How can data be retrieved from computer hard drive?

Question

I'm new to computer technology, thus I do not know much about computers. Recently, I found out that data that are deleted from "Recycle Bin" are actually NOT DELETED. There is a space in the hard-drive that is specialized to protect that data. Using that forensic scientists can confirm suspects of possible crimes. But I want to know if there is any software or method involved to retrieve data that I deleted previously but want to view it now. I heard that it is even possible to find out the last editing time of that particular file with who edited it or who is was last edited by.

Can anybody find me solutions to find out how this unbelievable thing can be done, like how to retrieve data that were deleted in the past? And how to actually delete everything that I don't need forever from that space so that it becomes non-retrieveable?

Thanks

Answer 1

Try this:
http://softwarepatch.com/software/filerecovery-security.html

Answer 2

When any file is deleted in Windows, it's first moved to the recycle bin. These file directory entries remain there in limbo until the system runs out of disk space or you "empty" the recycle bin. This "permanent" deletion only marks the disk space allocated to the files as reusable. When the system needs disk space, it will over-write these available areas.
Since nothing is actually destroyed (only over-written) in normal Windows operations, it's possible to run programs that walk through the disk directories and find the "deleted" files and reconstitiute them.
To fully remove the files you have to use a program like Eraser to overwrite the files (thousands of times) to make sure that they cannot be recovered.

Answer 3

There are some effortless recommendations. those ones will artwork IF the workstation works, and if it has networking. a million.set up a community, and placed the documents you decide on into the shared documents of the community. 2. Use a flash stress. 3.Use something that has a no longer effortless disk which would be plugged in by usb, or firewire. that's for if the workstation would not activate. a million.eliminate no longer effortless stress from previous workstation. 2. purchase a no longer effortless stress enclosure, this show you how to place the no longer effortless disk into the case, and then it converts the IDE, or EIDE, or in spite of you should usb or firewire. The enclouse comes with a skill cable which you will plug right into a wall.

Answer 4

UNDELETE PLUS (FREE):
Undelete Plus is a free versatile program that will work with all the latest versions of Windows and can handle both FAT and NTFS file systems. It’s equally at home with removable media too so you can recover files from memory cards and flash drives. Tick the box to select a drive and click Start Scan to analyse the drive. This can take quite a while to complete on a large drive.
When it’s completed the scan the right-hand pane shows a list of the files available for recovery. You can sort these into file types by selecting from the pane on the left. Select a location to save the undeleted files at the bottom of the screen. You have the option of retaining the original folder structure if you’re recovering entire folders.
It can be downloaded from:
http://www.undelete-plus.com/

RECUVA (FREE)
Another good free one from:
http://www.recuva.com/

wdw

Answer 5

Go to best buy and ask them. There is a lot of software that is made to retrive accidentally deleted data. You do have to get to it before it is overwritten. Once that happens, it is lost forever. Not even the FBI can get it then.pp

Answer 6

There are a few free programs to do this.
PhotoRec is what I typically use for file recovery.
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

It is included, along with many other forensics and security tools, on the Knoppix STD LiveCD.

Answer 7

Just take your hard drive out , buy an external hard drive enclosure and put it to ya good friends computor and retreive what you want put it on disc, put ya drive back in ,and load ya data disc"s , i think it will work, but sure theres an easier way lol!