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Our Windows version | Windows 11 |
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How long we tested | 1 week |
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Number of tested tools | 17 |
Whether it’s pictures, documents, audio, or file types, it’s a good idea to select a recovery program that supports the retrieval of a wide range of file extensions. Once you’re done recovering your files this time around, you may need to use the program again in the future for a different file type.
Data loss can occur on any operating system but not all data recovery programs support multiple platforms. Make sure the app you choose is fully compatible with the OS you run or, at least, has a version for that platform particularly. Certain programs even allow the recovery of storage media formatted for a different operating system entirely.
Not everybody is tech-savvy and knows their way around a command prompt or advanced menus. Choose a data recovery program that has a user interface and flow that fits your technical expertise. That way, you’ll be able to recover your files with minimal hassle. Some apps are even designed to accommodate both novice and expert users.
Download and install the program to the Mac or Windows platform
Start the app and choose the disk that contained the deleted files
The Recover button starts the scanning process to discover deleted files
Choose the data you want to undelete and click the Recover button to perform the restore
Install quality antivirus/antimalware software. Viruses and malware can wreak havoc on your computer and storage media and could lead to some serious loss of data. To prevent that, it’s always a good idea to install quality antivirus and antimalware software to counteract any malicious programs trying to infiltrate your machine.
Password protect your machine. If you live in a household with multiple people, then it’s a good idea to put a strong password on your computer or laptop. You never know when a child or another unauthorized person might try to make their way into your machine and fiddle with your files. Better safe than sorry.
Keep work and leisure separate. It’s always a good idea to have a separate computer/laptop for work and general use. If you keep installing and uninstalling programs on a machine, it will hasten the rate at which the operating system might break down. And when it finally does become unstable, you could lose some important data in the process.
For IFF files that were accidentally deleted using the Delete key or right-click > Delete command, they should be available for restoration from the Windows Recycle Bin tool. Other forms of data loss may be recovered using the File History feature, provided it was enabled beforehand. Otherwise, you’ll need a quality data recovery program.
On Windows PCs,IFF files that weren’t permanently deleted using the Shift + Delete command can be found and restored from the Recycle Bin tool. For Macs, all deleted X files are sent to the Trash first, so you can get them back from there. Otherwise, you can use Windows File History if you enabled it before the deletion or the Mac Timeline feature.
Backups are the easiest way to recover IFF files that were saved over. Windows machines also have a built-in feature that allows you to retrieve older versions of X files, as long as you enabled the tool before the overwriting occurred. Mac has a similar feature called Time Machine. Alternatively, you can use Windows System Restore to return your PC to a previous point in time, but you’d need to have created a backup prior.