Recover Deleted Files

Long gone are the times when data-recovery programs were a commodity only for the skilled computer users that had deep knowledge on the hard disks and their mysterious ways of storing files. Today, you need no knowledge on the architecture of a hard disk drive, how it fits the data on the platters or the form the files take on the platter. Retrieving deleted information is a much simpler task now, as developers have created extremely easy-to-use instruments that can be put to work with just a few clicks.

Besides the professional solutions that cost twice the value of the data a home user recovers, there are also the user-friendly instruments that, despite the fact that they cannot be used after formatting a partition or after the re-install of the operating system, can be of great help, if used properly. UndeletePlus is one example. Unfortunately, this tool used to be free of charge, all the efforts of the developer being sustained by the adware in the interface. Now a license costs $35.64. However, its detection abilities can be tested for as long as you want for free, because the only limitation of the unregistered version is its inability to recover data, regardless of its size.

Its looks have changed to the better since the acquisition and there are no advertisements in the main application window. However, if you want a clean install, you'd better watch the step where you have to opt out of setting up the Yahoo! Toolbar. Other than this there is nothing to be on the lookout for.

The main screen, as with all the graphics, has undergone major improvements and now looks suitable for the application. Other than this, not much has changed. The structure has remained the same, just like the options available. In the right part of the screen the application lists all detected drives (and I may add that there are quite a few types supported besides the regular hard disks: removable drives, memory cards, flash drives, cameras, etc.), while in the upper part there are the options.

Before rushing into the scanning process in order to retrieve shift-deleted data, you can set up a filter to get only the most relevant results. This way the scan process will take less to complete and you won't have to feel like looking into a dumpster in search of the desired information.

The filter in UndeletePlus is simple, but provides some very interesting options to make returned results more specific. First off you can add the name of the file or just part of it, if you have additional details about it, such as the modification of date or size (you can approximate these as UndeletePlus allows you to set an interval for both). The application will definitely recover all deleted information it can find on the storage media and to avoid looking through all the clutter, it can hide overwritten files and temporary data.

With the filter turned on you can initiate the scanning procedure. The program moves fast, so you won't have too much to wait, but you have to keep in mind that it all depends on the amount of data it has to go through and how it is stacked on the storage device. That's why the optimization of the disk drives through defragmentation is a recommended action that will not only improve the overall performance of the system, but will definitely pay off in such situations.

Returned resutlts are displayed accompanied by a brief set of details, such as the entire file name, the location the data used to be stored in, the recovery status (if it says overwritten, I would not bother anymore), size, creation and modification date. Moreover, to help you recognize a file easier, UndeletePlus provides the possibility to preview the selected file. Of course, this feature is limited only to some formats and restricted to a certain file size. But you'll be able to view pictures, and thumbnails for videos or e-books.

All the files retrieved from the claws of oblivion are arranged by format in the left-hand part of the screen, allowing you a smooth perusing. Thus, files bearing the same name or having a common text string in the name are organized neatly by their format.

As far as performance goes, UndeletePlus is among the best file-recovery tools on the market, as long as certain rules are obeyed: never store data on the drive the application is scanning for lost files and use the program as soon as you realize the deletion of the data. You have to know that UndeletePlus will not get your data back from the dead if the drive on which the digging is made has been populated with new data. Also, in case of formatting, it's no use trying UndeletePlus' recovery capabilities.

But as long as no new data is added on the drive lost data is recovered from, UndeletePlus does an amazing job. It moves fast and rigorously checks the storage device for deleted elements. Filter options are simple and efficient, if set correctly. If it is still recoverable, filtering together with file-type organization will make sure you find the deleted information you need.

UndeletePlus makes for a great file-recovery instrument that works fast and is extremely easy to handle. It can preserve the folder structure of the recovered data and it is also capable of recovering files from CDs (although not all formats are supported).

The price and the fact that there are free pieces of software that accomplish the exact same results are the only things standing in the way of UndeletePlus' increasing popularity.

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