data recovery software

I'm using windows 7. Is all recovery software essentially the same in terms of what it can find. ie I've been using recova which is free and has retrieved some files, but I'm having less luck with certain other files. Should I just let them go. Or will an alternative software help, maybe a paid for one? I've tried other free software or trial versions, to no avail.

You could try the imaging and recovery software built into Win 7...

Recuva is a very powerful data recovery tool, I've used it in the past to recover lots of files.

The problem is the more a disk is written too after the files are lost or deleted, the greater the risk that they will be overwritten, and therefore very difficult to recover (impossible with simple software tools), and if the drive itself is faulty then using a software recovery program can actually make matters worse.

A little more background on the issue you are having, and why you need to try data recovery would enable us to offer more in-depth advise. But I fear the only constructive advise available may be use a better backup solution in future.

and why you need to try data recovery

I'd strongly contest the notion that questions why someone would need data recovery.

These days (even in the home user enviroment), in the climate of bedroom malware/family households using computers, i'd suggest it should be considered as paramount a feature to good computing for home users (as it has been for business users for years), as AV software.

A good, established back up routine is worth its weight in gold.

To the OP, you do generally get what you pay for re data recovery software. * On the lowish end you have Macrium, on the mainstream end (beyond freeware) you have products like Acronis True Image, and at the higher end, products like Storagecraft Shadowprotect. Last time I saw benchmarks, Shadowprotect was the fastest, never can find that link though, but the right way as you've already seen, is to fully trial a product to ensure it works flawlessly on your machine[s].

Other types of software, such as Deepfreeze, exist. Used more in schools they do things a different way.

Another option you have is building a RAID array on/with your hard disks; the most common and simple way is RAID1 afaik. Essentially two hard disks with the exact same data on; whilst not strictly back in the sense you can restore things, a form of back up nonetheless.

Most trial products are limited [obviously so] and in some cases full evaluation can only be trialled after you contact the manufacturer asking for additional files to be able to fully evaluate. Storagecraft use this method.

* these are opinion, there are of course other products, and some manufacturers even license the same technology from other manufacturers. Storagecraft actually employ a couple of guys who invented the technology in the first place for example.

Consensus on the interweb about the Back up included in Windows 7, is generally unfavourable.

If your current situation is beyond help, in the sense data is unretreivable, there are companies out there who specialise in that kind of work, but regardless, i would urge anyone to consider how important their data is to them, photos, documents, etc etc, and then impliment a solid back up regime as soon as possible thereafter.

Edited by deleted (Sat 30-Jun-12 22:59:50)

Data recovery != Backup/restore

Backup/restore > Data recovery

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

Backup/restore > Data recovery

It would be unusual for someone to say "Data recovery" when referring to restoring files from a stable and easy to obtain backup, if I was working with someone who was calling it data recovery I would question this.

If one read the OP more carefully, they are asking for software to recover data that has been lost and presumably not backed up, talking about backup software is not relevant in this case, and I think pmb00cs was not referring to why you need a backup solution (which you do), but why you need a data recovery solution. (which you shouldn't have to).

Re the OP: O&O Software sell good recovery utilities which might be worth giving a try -- but like pmb00cs said, Recuva usually finds most stuff, so there is a chance it has been overwritten now and not recoverable by any software methods.

Edited by Pipexer (Sun 01-Jul-12 00:07:22)

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

Backup/restore > Data recovery

Also, thanks for proving my point right, by suggesting one is greater than the other, thus not equal

Far from the suggestion that the op might not need data recovery, I was simply asking for more background on their particular circumstance, I have, for example, had to recover data for a client because they had accidentally deleted it. I managed to recover most of the data that time, but only because they came to me quickly, and took my advise to stop using that disk.

But I have also had a number of attempts to recover data that were far less successful.

Data Recovery is one of those oh so painful things that teach us that backup, as annoying as it can be, is very important.

Oh and RAID != Backup. Trust me on that one.

Oh and RAID != Backup. Trust me on that one.

I'm 100% with you on that one. Also, the sort of data recovery that the OP is talking about is not via backups.

An untrue generalization. Depending upon the circumstances, backup/restore > data recovery or backup/restore < data recovery.

A file created 5 minutes ago is highly unlikely to exist in any backup, yet is almost 100% guaranteed to be recoverable by data recover software.

The best that can be said is the original: backup/restore != data recovery

Yeah but i think the people sidetracking the thread with the semantics of the words recovery, back up etc need to take a step back and realise this is a family read forum, and splitting hairs in this way about an important issue like this just confuses readers.

The OP has asked for specifics, but it doesn't hurt to point out his full range of options, since those in the industry, the actual software writers, themselves blur the lines of the meanings of back up and recovery, (because there are programs out there that can do both) and the upshot is that, as you point out;

Data Recovery is one of those oh so painful things that teach us that backup, as annoying as it can be, is very important.

ie. if the OP had a reliable back up regime in place, would he be having this problem? No. He would have already recovered his data.

