Do you need data recovery software or a file undelete utility?

Data recovery software and undelete utilities are marketed the same, but they are different in two ways: data recovery software usually offers multiple recovery functions to address various situations, and more importantly, they can recover much more data.

The cost test:

If you want to begin looking for a solution without listening to my explanation of the technical differences, this should help you get started:

The easiest way to determine which level software you are reviewing is by price. Anything under $75 U.S. means it's an undelete utility, most of them being in the $35-$40 range. Better quality recovery utilities that can work on more complex problems averages about $100, and can range upward of $400 for professional programs. Note that when you are searching for data recovery utilities, many companies sell each component of their software seperately. So, make sure the program you are looking for solves your specific problem.  

The four sceanrios:

Data recovery software and undelete recovery utilities claim to recover lost, deleted, corrupt, and damaged files, and sometimes partition and boot sector problems, but there is an important difference between the two. Here are some quick background notes describing each recovery situation, before explaining the powerful difference:

1. A deleted file means you have purposely thrown away a file by putting it in the Recycle Bin, or by using the shortcut delete key "SHIFT+Delete". You could have also "Emptied Recycle Bin". 

2. Files that have been lost may also have been emptied from the bin, or caused by a virus, software crash, or accidental format. Boot sector and partition table problems make files inaccessible, so in a sense they have been lost until the problem is repaired.

3. File corruption means the file can't open, or when it does, it reads awkwardly.

4. Any damaged file will open correctly, but the contents will appear distorted. One part may appear perfectly legible and another section might look like scribble.

The powerful difference:

While both kinds of software are designed to recover data, one primary point seperates them apart: Data recovery software can rebuild and repair a file system that is not intact to recover data, while undelete recovery utilities cannot. An intact file system means that every component that holds individual files together has not been altered.

If you don't understand this technical language, and you are unable to tell the difference between various data recovery tools, keep the cost test in mind. This will help guide you to the right data recovery utility.

One more data recovery solution:

If disk data recovery software fails to resolve your problem, there are hard disk data recovery experts in the field that can provide you with professional assistance in restoring your data manually. This might be a bit more expensive, but when hard drive data recovery is a must, there are no more possibilities for recovering files. 

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