Handy Recovery Tool
When you delete a file on your 'puter it goes to the Recylce Bin and it sits there and as the bin fills up it gradually falls out the bottom of the bin. This feature was built into Windows to allow you to recover a file you deleted by mistake.
Your computer settings determine how large you want your recycle bin to be and thus the recovery life of files you place there.
Something newbies are not aware of, however, is that deleted files are still on your computer even if you deleted them in Windows - that's why somebody invented things like Eraser and Kremlin, programs designed to wipe files from a harddrive by overwriting them multiple times. The trouble is that hardcore techs or crackers can get at these files from your harddrive and recover them.
If you are a criminal using a computer and you don't want the FBI to get access to your stuff then the only way I know of being totally sure of wiping your data is to set your 'puter on fire, put it through a crusher at an auto wrecker, have the wrecker guy pick up the mess with an extremely large magnet to demagnetize the thing, pour sulphuric acid over it, then dump it off a freighter in the middle of the Atlantic.
But having done all of the above, some rascal working for
CSI might work his magic and get you arrested and thrown in jail afterall - so consider going straight and stop being a criminal.
Now if the only experience you've had with recovery is getting your alcoholic cousin on the straight and narrow and nobody that you know is a geek - I've got the utility for you!
The program is called Smart NTFS Recovery and as the name suggests, it's for ntfs only - if you are running Windows XP then your 'puter is probably ntfs. If you are using Windows 98 then you need to look around their website and download Fat Recovery - your system is fat32.
Right-click on your harddrive in Windows Explorer and select "properties" to see what your system runs.
Clicking those last two links will describe the two file systems.
NTFS is the newer of the two and is different in that it allows more data stored in a smaller area.
Smart NTFS Recovery and Fat Recovery are freeware. They can go through your puter's harddrive and give you a list of all the files that can be restored.
As you can see from the pic above, computers are getting recycled and reused - you better make sure you deal with those tax return files and those naked pictures of your yoga instructor before you scrap your 'puter!
Your computer settings determine how large you want your recycle bin to be and thus the recovery life of files you place there.
Something newbies are not aware of, however, is that deleted files are still on your computer even if you deleted them in Windows - that's why somebody invented things like Eraser and Kremlin, programs designed to wipe files from a harddrive by overwriting them multiple times. The trouble is that hardcore techs or crackers can get at these files from your harddrive and recover them.
If you are a criminal using a computer and you don't want the FBI to get access to your stuff then the only way I know of being totally sure of wiping your data is to set your 'puter on fire, put it through a crusher at an auto wrecker, have the wrecker guy pick up the mess with an extremely large magnet to demagnetize the thing, pour sulphuric acid over it, then dump it off a freighter in the middle of the Atlantic.
But having done all of the above, some rascal working for
CSI might work his magic and get you arrested and thrown in jail afterall - so consider going straight and stop being a criminal.Now if the only experience you've had with recovery is getting your alcoholic cousin on the straight and narrow and nobody that you know is a geek - I've got the utility for you!
The program is called Smart NTFS Recovery and as the name suggests, it's for ntfs only - if you are running Windows XP then your 'puter is probably ntfs. If you are using Windows 98 then you need to look around their website and download Fat Recovery - your system is fat32.
Right-click on your harddrive in Windows Explorer and select "properties" to see what your system runs.
Clicking those last two links will describe the two file systems.
NTFS is the newer of the two and is different in that it allows more data stored in a smaller area.Smart NTFS Recovery and Fat Recovery are freeware. They can go through your puter's harddrive and give you a list of all the files that can be restored.
As you can see from the pic above, computers are getting recycled and reused - you better make sure you deal with those tax return files and those naked pictures of your yoga instructor before you scrap your 'puter!