So to any others reading, the message here is clear; backing up your data should be of as paramount importance as your AV these days.

Oh and RAID != Backup

RAID0 and reliably established back up regime

Backup/restore AND (Intersection) Data recovery = NUL

My hastily written initial post seems to have caused a bit of a kerfuffle. To clarify, I didn't lose any data per se, I deleted some files I later decided I would like to have after all. It was a bunch of rar files, so I am pretty much assuming they have been overwritten with other files by now and decided it probably best to let them go. I deleted them 6 months ago and managed to restore a few. I gather a rar file if restored is only going to work if fully intact.

Cheers for your suggestions though, and for the other suggestions on this thread. I may yet give them a go. I'll refrain from making any snide remarks about the patronising lectures, I suppose it was self imposed... to some degree.

You were after an Undelete type utility. Usually the space used by deleted files is reused soon after; so you need to get in quick.

In reply to a post by imbsuk:

I gather a rar file if restored is only going to work if fully intact.

That goes for any file.

"Delete file" =pointer_to "think! Will I need this in the future?"

Dunno what you mean!

In reply to a post by pmb00cs:

Data Recovery is one of those oh so painful things that teach us that backup, as annoying as it can be, is very important.

It's also a bit like a surgical operation. Not necessarily something you should be doing yourself. I used to be a data recovery engineer and developed in-house recovery software. I would estimate that perhaps 10% of our revenue came from picking up the pieces after a failed attempt with recovery software. In theory now that FAT is a lot less common I'd hope that figure has dropped. Most modern file systems have enough metadata to avoid the worst pitfalls of automation. I have my doubts though. Norton tools for Macintosh used to come up with some howlers when it felt the need to reconstruct the MDB.

In reply to a post by RiffRaff:

The OP has asked for specifics, but it doesn't hurt to point out his full range of options, since those in the industry, the actual software writers, themselves blur the lines of the meanings of back up and recovery, (because there are programs out there that can do both) and the upshot is that, as you point out;

Data Recovery is one of those oh so painful things that teach us that backup, as annoying as it can be, is very important.

ie. if the OP had a reliable back up regime in place, would he be having this problem? No. He would have already recovered his data.

So to any others reading, the message here is clear; backing up your data should be of as paramount importance as your AV these days.

Definitely. Always has been and I think it's sad that you've been chastised. I've already suggested that data recovery is like a surgical operation. Well this is another similarity. The one thing that's better than finding the best surgeon and the best hospital..

..is avoiding getting sick in the first place

Oh and RAID != Backup

Also very true. We made a lot of money recovering data from RAIDs. A RAID system is more akin to a spare tyre. It will let you limp on for a while - long enough to effect a repair. But RAIDs have their weaknesses. Most of them rely on a single controller board. A lot of them are populated by sequentially numbered drives which increases the risk of a multiple simultaneous failures.

So yes. A tested backup is the best solution. If it all possible create your own disaster. Buy a cheap computer and attempt to rebuild your system on it. It's amazing what you learn from that exercise

I'm glad it's not a major problem that you wanted help with, and apologise if my posts have upset or offended anyone.

Yeah 6 months is going to make the data difficult to recover.

The best data recovery story I have from personal experience was an accountancy firm ringing up asking if we (the company I worked for at the time did ad-hoc IT support) could help recover some files. I got the job of the data recovery task. It was late march, so it was urgent for year end accounts, and it was one of their clients account folders that had "disappeared". They had no backups, and when told that due to the nature of data recovery (and that the firm I worked for had little more than a handful of software tools) we couldn't guarantee anything they responded "Oh but you must its 5 years worth of accounts, and the only copy of them"

Needless to say we sold them a spanking new backup system.

I am fortunate in that I have been able to learn from the mistakes of others, and have yet to lose any vital data personally. (Even after the odd ill conceived "rm -rf *" here and there)

Post deleted by billford

In reply to a post by pmb00cs:

I am fortunate in that I have been able to learn from the mistakes of others, and have yet to lose any vital data personally. (Even after the odd ill conceived "rm -rf *" here and there)

Sounds familiar

Many years ago we attempted to delete a series of Unix files with embedded spaces in them. "rm -rf * *.*" (with a space between the first and second asterisk) wasnt the worlds best move!

Advertising is not permitted.

The win 7 system image system was a godsend.

When the 64bit version of bitdefender impolded and bricked my PC a quick restore of the latest image (which was only a week old) brought it all back.

And as I store all my email on my mail server nothing at all was lost apart from a few updates which were quickly reinstalled.

The thing is no matter what you use you must impliment a backup plan and stick to it.

I take a windows image every 2-4 weeks and every 2 months all my data is backed up onto 2 independant 2TB drives.

So make a backup plan and stick with it.

Post deleted by MrSaffron