How to Edit a Picture in Paint Using Windows XP

Although the Windows XP version of Paint is usually used to create simple drawings, you can also use it to edit picture files. In Paint, you can crop your pictures, edit their colors, draw objects on them, or add text to them. If you use XP, just follow these steps to edit your pictures in Paint.

How to Edit a Picture in Paint Using Windows XP

1. Choose Start→All Programs→Accessories→Paint.

You can find the Start button at the bottom, left-hand corner of your screen.

2 . Choose File→Open.

In the Paint window, you can find the File menu near the upper, left-hand corner of your screen.

3. Select the picture you want to edit and click Open.

After you choose File→Open, you'll see a list of picture files you can edit, and if you can't locate the picture file that you want to edit, you can browse to find it.

4. Edit the picture.

You have several options when it comes to editing the picture files.

Edit colors: Choose a color from the color palette in the bottom-left corner and use various tools (such as Airbrush, Brush, Fill with Color, and the Color dropper) to apply color to the image or selected drawn objects, such as rectangles.

Select areas: Select the Free Form Select and Select tools and then click and drag on the image to select portions of the picture. You can then crop out these elements by choosing Edit→Cut.

Add text: Select the Text tool and then click and drag on the image to create a text box in which you can enter and format text.

Draw objects: Select the Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Polygon, or Ellipse tool, and then click and drag on the image to draw objects.

Modify the image: Use the commands on the Image menu to change the colors and stretch out, flip around, or change the size of the image.

5. Save, Print, or Send the picture file via e-mail.

Choose File→Save to save your masterpiece, File→Print to print it, or choose File→Send to send it by e-mail.

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17 Free Data Recovery Software Tools

Many free data recovery  program s exist that can help recover your accidentally deleted files. These file recovery programs can help you recover, or "undelete" files on your computer.

Files you have deleted and then recently emptied from your Recycle Bin are often still present on your  hard drive  (or  USB drive , or media card, etc.) and can be recovered using free data recovery software.

Important: You can greatly increase the chance of recovering a file by minimizing your computer use as soon as possible. See my  File Recovery Software FAQ  for more on this, plus answers to common questions I get about file recovery.

Undelete files you thought were gone forever with any one of these freeware data recovery tools:

17 Free Data Recovery Software Tools

1. Recuva

Recuva is the very best free file recovery software available, hands down. It's very easy to use but has many optional advanced  features  as well.

Recuva can recover files from hard drives, external drives (USB drives, etc.), BD/DVD/CD discs, and memory cards. Recuva can even undelete files from your iPod!

Recuva will undelete files in Windows 8 & 8.1, 7, Vista, XP, Server 2008/2003, and older Windows versions like 2000, NT, ME and 98. 64-bit Windows versions are also supported. There is also a 64-bit version Recuva available.

Piriform provides both an installable and a portable version of Recuva. I tested file recovery with Recuva v1.50.1036 using their portable version in Windows 8.1.

Undeleting a file with Recuva is as easy as deleting one! I highly recommend that you try Recuva first if you need to recover a file.

 Recuva v1.50.1036 Review and Free Download 

2. Puran File Recovery

Puran File Recovery is one of the better free file recovery programs I've seen. It's very easy to use, will scan any drive that Windows sees, and has a lot of advanced options if you need them.

One particular thing to note - Puran File Recovery identified more files on my test machine than most other tools so be sure to give this one a shot in addition to Recuva if it didn't find what you were looking for.

Puran File Recovery will even recover lost partitions if they haven't been overwritten yet.

Puran File Recovery works with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP. It's also available in portable form for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows so it doesn't require installation.

 Puran File Recovery v1.2 Review and Free Download 

3. Glary Undelete

Glary Undelete is an excellent free file recovery program. It's very easy to use and has one of the better user interfaces that I've seen.

The biggest advantages in Glary Undelete include the easy "Folders" view, a Windows Explorer-style view of recoverable files, and a prominent "State" indication for each file, suggesting how likely a successful file recovery will be.

One disadvantage of Glary Undelete is that installation is required before you can use it and it asks you to install a toolbar, which you can of course decline. Aside from those facts, Glary Undelete is top notch.

