Most storage systems do not permanently delete files until sometime after the user deletes them.Many free tools offer the possibility of bringing back lost documents.However, none offer a guarantee of success and in some cases their use means losing the warranty of the device being worked on.
Therefore, it is best to take precautions and make backup copies whenever possible to avoid losing data.Most file storage systems don’t actually erase deleted files, at least not immediately. The most common thing is that the operating system identifies that the space previously occupied by the file is free, but does not permanently delete it until sometime after deletion.
There are a number of free tools that offer the possibility of bringing back lost or deleted documents. The Salvagedata website has prepared a practical guide detailing which tools and procedures are the most suitable depending on the device used by each user.
Although there are many options and procedures to try to rescue data, Salvagedata recommends its readers take precautions and make backup copies whenever possible since none of these tools offer a guarantee of success regarding how to recover deleted files.
Windows and Mac
When the files you are trying to recover are no longer in the trash, it is necessary to use third-party programs to rescue them. For Windows users, one of the best options is Recuva, but it is not the only one. Programs like DMDE and PhotoRec are also alternatives to consider. Mac users can choose from options like Disk Drill, Prosoft Data Rescue, or MiniTool Data Recovery.
All of these programs offer a variable range of functionalities. Depending on the specific needs of each user, it may be appropriate to use one or another alternative.
For example, Recuva gives you the choice between a step-by-step wizard for users who are not familiar with this type of program or an advanced interface. In both functions you can give guidelines to the program about what type of file to search for and where it was located. In advanced mode, the file fragments that the software finds are classified by color—green or red—according to the possibilities of recovering it.
To use these applications, it is recommended to close any other program during the process. This prevents some data from being overwritten and, therefore, permanently lost.
Android
When recovering files on mobile devices or tablets, it is necessary to keep in mind that many of them are not saved in the device’s memory but on removable memory cards.
It is almost impossible to recover files on Android devices from it without rooting the device. This means that unlimited permissions must be obtained to modify or change attributes related to the software.
On many occasions, when the guts of the devices are accessed in this way, the warranty is void. The native Android data recovery applications par excellence are DiskDigger and Undelete. Other alternatives are Fonepaw Android Data Recovery and EaseUS Android Data Recovery.
There is also the possibility of running the aforementioned desktop recovery programs if the device is connected to a computer since some of these applications can scan external devices.
iOS
For iPhone users, it is common that, if trying to recover a file, the document in question is a photograph. The rest of the files are, in most cases, copied somewhere else, whether on a website, iTunes or iCloud. In these cases it is very easy to recover the files by accessing the backup copies.
To recover recently deleted photos, iOS offers the ability to access an album called ‘Recently Deleted’ within the Photos app. Deleted files remain there for forty days from the time they are deleted.
The options are limited if what you want to recover are documents that were not synchronized with iTunes or photos deleted more than forty days ago. The iOS file system has very restricted access and is more difficult to root than Android. However, there is a desktop program—Dr. Fone iPhone Data Recovery—which allows you to access certain types of missing data.