Scenario: You've deleted a few pictures, programs, or other files you thought were no longer needed. You've emptied the Recycle Bin and they're gone for good. Then, it hits you: "I needed that!" What to do?

Solution: Use a free program by Piriform called Recuva to recover deleted files! Now, before we get started, please be aware that this program should be installed prior to experiencing any data loss. This is because Windows doesn't entirely delete files once they've been emptied from the Recycle Bin. The space is freed simply by removing the reference information your system uses to find the file. However, the data can be overwritten when you create new files (like installing a new program). To avoid destroying the lost data you want to recover, be sure to either install Recuva on a different hard drive, or install it before you actually need it.

• Download and install Recuva, then load the program from the Start Menu. This is what Recuva looks like when first started:
  

• Select the drive you want to recover files from using the drop down box (top-left). Click the "Scan" button near the top-middle of the program window. Recuva searches for recently deleted files that can be recovered. Recuva found one recoverable file on my C: drive called "resume.dat.old":
  

• Select the check boxes next to each file you want to recover. Then click the "Recover..." button in the lower-right corner of the program. Select the location to save the file to and presto complete-o! Note: You should recover the file to a different hard drive, if possible, to avoid over writing the sectors/information of the file you are trying to recover with itself!

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