Glary Undelete can recover files from hard drives and any removable media you might have including memory cards, USB drives, etc.

Glary Undelete is said to work in Windows 7, Vista, and XP, but it probably works fine in Windows 8 and versions older than Windows XP. I tested Glary Undelete v2.4 in Windows 7.

 Glary Undelete v2.4 Review and Free Download 

4. Pandora Recovery

Pandora Recovery is another excellent free file recovery software program. It's super easy to use and has the best wizard to help you undelete files that I've seen in any file recovery app.

A more advanced "Surface Scan" is available in Pandora Recovery that should recover more files than the standard search as long as they are of a popular format.

Pandora Recovery will undelete files from hard drives, memory cards, etc. Nearly anything that stores files that you can also connect to your PC should be supported.

Pandora Recovery lists support for Windows Vista, XP, Server 2003, and 2000 but it worked perfectly well for me in Windows 7.

You will need to install Pandora Recovery to your hard drive which is a major reason I haven't ranked it higher than some other file recovery tools.

 Pandora Recovery v2.1.1 Review and Free Download 

5. SoftPerfect File Recovery

SoftPerfect File Recovery is another superb file undelete program. It's very easy to search for recoverable files. Anyone should be able to use this program with very little trouble.

SoftPerfect File Recovery will undelete files from hard drives, memory cards, etc. Any device on your PC that stores data (except for your CD/DVD drive) should be supported.

Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP, Server 2008 & 2003, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95 are all supported. According to SoftPerfect, 64-bit versions of Windowsoperating systems are also supported.

SoftPerfect File Recovery is a small, 500 KB, standalone file making the program very portable. Feel free to run File Recovery from a USB drive or floppy disk. Scroll down a bit on the download page to find it.

 SoftPerfect File Recovery Free Download 

6. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is another great file undelete program. Recovering files is very easy to do with just a few clicks.

My favorite aspect of EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is that the user interface is structured much like Windows Explorer. While that may not be everyone's ideal way to display files, it's a very familiar interface that most people are comfortable with.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will undelete files from hard drives, optical drives, memory cards, and pretty much anything else that Windows sees as a storage device. It also partition recovery!

Please know that Data Recovery Wizard will only recover a total of 2 GB of data before you'll need to upgrade. I almost didn't include this program because of that limitation but since most situations call for undeleting much less than that, I'll let it slide.

Data Recovery Wizard supports Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP, as well as Windows Server 2012, 2008, and 2003.

 EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Download 

7.  Wise Data Recovery 

Wise Data Recovery is a free undelete program that's really simple to use.

The program installed very quickly and scanned my PC in record time. Wise Data Recovery can scan various USB devices like memory cards and other removal devices.

An instant search function makes it really quick and easy to search for deleted files that Wise Data Recovery has found. A Recoverability column shows the likelihood of a file being recovered with Good, Poor, Very Poor, or Lost. Just right-click to restore a file.

Wise Data Recovery works with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP, including the 64-bit versions of each. There's also a portable version available from PortableApps.

Wise Data Recovery Free Download

8. Restoration

The Restoration file recovery program is similar to the other free undelete apps on this list.

The thing I like most about Restoration is how incredibly simple it is to recovery files. There are no cryptic buttons or complicated file recovery procedures - everything you need is on one, easy to understand program window.

Restoration can recover files from hard drives, memory cards, USB drives, and other external drives.

Restoration supports Windows Vista, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. I successfully tested Restoration with Windows Vista.

Like some of the other popular file recovery tools on this list, Restoration is small and does not need to be installed, giving it the flexibility to be run from a floppy disk or USB drive.

 Restoration Free Download 

9. FreeUndelete

FreeUndelete is self explanatory - it's free and it undeletes files! FreeUndelete is another great file recovery tool, very similar to other undelete utilities around this rank in my list.

The major advantage of FreeUndelete is its easy to use interface and "folder drill down" functionality (i.e. files available for recovery are not listed in a big, unmanageable listing).

FreeUndelete will recover files from hard drives, memory cards, and other similar storage devices in or connected to your PC.

FreeUndelete supports all versions of Windows - 7, Vista, XP, etc. I successfully tested FreeUndelete with Windows Vista.

