deleted file problem!

[lenny109]

Hi,
I have deleted a file from my docs, then emptied the recycling bin, then
deleted loads more stuff and again emptied the recycling bin. Suddenly there
was a Word document that didn't want deleting. I have found it again using
Recuva but it tells me that it isn't recoverable as the file has been
written over. Is there anyway of recovering a file that has been deleted and
that space written over again but the file name is still available during a
search using recovery tools?

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Hi,
I have deleted a file from my docs, then emptied the recycling bin, then
deleted loads more stuff and again emptied the recycling bin. Suddenly there
was a Word document that didn't want deleting. I have found it again using
Recuva but it tells me that it isn't recoverable as the file has been
written over. Is there anyway of recovering a file that has been deleted and
that space written over again but the file name is still available during a
search using recovery tools?

No.

Unless you're the NSA and can disassemble the drive and use magnetic scans
to find the remnants of the overwitten bits, one bit at a time.

There are also commercial services that might do this, but you'd have to
send them the drive and lots of money.

 

[Idaho Word Man]

If Jack Bauer needed that file, I'll bet Chloe O'Brian could get it back.

 

[lenny109]

I expect she could get it back whilst he waits on the phone. Maybe I will
sent them the drive?

 

[John]

Yeah, send it to CTU. Wait... CTU no longer exists. Might be tough to find
Chloe. Janis may be able to help you recover the file.

 

[John]

Even with lots of money, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to
recover the deleted file. Been there done that and lost $100, IIRC, paid in
advance so they can start inspecting my crashed HD. The result is they
couldn't read the drive.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Yes. I think I could have stopped after the first word of my reply, but I
wanted to tell the OP why I said it, rather than just being overly terse.

Re the "24" comments - some forensic labs have apparently been complaining
that people who watch some of these shows have come to expect real labs to
perform forensic miracles...and get PO'd at what happens (or doesn't
happen!) in real life.

 

[John]

In my case, I lost that $100 before 24 became my favorite show. Therefore I
wasn't PO'd at the disappointed result. In addition, it wasn't my $100 (it's
a company HD).

I just think that this recovery service is an easy business. It's so easy to
take $100 without any type of guarantee that they'll give us something in
return. Well, they did give us something back... our dead HD

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

In my case, I lost that $100 before 24 became my favorite show. Therefore I
wasn't PO'd at the disappointed result. In addition, it wasn't my $100 (it's
a company HD).

I just think that this recovery service is an easy business. It's so easy to
take $100 without any type of guarantee that they'll give us something in
return. Well, they did give us something back... our dead HD

<SNIP>

I'm actually surprised that it was only $100, but at the same time I'm
jealous of their business model

To get back to the subject of the main thread (why bother, you might ask).

I recently lost a file (same thing, it was overwritten before I sicced
Recuva on it). I've been in the habit of doing Shift-Delete, but sometimes
in Vista I've discovered that what was selected wasn't I thought was
selected. I haven't yet figured out how I do that :-(

For the first time in lotsa years, I'm deleting to the Recycle Bin

 

[Graham Mayor]

It won't work for files already deleted, but you can overcome all these
problems for the future by installing Undelete 2009 Professional -
http://www.undelete.com/undelete/undelete.aspx. It's a sort of intelligent
recycle bin. Like SnagIt it is one of those utilities that I cannot afford
to be without. It will even recover all those Word autorecovery files that
are automatically deleted when no longer required.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

It won't work for files already deleted, but you can overcome all these
problems for the future by installing Undelete 2009 Professional -
http://www.undelete.com/undelete/undelete.aspx. It's a sort of intelligent
recycle bin. Like SnagIt it is one of those utilities that I cannot afford
to be without. It will even recover all those Word autorecovery files that
are automatically deleted when no longer required.

For me that's not a problem (I have been well in control of deletions,
*usually*), but it sounds like a great tool for many people. I'll link to
it, in case anyone I know asks the right question.

Of course, I might someday decide I need it