How does data recovery work?
When you delete a file or format a drive, the data actually remains where it was. Your PC’s file system stops keeping track of it—the directory entry is simply marked “deleted”, and will eventually be overwritten as new files are added. Recovery apps find your lost files by scanning:
A quick scan checks the directory structure to see if there is still some information about recently deleted files. If there is, they can quickly recover the files, including the file name and location.
A deep scan checks your drive for data left by files that are no longer tracked by the file system, and identifies common document formats, like Word, PDF, or JPG. It may be able to restore some or all of the file, but the name and location will be lost.
How effective is the software?
How many recoverable files can an app locate? How successful is it at actually recovering the data? The only way to really find out is to thoroughly and consistently test each app. That’s a lot of work, so I didn’t do it all myself. I took these tests into account when writing this Windows data recovery software review:
Reviews Active@ UNDELETE
Designed to recover accidentally erased files, Active@ UNDELETE proves itself to be excellent at what it does. We found the interface convenient. You simply scan a disk for deleted files, locate the ones you want to restore, then drag and drop them into the bottom window. You can choose between a quick scan to recover recently deleted files or a deep scan for restoring files from a formatted disk or a deleted partition. We were pleased with the results of our deep scan, as Active@ UNDELETE combed our 20GB hard drive in 10 minutes and resurrected several supposedly irrecoverable files. The program is capable of recovering disk arrays and can create disk images to save data on disks in danger of crashing. We think Active@ UNDELETE is a smart safeguard for both home use as well as more professional applications.
Features of Portable Active UNDELETE Ultimate 16.0
1 Powerful data recovery application
2. Simple and a wizard-based environment
3. Recovery the lost data from the hard disks and disk images
4. Manage the partitions and create disk images
5. Scan and restore the accidentally deleted files
6. Creating virtual RAID arrays and recover lost files
7. Supports all the file systems including FAT, NTFS, HFS and UFS etc.
8. Displays all the available wizards to get a quick start
9. Provides two modes Easy and Expert Data Recovery
10. Partition Management feature and Restore Deleted Partitions
11. Modify the geometry and restore the partitions
12. Supports all the file formats for recovery
13. Numerous other powerful features
