Recover lost files

Most of us have deleted the wrong files at one time or other. After all, it takes only a couple clicks. And there's no undo option once you empty the Recycle Bin.

Fortunately, it's often possible to undo accidental deletions. Deleted data stays on the hard drive until Windows uses the space for new files. But Windows won't let you browse these areas of the hard drive. To do that, you'll need a file recovery program.

Recuva is a free, no-frills file recovery program. Just choose a drive, if you have multiple hard drives. Then click the Scan button. Recuva lists any deleted data that can be recognized as files. It also rates the condition of each file. Some files may already be partially overwritten.

A checkbox accompanies each item in the list. Just select which you want to recover and click the Recover button. Recuva prompts you for a place to save the recovered files.

Recuva is still in its beta (testing) phase, so it's not perfect. For example, I noticed a few scrambled file names in the results list. Nevertheless, they and the other files I recovered were complete and undamaged.

Recuva works on Windows XP or 2000.

Cost: Free

Link: www.recuva.com