A browser such as Internet Explorer usually creates many new files when a web page is displayed. For example, visiting Google News creates about 20 to 30 files. When you visit our web site to download File Scavenger®, about 50 to 100 new files are created. Running the File Scavenger® setup creates about 20 more files.

Therefore, if you use the program Internet Explorer to download and install File Scavenger® from our web site, you may create a few hundred new files. Most files are created in the folder Temporary Internet Files, about 10 to 20 in the folder TEMP and about 10 in the folder you choose for File Scavenger® installation. See “Chapter 2: Data or System Drive?” for information about these folders.

Assume you are recovering one file from drive C, which has 3,000 unused file slots. Assume that 300 new files are created as you download and install File Scavenger®. The probability for the slot occupied by the lost file to be reallocated and overwritten is 10%. Therefore, the installation reduces your chances of success by 10% on top of other factors.

You can see that if the drive has 300 or fewer unused slots, the installation will certainly overwrite the lost file.