Only accounts with Administrators privileges on a Windows computer can run File Scavenger®.

Run File Scavenger® on the computer where the drive physically resides.

The Quick Mode is fast but may not work in all cases. The Long Mode is comprehensive but takes significantly more time. It may also recover many defunct files you no longer want, thus cluterring up the results. The best strategy is to first try the Quick Mode and then use the Long Mode if necessary.

The Quick Mode is best for recovering files deleted accidentally or by a virus and for reconstructing a broken RAID or spanned volume. It is very fast. It uses the Windows file system structure and, therefore, almost always recovers the original folder paths. However, if the file structure is compromised, such as in the case of a corrupted or deleted partition, this mode may not work.

The Long Mode can be used when the drive has been reformatted, repartitioned or has become corrupted. In many cases, it can find files even when the Windows file system structure has been compromised. The Long Mode examines every sector of the drive and takes significantly more time. Under severe conditions, files may be found without the original folder or even filename. When the original filename cannot be determined, a sequential filename will be assigned in the following format:

File type + sequential number + file type.

For example, the first Excel file will be named xls000001.xls.

If a drive is corrupted or its integrity otherwise compromised, you may get better results by scanning the disk number instead of the drive letter. For example, if drive D: on Disk 1 is corrupted, scan Disk 1 instead of drive D:.

Windows® changes the filename part of a file in the Recycle Bin for internal tracking purposes. File Scavenger® tries to restore the original name if possible. When the original filename is not found, search for the file extension, which remains the same. Look for filenames in the format below and use other attributes such as size, date, etc. to locate the missing file.

Recycle Bin filename format for Windows XP and older:

D + Drive letter + random number + original file extension

For example, "myfile.doc", originally on drive E: may be renamed to "DE34.doc". Search for *.doc, sort by filenames and scroll down to "DE".

Recycle Bin filename format for Windows Vista and 7:

$R + 6 random alphanumeric characters + original file extension

For example, "myfile.doc" may be renamed to "$RSELQ3S.doc".

You can scan the disk number assigned to the drive. All drives are assigned a disk number that can be displayed in Windows Disk Management unless the drive is physically defective and is not detected by Windows®.

Such a file cannot be recovered because its contents cannot be located. However, a data recovery technician may be able to locate the missing data. We provide this service for a fee and with a success rate of about 50%. The fee is only charged if data is recovered.