Files deleted from a computer can be recovered using file recovery software that searches for FAT or MFT entries on the hard drive. If the clusters previously used by the deleted file are not being used by other files, the file can be restored. Professional data recovery services are also available.
When you delete a file from your computer and then empty your computer’s recycling bin, there seems to be no way to recover that file. You can, however, recover almost any file, all of which are saved on your computer’s hard drive even after you intentionally delete them and after it appears the data has been lost. In the Windows® 98 operating system, the file allocation table (FAT) lists where a deleted file is still in use on the drive, even if you think it isn’t there. Operating systems such as Windows® Vista with a Master File Table (MFT), instead of FAT, can find files and related data storage clusters on the hard drive. It is due to this setup that files can still be recovered.
There are several file recovery and computer disaster recovery software programs that can find data you thought was gone forever. Such programs search your hard drive for FAT or MFT entries. Once the deleted file is located, the software scans the rest of the table to see if other locations, or clusters, on the disk previously used by the deleted file are being used by other files. If so, the file you are looking for has probably been overwritten and you will never see it again. There are programs that can restore files in Apple® Macintosh operating systems in a similar way.
It is possible to recover files after a computer crash, because the system saves them even after the recycle bin has been emptied. Deleted files are specially marked in the MFT, indicating that the clusters that were occupied by it are empty. In Windows®, the contents of these indicated clusters are intact, so the archived data still exists, even if the file has been deleted or the system has crashed. Using software to restore deleted files is the most popular method of recovering files. The best way to use the program is to load it directly from a compact disc (CD) or flash drive without installing it on your hard drive.
There are also professional data recovery services that can restore files to your computer. You should always make a copy of the deleted sector which contains the deleted files. There are many software programs that automate this process for you. If the data is in these parts of the hard drive, but it’s not visible to the operating system, there’s a good chance you can restore files you didn’t think could be recovered.
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