Note: OfficeRecovery.com's website is often down. You can also download FreeUndelete from MajorGeeks.com.

 FreeUndelete Free Download 

10. ADRC Data Recovery Tools

ADRC Data Recovery Tools is another great, free file recovery program. File recovery with this program is uncomplicated and could probably be accomplished by the average computer user without any kind of documentation.

ADRC Data Recovery Tools should be able to undelete files from any non-CD/DVD storage device like memory cards and USB drives, as well as hard drives, of course.

Data Recovery Tools officially supports Windows XP, 2000, and 95 but I successfully tested data recovery with this program on Windows Vista.

ADRC Data Recovery Tools is a standalone, 132KB program making it avery portable file recovery tool that will easily fit on any removable media you might have.

 ADRC Data Recovery Tools Free Download 

11. CD Recovery Toolbox

CD Recovery Toolbox is a completely free and very unique file recovery program. CD Recovery Toolbox is designed to recover files from damaged or corrupted optical drive discs - CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, HD DVD, etc.

According to the publisher, CD Recovery Toolbox should help recover files from discs that have been scratched, chipped, or have surface spotting.

One obvious con is the inability of CD Recovery Toolbox to recover files from hard drives or portable media drives. However, the program isn't designed to do that so I haven't held that fact against it.

CD Recovery Toolbox works in Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP, Server 2003, 2000, NT, ME and 98. I tested CD Recovery Toolbox successfully in Windows Vista.

 CD Recovery Toolbox Free Download 

12. UndeleteMyFiles Pro

UndeleteMyFiles Pro is another free file recovery program. Don't let the name fool you - it's entirely free even though it says "Pro."

Tree View and Detailed View are the two viewing perspectives you can choose from. You can also preview files, which sounds nice, but all it does is restore the data to a temporary folder and then open it.

Emergency Disk Image is one of the included tools in UndeleteMyFiles Pro. This tool takes a snapshot of your entire computer, places all the data in one file, and then lets you work through that file to file deleted data that you want to restore. This is very handy because after the image file has been made, you don't need to worry that new data written to your hard drive will replace any important deleted files.

There's a nice search option in UndeleteMyFiles Pro that lets you search by file location, type, size, and attributes.

Something I really didn't like about UndeleteMyFiles Pro is that the recovery process doesn't tell you if a file is in a good state of being recoverable like most of the other software in this list.

I test UndeleteMyFiles Pro in Windows 8 without any issues.

 UndeleteMyFiles Pro Free Download 

13. TOKIWA DataRecovery

TOKIWA DataRecovery is an effective file recovery program and is very similar to many others on my list.

The best thing TOKIWA DataRecovery has going for it is its ease of use. It has a single program window where you can scan for files to recovery, sort the files, and undelete them. There are no complicated procedures at all.

TOKIWA DataRecovery can recover files from hard drives, memory cards, USB drives, and other external drives.

DataRecovery supports Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. I successfully tested TOKIWA DataRecovery with Windows 8.

TOKIWA DataRecovery is a standalone, 412KB file making it a completely portable tool suitable for a USB drive or floppy disk.

 TOKIWA DataRecovery Free Download 

14. PC Inspector File Recovery

PC Inspector File Recovery is another good free file recovery program with an arguably "deeper" search for deleted files than other similar undelete programs.

PC Inspector File Recovery can recover files from most hard drives, external drives, and memory cards.

PC Inspector File Recovery supports Windows XP, 2000, NT, ME, and 98. I tested PC Inspector File Recover in Windows 8 and it ran as advertised.

I'd recommend trying PC Inspector File Recovery only if another, higher rated file recovery program didn't do the job for you. The not-so-easy-to-use interface, lack of Vista support, and long hard drive scan times keep this file recovery app out of the Top 10.

 PC Inspector File Recovery Free Download 

15. Orion File Recovery Software

Orion File Recovery Software is a free file recovery program from NCH Software that's basically the same as most of the other programs in this list.

A nice wizard prompts you to scan for specific file types at launch of the program, like documents, images, videos, music, or a custom file type. You can also scan the entire drive to search for all file types.

Orion file Recovery Software can scan any attached hard drive, whether internal or external, flash drives, and memory cards for deleted data. Then you can search through the files with an instant search function, while easily identifying the recovery potential of each file.

