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Help! I Need to Undelete my File!

You've probably come here because you need to undelete a file you accidentally erased.  If you haven't created any new files, or updated old ones in the meantime, you still have a chance to recover that deleted file.

For some reason, the file isn't in the Recycle Bin, but went directly to the bit bucket.  This likely happened if you deleted the file from within an application.

Try not to panic and do something rash.  While there is no guaranteed way to undelete a file you deleted some time ago, you can increase the odds by carefully considering your options.  Is the file very important?  Does your job depend on that deleted file?  Is your business at stake?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you really should consider getting professional recovery assistance.  There is simply too much at stake.

I know you didn't come here to hear that.  There is a lot involved in recovering a file and if you're not sure about the whole process, you could make things worse by downloading a random file recovery program.

Well, now that I've given you the bad news.  If your situation is not so critical, there is software you can use to try to recover that deleted file.  I'm not against using file recovery software to search the disk for an accidentally deleted file.  I just want you to be aware of their limitations.

Two pieces of advice to help make this situation more tolerable if it should happen to you again:

  1. Signup for a free online backup service.

  2. Install a file recovery program before something goes wrong

I've looked at several online backup services and my favorite is a service called Mozy.  They give you 2GB of free online storage and the backup is automatic.  If you should accidentally delete one of the saved files, you merely right-click in the file explorer widow and select the Mozy file restore option.  It couldn't be any simpler.  So what are you waiting for?  Sign up right now.

Because downloading a file could permanently erase any deleted files, it's safest to install one of these programs before you actually need it.  This way you can practice with it before hand and when the time of need should arise, you'll know how to use it.

If you want to experiment with a free undelete program, I highly recommend PhotoRec .  Don't let the name mislead you, it will recover all types of files, not just photos.

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