Hopefully you’re reading this before you actually have need in computer file recovery. If you have lost a file and would like to begin the recovery process, there are a couple of things you need to know before you do anything else. When you delete a file, it does not disappear. The file is just renamed so the computer will know it can reclaim the space. If you are surfing or installing a program, any deleted file can be written over.

Most people are unaware that nearly every action you make on a computer will write information to the hard drive. Every time you go to a new website, the computer will cache the website onto your hard drive. That is why you have a Temporary Internet Files folder on your computer.

Going on to the Internet and surfing will write files to your hard drive. The sites you visit are copied into your Temporary Internet Files so you can browse them faster. If your computer needs extra space to copy these files it may write over the file you are trying to recover. While you are attempting to find information online on how to recover the file, you may inadvertently right over the deleted file and make it unrecoverable.

Leave your computer on, and find another one which you can use to go online and get a recovery tool. Shutting windows down will cause files to be written, which will put your deleted file in jeopardy. Using a thumb drive is a really handy way to transfer the recovery utility to your computer.

There are several file recovery programs on the Internet. Many of them are free to use while others are paid programs. You can check the reviews for each program and then decide which one you would like to use to recover your files.

If you would like to increase your chances of computer file recovery in the future, it is recommended that you partition your hard drive. That way you can have your program files in one partition, and your data files in another. This will save you time and trouble when you have another incident of premature file deletion.