A nice addition to Orion File Recovery Software is also functions as adata destruction program, so you can scrub all the files it finds to make them unrecoverable for future scans.

Orion File Recovery Software works with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP. The installer tries to install other NCH Software programs during setup, but just deselect those options if you wish not to install them.

 Orion File Recovery Software Free Download 

16. BPlan Data Recovery

BPlan Data Recovery is a file recovery program like the others in this list. It may not look as nice as similar software, but it can recovery many different types of deleted files.

I found BPlan Data Recovery to be a bit difficult to navigate around. It was hard to know what I was doing because of the layout of the results. That said, it still managed to find and recover images, documents, videos, and other file types.

BPlan Data Recovery works with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP. I tested BPlan Data Recovery in Windows 8.

On Bplan's site, you can download an EXE version using the Free Download button on the top of their page, or a ZIP version using the button just below it.

Note: Make sure you run BPlan Data Recovery as an administrator in Windows 8 or Windows 7. The program won't work unless it has administrative privileges.

 BPlan Data Recovery Free Download 

17. PhotoRec

The free PhotoRec file recovery tool does the job but it isn't nearly as easy to use as other programs on my list.

PhotoRec is limited by its command-line interface and multiple step recovery process. However, my greatest problem with PhotoRec is that it's very difficult to avoid recovering all deleted files at once, not just the one or two you're after.

PhotoRec can recover files from hard drives, optical drives, and memory cards. PhotoRec should be able to undelete files from any storage device on your PC.

PhotoRec supports Windows 7, Vista, XP, Server 2003, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. I tested PhotoRec in Windows Vista.

If another file recovery program hasn't worked, give PhotoRec a try. I just don't recommend making it your first pick.

 PhotoRec Free Download 

"Why have you only included 17 free data recovery programs?"

True, there are many more file recovery programs than those listed above, but I've only included true freeware file recovery programs that also undelete wide ranges of files.

I didn't include file recovery programs that are shareware/free trials, nor ones that won't undelete reasonably sized files.

If you still need help with a file recovery issue, see my Get More Help page. I'm also happy to hear your thoughts on additions or changes to this list.

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PhotoRec Free Download

he free PhotoRec file recovery tool does the job but it isn't nearly as easy to use as other programs on my list.

PhotoRec Free Download

PhotoRec is limited by its command-line interface and multiple step recovery process. However, my greatest problem with PhotoRec is that it's very difficult to avoid recovering all deleted files at once, not just the one or two you're after.

PhotoRec can recover files from hard drives, optical drives, and memory cards. PhotoRec should be able to undelete files from any storage device on your PC.

PhotoRec supports Windows 7, Vista, XP, Server 2003, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. I tested PhotoRec in Windows Vista.

If another file recovery program hasn't worked, give PhotoRec a try. I just don't recommend making it your first pick.

PhotoRec Free Download

"Why have you only included 17 free data recovery programs?"

True, there are many more file recovery programs than those listed above, but I've only included true freeware file recovery programs that also undelete wide ranges of files.

I didn't include file recovery programs that are shareware/free trials, nor ones that won't undelete reasonably sized files.

If you still need help with a file recovery issue, see my Get More Help page. I'm also happy to hear your thoughts on additions or changes to this list.

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BPlan Data Recovery Free Download

BPlan Data Recovery is a file recovery program like the others in this list. It may not look as nice as similar software, but it can recovery many different types of deleted files.

BPlan Data Recovery Free Download

I found BPlan Data Recovery to be a bit difficult to navigate around. It was hard to know what I was doing because of the layout of the results. That said, it still managed to find and recover images, documents, videos, and other file types.

BPlan Data Recovery works with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP. I tested BPlan Data Recovery in Windows 8.

On Bplan's site, you can download an EXE version using the Free Download button on the top of their page, or a ZIP version using the button just below it.

Note: Make sure you run BPlan Data Recovery as an administrator in Windows 8 or Windows 7. The program won't work unless it has administrative privileges.

dowload now: BPlan Data Recovery Free Download

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Orion File Recovery Software Free Download

Orion File Recovery Software is a free file recovery program from NCH Software that's basically the same as most of the other programs in this list.

