RAW Recovery
It is the worst nightmare of any computer user out there, and it happens more than you might like to think. It can happen in a variety of ways, but the result typically seems the same. This disaster can also strike when you least expect it to, bringing productivity to a halt and causing a great deal of stress. What is this calamity? Hard drive failure, in all its ugly guises. It might also be termed user failure, depending on the cause of the problem. If you have ever deleted an important file and emptied it from the Recycle Bin, this falls into the same category. What can be done in these stressful times? Although these problems may seem insurmountable, they are actually very easy to correct. This is a blessing for those who are counting on recovering critically important information from uncooperative hard drives.
In most cases, restoring a deleted file is as simple as downloading a free utility and running an easy scan. When a file is deleted, the operating system simply marks that file as overwritable, making space for the next file. If caught in time, these files can be easily restored without a minimum of effort. But what if a file has been partially overwritten, or the damage to the hard drive is more widespread? In these situations, a simple scan of the hard drive may prove insufficient. Under such circumstances, more powerful means may be necessary to overcome the problem.
Fortunately, many free utilities have the ability to overcome even serious damage or corruption to files. If a standard scan for deleted files does not work, then a RAW recovery may still hold out hope. When a RAW recovery is performed, the application scans the hard drive without regard for any tables or maps provided by the operating system. This may be required if the operating system itself is damaged, or if the drive has become badly fragmented. Utilities such as TestDisk and File Recovery Wizard offer this functionality.
It is usually best to attempt a normal file recovery first. A RAW recovery can take a long time, as it does not function with any of the normal support from the operating system. On the other hand, this may be the only hope of recovering files that are partially overwritten or corrupted. This is a great way to recover files that may have seemed completely beyond reach before. The RAW recovery scan is very thorough, and specific tags such as file type, name, and content can be used to further improve the search. RAW recovery can offer a last chance to recover files that may have been assumed long gone from the hard drive.
It is important to remember that nothing should be done on the computer before file recovery is attempted, to make for the best chances.
Filed under: RAW Recovery