the fastest to access and hence the most efficient. That's why people talk about their computer slowing down as their disk drive becomes full.
We're assuming it's your system drive that contains the accidentally deleted data. If so, don't panic. You can dramatically optimize your chances of successful file recovery by observing a few simple steps.
It might be sensible to have recovery software already installed but it's understandable if you haven't. If not, don't use your computer to browse for recovery software if it's at all possible to use a different machine. Equally, avoid downloading recovery software directly onto the drive in question. If your chosen software requires an installation, try to do this to a different drive or media.
Having disposed of the obvious, let's consider the easily overlooked. If you use the system hibernation feature, turn it off. Do the same with any scheduled tasks such as de-fragmentation, download operations, system updates, virus scanning, peer to peer software etc.
Finally, the clever bit. Empty the recycle bin, assuming your file isn't there of course, because this could create a buffer of empty space which the computer may use first. For the same reason, delete any amount of unnecessary files you've created but no longer need that are, ideally, older than the one you've lost. Perhaps even some files where you're certain you have back-up copies.
You might cross your fingers when you hit the 'scan' button, but you can relax a little - you're not playing Russian Roulette any more! Instead, you've radically improved your file recovery prospects.