Orion File Recovery Software Free Download

A nice wizard prompts you to scan for specific file types at launch of the program, like documents, images, videos, music, or a custom file type. You can also scan the entire drive to search for all file types.

Orion file Recovery Software can scan any attached hard drive, whether internal or external, flash drives, and memory cards for deleted data. Then you can search through the files with an instant search function, while easily identifying the recovery potential of each file.

A nice addition to Orion File Recovery Software is also functions as adata destruction program, so you can scrub all the files it finds to make them unrecoverable for future scans.

Orion File Recovery Software works with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP. The installer tries to install other NCH Software programs during setup, but just deselect those options if you wish not to install them.

Dowload Now: Orion File Recovery Software Free Download

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PC Inspector File Recovery Free Download

PC Inspector File Recovery is another good free file recovery program with an arguably "deeper" search for deleted files than other similar undelete programs.

PC Inspector File Recovery Free Download

PC Inspector File Recovery can recover files from most hard drives, external drives, and memory cards.
PC Inspector File Recovery supports Windows XP, 2000, NT, ME, and 98. I tested PC Inspector File Recover in Windows 8 and it ran as advertised.
I'd recommend trying PC Inspector File Recovery only if another, higher rated file recovery program didn't do the job for you. The not-so-easy-to-use interface, lack of Vista support, and long hard drive scan times keep this file recovery app out of the Top 10.

Dowload now: PC Inspector File Recovery Free Download

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TOKIWA DataRecovery Free Download

TOKIWA DataRecovery is an effective file recovery program and is very similar to many others on my list.

The best thing TOKIWA DataRecovery has going for it is its ease of use. It has a single program window where you can scan for files to recovery, sort the files, and undelete them. There are no complicated procedures at all.

TOKIWA DataRecovery Free Download

TOKIWA DataRecovery can recover files from hard drives, memory cards, USB drives, and other external drives.

DataRecovery supports Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. I successfully tested TOKIWA DataRecovery with Windows 8.

TOKIWA DataRecovery is a standalone, 412KB file making it a completely portable tool suitable for a USB drive or floppy disk.

Dowload now: TOKIWA DataRecovery Free Download

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UndeleteMyFiles Pro Free Download

UndeleteMyFiles Pro is another free file recovery program. Don't let the name fool you - it's entirely free even though it says "Pro."

UndeleteMyFiles Pro Free Download

Tree View and Detailed View are the two viewing perspectives you can choose from. You can also preview files, which sounds nice, but all it does is restore the data to a temporary folder and then open it.
Emergency Disk Image is one of the included tools in UndeleteMyFiles Pro. This tool takes a snapshot of your entire computer, places all the data in one file, and then lets you work through that file to file deleted data that you want to restore. This is very handy because after the image file has been made, you don't need to worry that new data written to your hard drive will replace any important deleted files.
There's a nice search option in UndeleteMyFiles Pro that lets you search by file location, type, size, and attributes.
Something I really didn't like about UndeleteMyFiles Pro is that the recovery process doesn't tell you if a file is in a good state of being recoverable like most of the other software in this list.

I test UndeleteMyFiles Pro in Windows 8 without any issues.
Dowload Now: UndeleteMyFiles Pro Free Download

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CD Recovery Toolbox Free Download

CD Recovery Toolbox (download) tool was developed for recovering damaged files from different disk types: CD, DVD,HD DVD, Blu-Ray, etc. You can use it to restore information lost as a result of some mechanical damage of the disk (scratches, chips, different spots on thesurface) or as a result of incorrect recording. Thus, the program can recoverdata that was considered lost. The CD Recovery Toolbox Free tool scans any CD and DVD disks and finds files and folders located there. We should mention that there can be some information on the disk that cannot berecovered. Not all of the files and folders can be found - that depends on the degree and location of the damage. Therefore, the CD Recovery Toolbox Free tool finds the possible maximum amount of information. After that, it shows a list of all files and folders available for recovery. Now the user can select the files and folders to be recovered. Those specific objects will be recovered while the others will be ignored. The program recovers the maximum amount of information in the damaged file. This reduces the risk of data loss considerably.

