How do I recover a missing file?

Use Recover My Files to easily recover missing files.

Recover My Files can recover missing files even after they have been deleted, emptied out of the Recycle Bin, or lost due to a drive format. Recover My Files can even recover missing files from a system crash or virus infection. To recover a missing file, Recover My Files is the only tool you'll ever need.

Recover Over 100 Missing File Types

Recover My Files data recovery software will find and recover any type of missing file, but includes specific support for more than 100 file types including:

• Deleted e-mails
• Deleted documents
• Deleted archives
• Deleted.zip and.pdf files
• Deleted AutoCad, PhotoShop, and tax files
• Deleted digital photos
• Deleted music and video files

How to Recover a Missing File

If you need to recover a missing file, Recover My Files can help. The steps below will walk you through the simple process to recover a missing file. And best of all, you do not have to purchase Recover My Files to find out if your missing file can be recovered! Download Recover My Files right now and search your hard drive for recoverable files. Many picture, text, and sound files can even be previewed prior to recovery.

Step 1 - Recover a Missing File - Initial options

Sometimes missing files are not deleted but have simply been misplaced on your computer. To recover a missing file that has not been deleted, select the Search button located on the Start Menu.

If you know the missing file name or part of the missing file name, you can search for a list of all files with that word in the title in order to find and recover the missing file.

If you know what type of file you are missing you can search specifically for that file extension using the * command. For example, the search *.doc will bring up a list of all Microsoft Word documents while the search *.mp3 will bring up a list of all MP3 files. You can then sort through the list to recover the missing file. Click here for a list of more file extensions.

If you know specific words contained in the file, the Containing Text option will search through the contents of a file for a specific keyword. For example, a missing report about sharks could be found by searching for "shark". All files containing the word "shark" will be displayed in order to recover the missing file.

Step 2 - Recover a Missing File - Download necessary software

To recover a missing file that has been deleted, download and install Recover My Files. If possible, install Recover My Files to a different drive than the one containing your deleted files to prevent the possibility of deleted data being overwritten.

Step 3 - Recover a Missing File - Choose a search type

The Recover My Files Main Menu presents 3 options for recovering a missing file.

1. Fast Search: The fastest way to recover a missing file (takes aprox. 20 minutes).
   
   
2. Complete Search: The most in depth way to recover a missing file (takes aprox. 1-5 hours).
   
   
3. Format Recover: The way to recover missing files after a hard drive format (takes aprox. 1-5 hours)
   
   

Step 4 - Recover a Missing File - Select the drive

Next, select the drive on which you want to recover the missing file.

The Folders Search option allows you to add additional folders. Double click to add specific folders in which to recover a missing file. Double click on existing folders to remove them from your search.

Step 5 - Recover a Missing File - Select the file types to search

The final step prior to attempting to recover the missing file is to select the file types to search for. Check the file types you wish to search for in the designated categories. Recoverable files in categories not selected will be listed as Other Deleted Files.

Note: Searching for multiple file types increases the time it takes to recover a missing file. It is recommended that searches be limited to between 1 and 10 file types in order to recover missing files quickly.

Step 6 - Recover a Missing File - Start the search

Pressing the Start button begins the search to recover your missing file. A progress bar shows the number of files found and the time elapsed.

A Complete Search or Format Recover may take several hours to complete. Results can be previewed while the search to recover the missing file is in progress.

Step 7 - Recover a Missing File - Select the desired files to recover

To recover a missing file, click on the file type listed in the left column of the results screen. Then, click on the name of the file listed in the right column to preview the file and view its properties.

If you don't see the missing file you want to recover, try checking the Other Deleted Files category to recover your missing file.

Step 8 - Recover a Missing File - Resave recovered files!

In order to save files, a registration key must used to unlock the full version of Recover My Files. To enter a registration key, click Help and then Register.

Place a check next to the files that you would like to save and click the Save button. Save and recover missing files to a different drive from the one from which they were recovered.