How to Retrieve Deleted Internet Activity From a Hard Drive
Many times it is desirable to recover Internet History files whether they have been deleted on purpose, accidentally or by another user. Although file recovery can prove challenging, if the issue is discovered shortly after the history file was deleted, there is a chance of file recovery using third party recovery software. The longer the history has been deleted, the lower the probability that it can be recovered.
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Instructions
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Locate the history directory for the Web Client in use on the computer. For a Windows XP operating system running Internet Explorer, the history directory is typically located in the following command path: c:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\History. Note the History folder is normally a "hidden" folder in windows.
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If enabled, run system restore for the history folder and the Internet files will be restored.
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If system backups are not enabled, download a third-party free-ware file recovery tool such as Snap Files recovery software.
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Unzip and run the Snap Files recovery executable file.
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Select the drive where the Internet history files are stored, and list available files.
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Select all files in the history folder and click the "restore by copying" button.
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Select a location to restore the deleted files. The software manufacturer recommends restoring to a different drive than the history files are store on in order to prevent over-writing the deleted files memory location.
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Open Internet Explorer and view the restored history files.
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Tips & Warnings
The same steps can be run to retrieve Internet cookie files if deleted in error. Simply find the folder where cookies are stored on the computer.
The Snap Files recovery executable does not require installation on the computer, but other tools may. Ensure you have permission to install files on the target computer if the free-ware you intend to use requires installation as a software application.
Resources
- Photo Credit Screen shot taken by the author.