CD Recovery Toolbox Free Download

Program features:

Recovering information from any CD and DVD disks

Recovering files larger than 4 Gb

Detecting possible lack of free space on the hard disk for storing the recovered files

The CD Recovery Toolbox Free tool not only has a complete set of data recovery features, but is also user-friendly and convenient. The program interface is designed as a step-by step wizard, where the user has to perform a single action on each page of the wizard. The wizard makes the use of the tool very simple and convenient even for a beginner.

CD Recovery Toolbox Free is absolutely free. Anyone can install it on the computer and use the program for an unlimited time. This fact is one of its main advantages over the rival software. Moreover, the functionality of the tool is equal to that of most paid software.

As for the fact that practically every PC user needs a tool for recovering information from CD and DVD disks, there is no doubt about it. As you know, these storage media are the most widely spread nowadays. They are rather capacious, all-purpose, durable and, what's important, inexpensive. The problem is - they aren't very reliable. A small scratch can result in a failure to read the information recorded on the disk. And the ways you can get this scratch are numerous - for example, the disk can fall down or suffer from careless handling.

Dowload Now: CD Recovery Toolbox

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ADRC Data Recovery Tools Free Download

ADRC Data Recovery Tools is another great, free file recovery program. File recovery with this program is uncomplicated and could probably be accomplished by the average computer user without any kind of documentation.

ADRC Data Recovery Tools Free Download

ADRC Data Recovery Tools should be able to undelete files from any non-CD/DVD storage device like memory cards and USB drives, as well as hard drives, of course.
Data Recovery Tools officially supports Windows XP, 2000, and 95 but I successfully tested data recovery with this program on Windows Vista.
ADRC Data Recovery Tools is a standalone, 132KB program making it avery portable file recovery tool that will easily fit on any removable media you might have.

ADRC Data Recovery Tools Free Download

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FreeUndelete Free Download

FreeUndelete is self explanatory - it's free and it undeletes files! FreeUndelete is another great file recovery tool, very similar to other undelete utilities around this rank in my list.

FreeUndelete Free Download

The major advantage of FreeUndelete is its easy to use interface and "folder drill down" functionality (i.e. files available for recovery are not listed in a big, unmanageable listing).

FreeUndelete will recover files from hard drives, memory cards, and other similar storage devices in or connected to your PC.

FreeUndelete supports all versions of Windows - 7, Vista, XP, etc. I successfully tested FreeUndelete with Windows Vista.

Dowload now: FreeUndelete Free Download

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Restoration

The Restoration file recovery program is similar to the other free undelete apps on this list.
The thing I like most about Restoration is how incredibly simple it is to recovery files. There are no cryptic buttons or complicated file recovery procedures - everything you need is on one, easy to understand program window.

Restoration

Restoration can recover files from hard drives, memory cards, USB drives, and other external drives.
Restoration supports Windows Vista, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. I successfully tested Restoration with Windows Vista.

Like some of the other popular file recovery tools on this list, Restoration is small and does not need to be installed, giving it the flexibility to be run from a floppy disk or USB drive.
Dowload now: Restoration

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Wise Data Recovery

Wise Data Recovery is a free undelete program that's really simple to use.

The program installed very quickly and scanned my PC in record time. Wise Data Recovery can scan various USB devices like memory cards and other removal devices.

Wise Data Recovery

An instant search function makes it really quick and easy to search for deleted files that Wise Data Recovery has found. A Recoverability column shows the likelihood of a file being recovered with Good, Poor, Very Poor, or Lost. Just right-click to restore a file.

Wise Data Recovery works with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP, including the 64-bit versions of each. There's also a portable version available from PortableApps.

Dowload Now: Wise Data Recovery

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EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is another great file undelete program. Recovering files is very easy to do with just a few clicks.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

My favorite aspect of EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is that the user interface is structured much like Windows Explorer. While that may not be everyone's ideal way to display files, it's a very familiar interface that most people are comfortable with.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will undelete files from hard drives, optical drives, memory cards, and pretty much anything else that Windows sees as a storage device. It also partition recovery!

Please know that Data Recovery Wizard will only recover a total of 2 GB of data before you'll need to upgrade. I almost didn't include this program because of that limitation but since most situations call for undeleting much less than that, I'll let it slide.

