Free vs. Pay: File Undelete Software
You’ve accidentally deleted some important files on your computer. Now, you know that there are file recovery programs out there that can get those files back, but how do you determine which one is going to work most effectively for your particular situation? You’re wondering if a free undelete software program is just as good as one that you have to pay for, because you didn’t plan on losing those files and you really don’t want the extra expense. Have I got it right so far?  
 
 
HOW DEEP DOES THE DAMAGE GO

Part of the decision is going to be based on your particular situation. If you accidentally emptied a single file from your trash folder, you have plenty of free disk space and you have not used your computer since you deleted the file, there is a decent chance that a free recovery program will be able to locate the lost file. You see, your file is not actually gone. When you hit the delete button, the computer designated that file space as free space that can be overwritten with new information. If you have not added any new information, then the file may not have been touched and may just be lurking beneath the surface, easily recoverable. Now is the time to get yourself a recovery program to get those files back. Many free file undelete programs can recover files from a hard drive, USB drive or even a media card. The undelete software scans the hard drive or the external device and compiles a list of existing and deleted files and folders for you to choose from. The files can then be restored to the location of your choice. Most can search for a broad array of file extensions, such as bmp, jpg, png and pdf. In addition to "regular" file types, many of these tools can also recover encrypted, archived and compressed files as well.

A TRICKEIR SITUATION

While a free program will generally perform a basic scan for straightforward recovery situations it is not an effective means of file recovery in every situation. For corrupted partition tables, failed RAIDs and partially overwritten data, you’ll need a more advanced data recovery tool. Look for something with a more sophisticated data recovery algorithm as well as hex editing tools and file previewers. A disk imaging utility is also invaluable when performing delicate data recovery operations. While you may find some disk imaging utilities offered as standalone products, higher end data recovery suites will have this feature built in. Not only that, the disk images produced will be more suitable for data recovery.

WHY PAY MORE

When deciding how much to spend on data recovery, the obvious question to ask is: how much is my data worth? In fact, avoiding paying money for a professional data recovery utility could be detrimental. By throwing a multitude of free and possibly inferior data recovery and undelete programs at your data, you may end up worsening your chances of recovery. Each time you alter the drive you are trying to recover from, you run the risk of further corrupting the data or partially overwriting a deleted file.
Making the decision to invest in high end data recovery tools is simple arithmetic. If you are recovering $10,000 worth of proprietary data, customer records, and business information, paying a few hundred dollars for a program that can be bring it back intact is the logical choice.
 
 
Conclusion		  
  As you can see, both types of file undelete software options can be useful in retrieving your files. However, if you have given the free software a try and were not able to retrieve your files, it may be a useful endeavor to utilize a high quality, purchased file recovery program.  

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