Recover & restore deleted files with recuva​

Accidentally deleting files is a common issue that many computer users face. Whether you’re working on an important project, organizing your photos, or simply managing your documents, pressing the wrong key or making a misstep can result in the loss of valuable data. Luckily, with the right tools, it’s often possible to recover those files. One such tool that has gained popularity for its ease of use and effectiveness is Recuva.

Panda Assistant

Panda Assistant is a robust data recovery software designed to help users retrieve lost or deleted files from various types of storage devices, including hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, and SD cards. It is equipped with advanced algorithms that can scan storage devices to locate and restore files that may have been accidentally deleted, formatted, or corrupted. The software supports a wide range of file formats, including documents, images, videos, and audio files, making it versatile for personal and professional use.

The user-friendly interface of Panda Assistant ensures that even those with minimal technical knowledge can easily recover their lost files. The software offers both quick and deep scanning options, allowing users to choose the most efficient method based on their needs. Additionally, Panda Assistant provides a preview feature, allowing users to view recoverable files before initiating the restoration process.

Recuva, developed by Piriform, is a free data recovery software designed to help you recover deleted files from your computer, external drives, memory cards, and even digital cameras. With its user-friendly interface and powerful scanning algorithms, Recuva offers both novice and advanced users the ability to recover files in various file formats and storage media.

In this guide, we will walk you through the entire process of using Recuva to recover and restore deleted files, from installing the software to performing deep scans for difficult-to-recover files. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to retrieve your deleted files and prevent future data loss.

Recuva is a lightweight, free software tool that provides data recovery options for a wide range of file types and storage devices. Whether you’ve accidentally emptied the Recycle Bin or experienced a system crash, Recuva can help you restore files that were thought to be permanently deleted. It can recover files that were lost from:

File Recovery: Recuva can recover many different types of files, including documents, images, videos, and audio files, that were deleted from storage devices.

Quick and Deep Scan Modes: The software offers both a quick scan for recently deleted files and a deep scan for more challenging recoveries.

Secure Overwriting: Recuva provides an option to securely overwrite files to ensure they cannot be recovered by unauthorized tools.

Portable Version: If you don’t want to install the software, Recuva offers a portable version that you can run directly from a USB drive.

Free and Paid Versions: The free version provides essential recovery features, while the Professional version offers additional tools, such as support for virtual hard drives and automatic updates.

Now that you understand what Recuva is and what it can do, let’s dive into the step-by-step guide for recovering your deleted files.

Step 1: Installing Recuva

Before you can start recovering deleted files, you first need to download and install Recuva.

Download the Installer:

Choose the free version (unless you want to explore the additional features in the professional version) and click Download.

Run the Installer:

Once the installer is downloaded, open it and follow the on-screen instructions. You will be prompted to accept the license agreement, choose the installation folder, and select any additional options (e.g., creating desktop shortcuts).

Launch Recuva:

Once the installation is complete, launch Recuva. You will be greeted by the main interface, which includes options for scanning and recovering files.

Step 2: Understanding the Recuva Interface

The Recuva interface is designed to be user-friendly and straightforward. Here are the main components you’ll encounter:

File Type Selection: When you first launch Recuva, you’ll be asked to select the type of files you want to recover (e.g., pictures, documents, music, videos). If you want to search for all types of files, simply select All Files.

Location Selection: Recuva will ask you where the files were last located. You can choose to scan specific drives or locations (e.g., In a specific folder), or let Recuva search Anywhere (the default option).

Scan Options: Recuva offers two scan options:

Quick Scan (recommended for recently deleted files)

Deep Scan (used for files that are more difficult to recover)

Start Scan Button: Once you’ve chosen your file type and location, click the Start button to begin the scan.

Step 3: Scanning for Deleted Files

After selecting the file type and location, you’ll begin the scanning process.

Quick Scan:

A quick scan is fast and typically works well for recovering files that were recently deleted. During the scan, Recuva checks for the file header information and searches for easily recoverable data.

This method is recommended for files that have been deleted from the Recycle Bin or from a recently formatted drive.

Deep Scan:

If the quick scan doesn’t yield results, or if the file has been deleted a long time ago, you can run a Deep Scan. This scan takes much longer as it thoroughly scans the entire disk for traces of deleted files by looking at sectors that may not be indexed.

Deep scanning is more effective but also more resource-intensive.

Once the scan is complete, you’ll see a list of files that can be recovered. Files that can be restored will be marked with a green circle. Files marked in yellow have a lower chance of recovery, while files in red are less likely to be successfully restored.

Step 4: Preview and Select Files to Recover

After the scan, you can start reviewing the results.

File Preview: If available, you can preview certain files (like images or documents) before deciding whether to recover them.

Select Files to Recover: Browse the results and check the boxes next to the files you want to restore. If you’re unsure about which files to recover, Recuva allows you to check all files or select specific files based on the file name and size.

Recuva displays various pieces of information for each file, including:

File Name

File Path

File Size

Recovery Chance: This is indicated by a color code (green, yellow, red) to show how likely it is that a particular file can be recovered.

Recovering Files:

Once you’ve selected the files you wish to restore, click the Recover button. You will be asked to specify where to save the recovered files. It’s important to save them to a different drive than the one you’re recovering from to avoid overwriting any files still in the process of recovery.

Pro Tip: Never save the recovered files to the same drive from which you’re recovering them. Doing so can overwrite other data, making it impossible to recover those files.

Step 5: Save and Restore Your Files

Once you’ve selected your destination folder, Recuva will restore the files and save them to your chosen location.

File Restoration Process: The restoration process might take a few moments depending on the number of files you’re recovering and the size of the files.

Accessing Recovered Files: Once the recovery is complete, navigate to the folder you selected to find your restored files.

If the files are not fully restored or if some files still seem corrupted, consider running another scan or using the advanced file recovery options provided in the professional version of Recuva.

Step 6: Advanced Features and Tips for Better Results

Using the Secure Overwrite Option:

For more security, Recuva offers a Secure Overwrite feature, which allows you to securely erase files by overwriting them multiple times. This is useful if you want to make sure that sensitive files cannot be recovered by other tools.

Use a Portable Version:

If you’re dealing with a severely damaged drive or system, you may want to use the portable version of Recuva to avoid installing the software on the affected device. The portable version can be run directly from a USB drive.

Schedule Automated Scans:

In the Pro version, you can set up automated file recovery scans to periodically search for deleted files. This is a great option for backing up important files.

Step 7: Preventing Future Data Loss

To minimize the risk of data loss in the future, consider implementing the following practices:

Backup Regularly: The most effective way to prevent data loss is to keep regular backups. Use external drives, cloud storage, or other backup solutions to ensure your important files are always accessible.

Use File History and System Restore: Enable File History on Windows to automatically back up your files at regular intervals. Similarly, System Restore can help you recover system files in case of a crash or failure.

Recycle Bin Settings: Adjust the settings of your Recycle Bin to avoid accidentally emptying it. You can configure it to prompt you before deletion or keep deleted files for longer periods.