This video will show you how to recover lost or deleted data and restore other types of files on your Windows computer with Recuva. It includes the following:

  1. How to use Recuva
  2. Deep Scan
  3. File Restoration
  4. Sectors

I’ve lost my files, how do I recover the data?

It happens to everyone. By accident, you delete or remove something you thought wasn’t important. You may have clicked an option to remove the item by mistake. Or you’ve removed it from the recycle bin. There is a chance that there was a glitch in the storage sectors. Something might’ve caused your computer to not recognize the lost files. Recuva helps the user to restore any of his lost information. You can recover data without using Windows backup. Or have to restore the previous versions of the files. It’s best to start the process the instant after deletion. Right after you’ve accidentally deleted the item.

We have another guide that tells you how to delete items the permanent way. This method also removes undeletable files in Windows. Click here to permanently remove files.

Recuva is a popular program that includes a variety of tools. It has a selection of advanced tools and includes a secure over-writer. In addition, it includes a formatted drive scanner and virtual support. Its user interface is efficient and the scans are fast and effective. The free version is available to download from the provided link. A paid version is available as well. That comes with features like data loss prevention for businesses.

More about Recuva

What it can do:

  • Scans your hard drive, flash drive, and external hard drives for deleted items.
  • Indicates the likeliness of your chances of recovering the item.
  • It retrieves folders and items hidden in the Windows operating system.
  • Delete the files from your PC, in a secure method.
  • Restore deleted files, pictures, videos, or other media.

What it can’t do:

  • It can’t recover data that has been deleted in a secure method. You cannot retrieve or bring overwritten items back.
  • Connect NAS devices to the PC with a USB cable. Recuva isn’t capable of operating over a network.
  • It won’t remove certain items stored in the Master File Table (MFT).
  • Remedy physical damage to your drive.

It’s recommended to use Recuva to get your deleted items back. This is a data recovery service software, developed by Piriform. It’s a program to restore lost and deleted items from your drive. It retrieves and restores lost data that the OS has marked as deleted. Traces of the software and applications still remain on the disk drive. This happens even if you’ve removed the software. In conclusion, these items get removed with a restart. The sectors can get overwritten by other forms as well.

Recuva introduces the deep scan method. This method lets the software scan the MFT contents of the drive. As Windows creates new files, it will use up the MFT. This is the reason that Recuva can’t recover every deleted item. Use it as soon as you’ve removed an important file and it should work.

Note that, to restore, the user must not install any new software. Copy new items onto the PC, or restart before the procedure. This helps with the process of restoring these files. Use windows explorer and task manager to check if your drive is in use. If it is, stop all processes and activities using the drive.

How does it work?

The software performs two scans whether you use the regular or deep scan mode. Firstly, Recuva scans to analyze your computer for deleted items. The second one scans them for how likely it can recover the data. If the user stops the first scan, Recuva won’t display any further details. When the user stops the second scan, Recuva can see the files. But the results won’t be as accurate.

Recuva works by scanning the MFT for items marked as removed by Windows. Master File Table contains the entries of every item on an NTFS system. Recuva attempts to recover and recreate them from this MFT database. NTFS is the default format for the main hard drive on your computer. Another important thing to note is the size of the hard drive. If you have a big hard drive, scans could take a long time. As a result, deep scans take about an hour on a 2 TB drive. This value changes based on your hard drive’s storage size. Through the thousands of file types, it identifies the most important items.

In addition, a deep data scan process has been built into Recuva. This processes and scans the MFT for traces that can be rebuilt. The software searches every block of storage, to find file history headers. File history headers indicate the start and end of an item block. Then, the software restores and rebuilds it in accordance with the registered MFT. In conclusion, deep scans can and may take a while to complete. Recuva may struggle to piece it back into one when it’s fragmented. It’s more than usual a 50/50 chance of restoring those files.

How to use Recuva

Initially, when you start up the interface, Recuva shows you the wizard. This guides you through how to recover deleted files and data. Next, you will choose the type to recover. If, by chance, you’re not sure then select Other. This will retrieve all sorts of data. Next, select which location you want to restore your data from. Recuva will then begin to scan for your deleted files and folders. After the scan, you can find them by using the search box to scan for their names.

The results will show as green – being in good condition. Orange – being semi-okay. Red – being, fragmented items. In most cases, recovering green and orange content is successful. But, some data may have been overwritten during the time you’ve used the PC. In this case, it’s a tad late to get back the data. Well, you are lucky, there is a built-in function called Deep Scan. This scans all layers of your drive to further increase file recovery success. Most data is recovered by the use of deep scanning. Note that older versions of the software use older scanning algorithms. We recommend you to update to the latest version of the software.

Easy steps:

  • Download and install Recuva. Select run as administrator.
  • Open the software and follow the on-screen prompts.
  • Select your drive and start the scan.
  • For a deep scan, go to Options > Actions, and check the Deep Scan box.
  • Select the files and restore the item that you want back. Double clicking to show more info.

 

The Verdict

Users have the option to contact customer support on their website. Submit an email ticket with them if you require help with the software. Those with the paid version have access to priority support. In addition, most issues will be quick to sort with priority. There are different self-help resources available here.

We were happy with the results of Recuva. Alongside our efficiency test, it found over 60000 file types in a minute. Our test included a different file type as a variety. Including text, images, and web data. In addition, the majority was successful and recovered them intact. All the overwritten files were in poor condition. They didn’t recover so well, but this is going to happen from time to time. Users can specify scan details to further improve efficiency. This lets users search for specific types of items.

Recuva is one of the best windows programs we’ve tested for this scenario. They have also ensured that their annual pricing is competitive. However, the free version lets users test the program before purchasing it. What is more, it includes powerful features such as deep and formatted drive scans. Although its user interface isn’t as attractive, it’s simple and efficient. Overall, we think it’s a perfect and reliable choice. It provides you with a way on how to recover data.

We hope that you’ve found this article of Recuva useful. For any help with the process, please contact us via the website. To get in touch with one of our techies email us at [email protected]