Undelete files lifehacker

Instead, you get a Command Prompt:. There are a lot of options you can type in for the various switches. But, if you just care about the basics, then something like this:. Similarly, you can also attempt to recover the entire contents of a folder:.

Using that command would allow you to recover your entire Documents folder on the C: drive to your E: drive. There are a few reasons why you might want to use one over the other, depending on your file-recovery scenario. It took nearly two hours to deeply scan a GB SATA drive, although for smaller media recovery the process is markedly quicker; it took just 10 minutes to scan and recover files from a 2GB SD card.

One of the more interesting things about the deep scan of a primary drive is the number of images that aren't written over yet, despite their advanced age. Despite heavy drive activity, the photograph occupied a sector that remained untouched in all that time and was completely recoverable—yet more reinforcement to practice safe data handling and make sure to securely overwrite critical files. If you need to go beyond DiskDigger's media resurrection, make sure to check out our feature on recovering deleted files with free software for a huge assortment of tips and tools for getting your files back.

DiskDigger is freeware, Windows only. With the right tools, recovering that deleted file can be as simple as a few clicks of your mouse. Before you go into full-on file recovery mode, take a second to double-check the folder you saved the file in, as well as the Recycle Bin or Trash.

Also, think about your setup: Do you have any backups stored elsewhere? If so, you might be able to restore a recent or slightly older version of your file from there, instead of going through more complicated steps.

When your operating system deletes a file, all it really does is mark the space on your hard drive that your file occupies as free space.

You can also try out Disk Drill , though I believe it needs to be running before you delete your file for the free version, at least. Above, you got a basic overview for recovering deleted files from your computer. Remove the drive from your laptop or desktop if you can , slap it in an external enclosure, and use another computer to try and restore its precious contents.

Many of the apps we previously mentioned should work just fine for your damaged or deleted drive. I would try PhotoRec first, then the other apps as needed. You can set this up in Windows or macOS directly, and there are plenty of other apps—like Dropbox or Google Backup and Sync —that will be more than happy to send your files to the safer cloud the moment you plug in your device.