Recover deleted data from your hard disk

Few things are more alarming than losing valuable data. We’ve all been there. Sometimes the loss is accidental. Maybe you deleted a bunch of holiday snaps in the mistaken belief that you had already backed them up.

Sometimes the loss is sheer bad luck. Perhaps a system crash has rendered Windows unbootable. And, sadly, sometimes the loss is malicious ­ - certain viruses can be merciless in their destruction.

In this article, we show you how to get this missing data back from hard disks, USB memory keys, even CDs and DVDs. There is a good chance you can salvage stuff from all of them.

We can’t promise that you will be successful but when treasured files go missing, any chance is worth pursuing. Where necessary we touch on commercial products, but the main focus is on tips and tools that won’t cost you a penny.

Chiefly, this feature is aimed at users of Windows XP and Windows Vista (unless stated otherwise, everything we discuss is suitable for both), but don’t worry if you’re running something else – much of our advice is relevant no matter what your choice of operating system.

What a load of rubbish
It might seem obvious but the first thing to do when files go missing is to look in the Windows recycle bin on your desktop.

A file remains in this bin until you right-click it and select Empty Recycle Bin, providing there is enough space and you haven’t run a tool such as Disk Cleanup, which gives the option to dispose of files in the bin.

By default, the recycle bin in Windows XP uses 10 per cent of the disk space for deleted files, or the same percentage of each partition, if you have split your hard disk, up to a per-partition maximum of 3.99GB.

The bin in Vista uses 10 per cent of each partition’s initial 40GB, plus five per cent of any space thereafter. If your computer has, for example, a 120GB hard disk, it’s possible you could have about 8GB of deleted data in the bin.

To access the recycle bin, double-click its icon on the desktop. To restore a file or folder, right-click the file, hold down the left mouse button and drag the item on to your desktop.

Files only drop out of the recycle bin ­ oldest files first ­ when there’s no more room.

It’s not a great way to use disk space so we recommend that you open the recycle bin regularly to properly dispose of files you definitely don’t need. However, it is possible to increase the amount of space Windows sets aside for ‘deleted’ files; right-click the Recycle Bin and select Properties.