Recover My Files V3.1 (R)
"Deleted Files" are those file for which the Microsoft Windows Operating System file reference information remains intact. This file reference information can be used to find the location of the deleted file and access it. "Deleted Files" retain there original file name and folder structure.
When searching for a "Deleted File", Recover My Files reads the Microsoft Windows File Allocation Table (FAT) or Master File Table (MFT) to determine if the space used by the deleted file prior to its deletion is now being occupied by other active files. As only one file can occupy a storage space at any one time, if this happens the deleted file has been overwritten, or partially overwritten, and that part of the deleted file has been destroyed. Recover My Files displays this in the following rating system:
Overwritten: The original file has been completely overwritten and cannot be recovered.
Poor: the search indicates that between 1% and 50% of the file can be recovered.
Medium: the search indicates that between 51% and 90% of the file can be recovered.
Good: the search indicates that between 91% and 99% of the file can be recovered.
Very Good: the complete file can be recovered.
Whilst this rating system is a good indication of the chance of recovery, a preview of your file, if available, is the definitive way to determine if your file can be recovered.
"Lost Files" are files for which the Microsoft Windows file reference information that was once used to find the location of the file on the hard disk has been destroyed. However, the data that made up the contents of the file can still located on the hard disk.
Recover My Files performs a disk scan to identify "Lost Files" by their internal file structure, (i.e. their header, content and footer). Whilst the data can be recovered, the Microsoft Windows file name cannot. Recover My Files gives a Lost File the name "Recovered_[filetype]_1" and will increment the number according to how many lost files are found for that file type.
A listing of File Types currently supported in the Lost File search is provided here.