Recovery?

[Damaera]

I'll keep it short, I was a dumbass and deleted a few files about a month ago. I was wondering if there's a way to recover these deleted files? I think I read somewhere that files aren't really deleted when you remove them from your recycle bin, but I never figured out how to recover them.

If you guys need to know, I'm looking to recover a few folders and 3dsmax files.

 

[Spunky]

When you "delete" a file in Windows, the file isn't really deleted. All the recycle bin does is delete the file's index, making it invisible to the OS, which allows it to be overwritten. To my knowledge, Windows doesn't provide a direct method of recovering data, so you'll have to look at third-party software. I've never needed to recover data that badly, so I can't recommend any software. Google should be able to help. Search "undeletion" or similar.

 

[Deathshot]

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/collection/collid,1295-order,1-c,downloads/files.html

 

[Skyrider]

Try: http://www.piriform.com/recuva

 

[Z Power]

Just try not to Add/remove/move files until you recover the files. As Spunky said, you'd end up overwriting them.

 

[Damaera]

Thanks for the replies guys, especially Sky. I tried out your program, and I'm seeing files dating all the way back to 1979!

 

[Sicron]

Most likely the files are corrupt and do not have an accurate time date stored with them. Deleting the files and trying to gain them back after a month is probably impossible, you will most likely have overwritten them with something else. Then again, you might be lucky.

 

[DiebytheSword]

Yeah, once you delete them from your recycle bin, they are on borrowed time. You can send your drive in for a data recovery, but it will be horrendously expensive, time consuming, and come at a cost of everything else currently on the drive.

 

[Rocky]

Most likely the files are corrupt and do not have an accurate time date stored with them. Deleting the files and trying to gain them back after a month is probably impossible, you will most likely have overwritten them with something else. Then again, you might be lucky.

This.

A week is maybe pushing it, but more than likely from something as small as downloading a web page to your cache you could've overwritten all or part of the file(s) you're looking for. Best of luck but don't be too optimistic.

 

[Damaera]

Eh, I seemed to get a little lucky. Thanks again.