Restore deleted files with Recuva

There is no need to give up hope if an important file is deleted by mistake. Deleting a file only removes it from the index of files on the hard disk, leaving the actual information behind. Recuva can scan for deleted files and restore them.

Installation is easy and the program takes the form of a wizard. This can be disabled to go straight to the main interface. The wizard helps make the search for deleted files more specific to save time and avoid seeing system files. Options include images, music and videos.

Click here to read our step by step guide to restoring files with Recuva.

The search time can also be reduced if you know the location of the deleted files. This is also useful if the files were on a camera memory card.

When Recuva has finished searching it shows a list of all the possible files with icons to show whether or not they can be recovered. Simply select the files, click on Recover and then select a location.

There is also an Advanced mode that can show a preview of some documents before recovery. It can also report on whether any of the file has been overwritten by Windows.

We managed to recover files from both our Documents folder and a camera memory card.

Recuva can also be used to securely delete files that may pose a privacy risk.

Recuva is the sort of program that ought to be installed on a computer just in case an important document is deleted by mistake.

The latest version can search for text within deleted files and some minor improvements to the interface. It also adds some early support for Windows 8.