How to search hard drive for deleted files​?

Searching a hard drive for deleted files involves understanding how files are stored, how deletion works, and using the right tools and techniques to recover these files.

File System Mechanics: When you delete a file, the operating system marks the space occupied by that file as available for new data. The file itself is not immediately removed from the disk; instead, the file’s entry in the file system is removed or marked as deleted, and the space is made available for new data.

Data Persistence: As long as the space that was previously occupied by the deleted file has not been overwritten by new data, the deleted file can potentially be recovered. However, once the space is overwritten, the file becomes much harder to recover.

Preliminary Steps

Before you start searching for deleted files, there are some precautions and best practices to follow to increase your chances of successful recovery:

Stop Using the Drive: If you’ve deleted important files, the first thing you should do is stop using the hard drive. Continuing to use the drive increases the likelihood that the space occupied by the deleted files will be overwritten by new data, reducing the chances of recovery.

Backup Your Data: Before proceeding with any recovery, back up the data you still have. This ensures that you don’t risk losing more important files during the recovery process.

Tools You Will Need

Searching for deleted files on a hard drive requires specialized software that can scan the drive and identify files that were deleted but not yet overwritten. Some common tools include:

File Recovery Software: There are numerous data recovery tools available, both free and paid, that can help you search for deleted files on a hard drive. Some of the most popular include:

Panda Assistant is a versatile and user-friendly data recovery software designed to help users recover lost or deleted files from various storage devices, including hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, and more. Whether files were accidentally deleted, lost due to formatting, or erased by system crashes, Panda Assistant offers an efficient solution for retrieving valuable data.

With its intuitive interface, Panda Assistant is accessible to both beginners and advanced users. The software features powerful scanning algorithms that can search for deleted files, even those that have been marked as overwritten or hidden in corrupted partitions. It supports a wide range of file types, such as documents, photos, videos, and audio files, ensuring that users can recover almost any type of data.

File System Analysis Tools: These tools can help you examine the underlying structure of your file system to locate deleted files more efficiently. Some recovery tools include this functionality, but others might require third-party tools.

Steps to Search for Deleted Files

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to search for deleted files from your hard drive:

Step 1: Choose the Right Software

The first step in searching for deleted files is to choose the appropriate data recovery software. Most data recovery programs work similarly, so select the one that fits your needs and platform (e.g., Windows, macOS, or Linux).

Free vs. Paid Software: While free versions of recovery software can recover a limited number of files, paid versions typically offer more advanced scanning algorithms and better chances of recovery.

User Interface: Consider choosing a program with a user-friendly interface if you’re unfamiliar with data recovery processes.

Step 2: Install and Launch the Recovery Tool

Once you’ve chosen your software, download and install it on a different drive than the one from which you want to recover files. Installing the software on the same drive increases the risk of overwriting the deleted files.

Install the software: Follow the instructions to install the recovery tool on a different drive or external device (USB drive, etc.).

Launch the recovery tool: Open the recovery program to start scanning for deleted files.

Step 3: Select the Drive to Scan

Once the program is open, you will be prompted to select the drive or partition where the deleted files were located. In some cases, the program might automatically display a list of all available drives connected to your computer.

Select the appropriate drive: Choose the drive where the files were deleted. If you’re unsure, select the primary drive (C:) or external drive where you stored the files.

Step 4: Choose the Type of Scan

Most data recovery tools offer multiple types of scans:

Quick Scan: This scan checks the drive for files that have recently been deleted. It typically takes less time but might not find all deleted files.

Deep Scan: This scan thoroughly examines the drive for deleted files by looking for data remnants, even if the file entries have been erased from the file system. This process takes much longer but is more thorough.

Select the scan type: Depending on your needs, you can choose either a quick scan (faster, but less thorough) or a deep scan (slower, but more effective).

Step 5: Scanning for Deleted Files

Start the scan by clicking the appropriate button in your recovery tool. The software will begin the process of scanning the hard drive for deleted files.

Progress Tracking: Most tools provide an estimated time of completion and a progress bar that shows how far along the scan is. Deep scans can take hours depending on the size of the drive.

File Preview: Some recovery tools allow you to preview the files they have found, so you can check if the deleted files are intact and viewable.

Step 6: Browse the Results

Once the scan is completed, the recovery tool will display a list of files it found, categorized by their type and path. The program might categorize files into two sections:

Deleted Files: Files that have been marked as deleted but are recoverable.

Lost Files: Files that were found using a deep scan, often without their original file names or directory structure.

Filter and Sort Results: You can often filter or sort the results by file type, size, or name to narrow down the list of potential recoverable files.

Check for Recoverable Files: Examine the list for the files you want to recover.

Step 7: Recover the Files

After identifying the files you want to recover, select them and choose the option to restore or recover them.

Save the Files: Choose a location to save the recovered files. Do not save them to the same drive from which they were recovered. Save them to another drive to avoid overwriting other deleted data.

File Integrity: After recovery, check the files to ensure they are intact and accessible.

Step 8: Backup Recovered Files

Once you’ve successfully recovered the files, it’s a good practice to back them up to avoid future data loss. You can use cloud storage, an external hard drive, or other backup solutions.

Advanced Techniques for Searching Deleted Files

In some cases, deleted files may not appear during a basic scan. If this happens, you can try the following techniques:

File Signature Search: Some advanced recovery tools allow you to search for files based on their signature (a unique identifier embedded in the file). This is particularly useful if the file names or file system entries have been corrupted or overwritten.

Partition Recovery: If a partition was accidentally deleted or corrupted, tools like TestDisk can help you recover the partition and the files within it.

Check for Shadow Copies: On Windows, the operating system may create shadow copies of files at regular intervals. You can check for these copies and attempt to restore files from them. Tools like ShadowExplorer allow you to explore shadow copies and recover older versions of files.

Use Command Line Tools: For advanced users, command-line tools like CHKDSK and SFC (System File Checker) can sometimes repair corrupted file systems or recover data from damaged drives.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overwriting Files: As mentioned earlier, overwriting the space where a deleted file resides is the most significant risk when recovering files. Avoid installing recovery software or saving recovered files to the same drive.

Ignoring File Recovery Software: Not using the right software or attempting DIY recovery techniques without the proper knowledge can lead to permanent data loss.

Not Backing Up Files: Always back up files regularly to avoid future data loss.