How to Recover Deleted Files in XP With Freeware
Even after you've deleted a file, it remains on your hard drive. In Windows XP, it often goes to your recycling bin first, where it can be easily recovered. Even if it does not go there (or if you've deleted it from the recycling bin), you can still recover a file using third-party software. Files remain on your hard drive even after you've removed them, but they're invisible and marked for overwriting. As long as another file doesn't overwrite them, you can recover your files. Because of this, be sure not to save new files to your hard drive until you've recovered the file you're looking for, otherwise it might be corrupted or entirely overwritten.
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Instructions
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Download and install freeware file recovery software. There are many options online. When downloading and installing the software, be sure to do it on a separate drive such as a flash disk. If you install the software on the same drive as your lost file, there's a chance it will be overwritten.
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Run the program. Once it's open, click the "Scan" button and select the drive that your file was on. The program will then scan that drive for all deleted files. This process can take upwards of 15 minutes.
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Find the deleted file. Since the scan can produce thousands of files, use the program's search function to find your file more easily. If you're unsure what your file's name was, you can also browse for files based on file type, such as TXT or MP3. This might still present you with dozens of options, but at least it will narrow the number of files you have to cull through.
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Select the file you wish to recover and then click the "Restore" button. Many programs will give you an estimate of the file's quality, ranging from "Perfect" to "Poor." Those in "Poor" quality have been largely overwritten by other files. Even so, they might contain recoverable data. As you recover the file, note what directory it is recovered to, such as C:\Recovered. This is where your recovered files can be found.
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References
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