File recovery 101 for Windows.

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Recuva – freeware file recovery that can’t be beat. I’ve used this several times already and it’s a great file recovery software. Works well and is easy to use. Intuitive user interface so you don’t need to be super geek to get your lost file back. Fairly high sucsess rate but not 100 percent. If you can’t find it with recuva I recommend File Recover from PC Tools. PC Tools is a great option for file recovery with the main software you want to use being called File Recover.  PC Tools Software is a global leader developing products to protect the privacy, security, performance and stability of Windows computer users.

So lets get started with Recuva. Here is the main list of instructions on how to use recuva software. This information is spread across the recuva site but I figured it would help you guys if I pulled it all together into one document here. So after you download recuva you can come back here for instuctions.

Before you start Recuva:

Take these precautions to get the best results from Recuva:

• Quit any applications you’re not using and don’t need.
• If you are trying to recover files from a media card, stop using that card immediately.

Here’s the fastest way to get your files back:

1. Start Recuva in Wizard mode. If the Wizard doesn’t appear, click the Options button, and then click Run Wizard.
2. On the Welcome to the Recuva Wizard page, click Next.
3. On the File Type page, select the type of files you want to recover, then click Next. If you’re not sure what type of files you’re looking for, select Other.
4. On the File Location page, select the location where you want to search, and then click Next.
5. On the Thank You page, click Start. Recuva displays the progress of the scan, and then shows its search results in the main window. If the file(s) you’re looking for aren’t in the list, see below.
6. Select the check boxes beside the file or files you want to restore. The color of the dot next to the file name indicates your chances for a successful recovery (green for excellent, orange for acceptable, and red for unlikely):
7. Click Recover. Select a destination for the recovered files (ideally, on another drive). Click OK.

If Step 5 did not locate the files you were seeking, close Recuva and run Steps 1 to 4 again. On the Thank You page, select Enable Deep Scan and then click Start. This advanced scan will take much longer (possibly hours).

Quick Start: If you know the file names

You can speed up Recuva’s search and recovery if you know all or part of the name of the file you’re looking for:

1. Start Recuva in Advanced mode. If the Wizard appears, select Do Not Show This Wizard on Startup and then click Cancel.
2. In Recuva’s main window, type all or part of the file name into the Filename or path box. Select the location you want to search from the drop-down box at left, and then click Scan.
3. Recuva displays the progress of the scan, and then shows its search results in the main window. If the file(s) you’re looking for aren’t in the list, see below.
4. Select the check boxes beside the file or files you want to restore. The color of the dot next to the file name indicates your chances for a successful recovery (green for excellent, orange for acceptable, and red for unlikely):
5. Click Recover. Select a destination for the recovered files (ideally, on another drive). Click OK.

If Step 4 did not locate the files you were seeking, select Deep Scan in the Options dialog box on the Actions tab. Run Step 5 again. This advanced scan will take much longer (it can take hours).

Issues after running Recuva