Disappearing Files Are No Reason to Panic
Posted in: Computer Tips & Tricks
Oh no! You just deleted a really, really, really important file on your computer. Accidentally. Oh, no!
Perhaps it was your last QuickBooks backup file. Or maybe the term paper you worked on for the last three months - the one due tomorrow. Maybe it was the rough draft of the eight page letter you were writing to a friend. You hit “yes” when asked if you were sure you wanted to delete it … but you didn’t mean to.
You can’t stop asking yourself, “Is it really gone forever?”
First of all, stay calm. Panicking isn’t going to help anyone in this situation. Once you’re calm, take a peek inside the recycle bin that sits on your desktop by right-clicking on it and choosing “Explore.” Do you see your file? If so, right-click on it, choose “Restore,” and you’re back in business (it should show up on your desktop). If not, keep reading.
When data is deleted on a computer, it usually does not just disintegrate into oblivion. The computer essentially just slaps a sign on the data that reads “This space is now available for other things!”
Stay with me here. This means that your file doesn’t actually disintegrate into oblivion until it’s been overwritten by other data. And the only way it can get overwritten by other data is if you keep using your computer! So stop using your computer immediately once you discover you’ve accidentally deleted a file.
Once you’ve backed away and you’re standing several feet from your computer, find another computer. A friend’s, your work computer, your laptop, whatever. On this different computer, head over to Google and do a search for “undelete files.”
You’ll see a lot of results; unfortunately I don’t have a recommendation for you. Pick a program that won’t cost you an arm and a leg and that appears to be easy to use. (Alternatively, you may search for a program at Download.com, where user reviews and ratings may assist you in choosing.) Once you’ve downloaded the program(s) you’d like to use, burn them to a CD and transfer them over to the computer where your file was accidentally deleted. Then install the program(s), and you should hopefully have your file back.
If none of the Undelete programs recover your data, your last possible hope is a data recovery company. These companies use fancy-schmancy equipment and technology to recover the important information people sometimes lose on their computers. They don’t always succeed, and they’ll most likely cost you a very large amount of money, but they’re your last hope.
To find a company that matches your needs, search for “data recovery” or perhaps “Denver data recovery.” And you’ll do that search on another computer, right? Because you remembered you’re not supposed to be using the computer on which you deleted your file, right?
In the end, all this trauma and horror can be avoided if you simply backup your computer on a regular basis. If you’re like most people though, you’re likely thinking “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I really should backup sometime …” And if you’re like most people, you’ll unfortunately need to go through one of these horrible, stressful accidental-deleting experiences before you actually commit to running regular backups.
So hear my cry: “Don’t be like most people!” Learn from others’ terrible accidental-deleting experiences. Make sure to backup your data on a regular basis and you’ll never need to use the information provided in this article.
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