Getting  Along With Your Computer Column Archive

Whoops!

By Cate Eales

Appeared November 2, 2006 on castanet.net

Everyone has done it. A program asks, "Are you sure you want to delete...?" and even though you're sure, it turns out you shouldn't have deleted that thing. Wow, do I ever hate it when I do that.

There is some reason for hope, though. I've mentioned in other columns (here and here) that data isn't really deleted the moment we hit delete. That means that sometimes we can recover quickly from our mistakes and just look casual, like we meant to hit that Delete key in the first place! Here are a few tips on getting the Wayback Machine working for you.


Undo
Most Windows programs, have an "Undo" feature. If you use almost any program that involves words and sentences or pictures, the Undo command is in there, probably under the "Edit" menu. In fact, in many programs there is "multiple Undo" which means you can go back through many changes. Maybe you don't edit documents to the extent that you would need 100 "Undo's," but that comes in very handy if you edit digital photos.

If you go looking for "Undo" and you don't see it, try the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z. (Press the Control and Z keys simultaneously.) Wouldn't it be great if it was this easy in real life?


Recycle Bin Recovery
If you press the "Delete" key, or click on "Delete," or drag a file to the Recycle Bin, you can often get it back. If you haven't emptied the Recycle Bin:

This will put the item back where it was just before you deleted it. This works best when you change your mind soon after deleting a file, before newer deletions overwrite the one you want back.

If you have emptied the Recycle Bin, you'll need a data recovery utility.


Serious Data Recovery
Even if you've never had to recover data before --- in fact, especially if you've never had to recover data before --- get PC Inspector File Recovery, available here. It will recover many common file types. While it's an effective program, it is not intuitive, and you should familiarize yourself with it before you have an emergency.

From the same company, and with a slightly more easily navigated interface, is PC Inspector Smart Recovery. This program is for recovering pictures, videos, or sound files on external media, like the card you have in your digital camera. Get it here.

The key to success with any data recovery program is to get busy on the recovery operation before any more data is written to the hard drive (or camera card). The odds are better if you stop everything else and just do the recovery. And take deep breaths.


Backups and System Restore
Wouldn't it be easier if you could just find that file on a backup and put it back where it belongs? Yes. If you have a complete and recent backup, you can do that, and we'll be covering that in a future column. Many of my clients also ask about System Restore, which is built into Windows XP. System Restore is helpful as far as it goes. It will mostly restore your system to a previous state...most of the time. That's not going to help in the deleted files department, though! Either keep copies of your files or have some file recovery utilities on hand, just in case.


Thanks to everyone who wrote with questions and comments. Please keep them coming! Next week should be a busy one as Windows users celebrate another Patch Tuesday. Microsoft will begin rolling out Internet Explorer 7 in Automatic Updates. You can either accept or decline the installation, even if you have Automatic Updates turned on, according to Microsoft.

Also, Microsoft Defender anti-spyware, and Windows Media Player 11 are both out of Beta and available, free, to everyone with a valid copy of Windows XP SP2. In both cases, Microsoft recommends uninstalling the Beta version before installing the new version, and that's not always as easy as it should be. Let's be careful out there!
 

Links
Links
Tracks http://rlis.com/columns/column65.htm
How to Recycle Your Computer Safely http://rlis.com/columns/column61.htm
PC Inspector File Recovery utility http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/uk/welcome.htm
PC Inspector Smart Recovery utility http://www.pcinspector.de/smart_media_recovery/uk/welcome.htm
System Restore http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx
System Restore limitations http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020711S0009
Windows Defender http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=435BFCE7-DA2B-4A6A-AFA4-F7F14E605A0D&mg_id=10047&displaylang=en
Windows Media Player 11 http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm
Get Cate's column by email http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=20618
RSS Feed: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml


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Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric, and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions, helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management. Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit the Real Life Internet Solutions website at www.rlis.com.