What type of search should I run on my computer with Recover My Files?

Computer data recovery can be required under many different circumstances. Your problem may relate to deleted files, or you may have an issue with a corrupt or mistakenly formatted drive.

When you start Recover My Files data recovery software using the desktop icon, you are presented with a wizard screen that provides a number of computer data recovery options. Each option uses a different data recovery technique and may be more suited to undelete one type of data loss than another.

As a general data recovery guide:

• if you have deleted files, use the "File Recover" options;
• if you have a corrupt of formatted hard drive, use the "Format Recover" options
• always try the "Fast" option first, followed by the "Complete Search"

1. Fast File Search

   Will locate recently deleted files. Full file and folder names will be recovered if possible. It will take between 0 - 2 hours to get data back depending on drive size and computer speed.

2. Complete File Search

   Will locate recently deleted files with full file and folder names. Includes an additional full drive search to find "lost files" which are no longer identified by the Windows Operating System. Lost Files are returned with generic names like "Recovered_Word_1". A Complete File Search will take 1 to 8 hours depending on drive size, the number of file types selected and the amount of data on the disk. Multimedia files are the most resource intensive to recover. Run a separate data recovery search for these file types.

3. Fast Format Recover

   Use this search when for formatted or corrupt drives (if a drive letter is not recognized you can select the "physical drive" in the following screen). This search will locate all files in the missing drive partition with full file and folder names. The search will take from 1 to 20 minutes to recover data.

4. Complete Format Recover

   This search is best used when a drive has been formatted and Windows has been reinstalled. Search only for the default selected file types (only add file types if the default selected file types were not on your disk). At the end of the search the old partition will be reconstructed. This Windows undelete will take from 1 to 8 hours depending on drive size, the computer speed and the amount of data on the disk.