Data Recovery Wizard supports Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP, as well as Windows Server 2012, 2008, and 2003.

Dowload Now: EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

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SoftPerfect File Recovery

SoftPerfect File Recovery is another superb file undelete program. It's very easy to search for recoverable files. Anyone should be able to use this program with very little trouble.

SoftPerfect File Recovery

SoftPerfect File Recovery will undelete files from hard drives, memory cards, etc. Any device on your PC that stores data (except for your CD/DVD drive) should be supported.

Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP, Server 2008 & 2003, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95 are all supported. According to SoftPerfect, 64-bit versions of Windowsoperating systems are also supported.

SoftPerfect File Recovery is a small, 500 KB, standalone file making the program very portable. Feel free to run File Recovery from a USB drive or floppy disk. Scroll down a bit on the download page to find it.

Dowload now: SoftPerfect File Recovery

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Pandora Recovery v2.1.1

Pandora Recovery is an excellent free file recovery software tool. While Pandora Recovery's interface can look a little cluttered and complicated, the wizard included with the program is the easiest to use and understand wizard that I've seen in an undelete program.

In addition to the awesome wizard, another worthwhile feature in Pandora Recovery is a Surface Scan method which can help recover many kinds of files from drives that have been formatted. This isn't a unique ability among the better free undelete software programs but it is a powerful feature worth mentioning.

Pandora Recovery v2.1.1

Pros

Relatively small download

Easy to use wizard

Recovers data from almost any connected storage device

Color coded and percentage indicators for recovery likelihood

Advanced filtering options, making finding the file you're after really simple.

Browse, Search, and Surface Scan "modes" give valuable options in how to recover files

Supports most file systems in most Windows versions

Cons

Must be installed on computer - no portable version

Prompted to install browser toolbar during program installation

My Thoughts on Pandora Recovery v2.1.1

Pandora Recovery is a very good free file recovery program, especially if you're fond of software wizards or if another free undelete software tool hasn't worked out for some reason.

Get started by clicking on the Download Pandora Recovery v2.1.1 link at the bottom of this page. Once at Pandora Recovery's download page, click on the Download from Download.com or Download from local server link to begin downloading the Pandora Recovery setup program.

Save the PandoraRecovery2.1.1Setup.exe file to your Desktop or somewhere else where you won't lose it. Once it's downloaded, which shouldn't take long, run the setup program. Unfortunately, unlike some better free undelete programs out there, Pandora Recovery must be installed.

Ideally, you wouldn't have to install Pandora Recovery but could instead run it from the download itself. This kind of software is often called portable software. Installing software, or saving any kind of data to your hard drive or other storage device you're recovering from, decreases the chance that you'll be able to recover data from it because you may be overwriting the physical space that the file once occupied.

Finish the installation and be sure to decline the installation of the browser toolbar. It's not necessary for Pandora Recovery to work.

Run Pandora Recovery after the installation is complete and walk through the Pandora Recovery Wizard that appears. In the final step, chooseBrowse, Search, or Deep (Surface) Scandepending on your needs as described in the wizard.

Once you find the file you'd like to recover, right-click on it and choose Recover to.... Choose a location, ideally a drive other than the one you're recovering from, and then click the Recover Now button.

If Pandora Recovery's wizard sounds like something you'd appreciate using then be sure to give this program a try. Otherwise, give one of the higher ranking free file recovery software programs a try like Recuva or Glary Undelete.

Dowload now: Pandora Recovery v2.1.1

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Glary Undelete v2.4

Glary Undelete is one of the better free file recovery softwareoptions available. Glary Undelete has a clean, logical interface that makes it an excellent file undelete solution for novices and experts alike.

I especially love the simple Folders and File Types views available in Glary Undelete which make finding the file you'd like to recover/undelete much easier than in some other programs that just include all found files in a giant list.

Glary Undelete v2.4

Pros

Small download

Simple and logical "Folders" and "File Types" views

Advanced filter allows searching by date, size, and with wild cards

File condition listed in plain English alongside each deleted file

Supports most Windows operating systems

Cons

No portable version available - must be installed on hard drive

Description

Glary Undelete supports all major hard drive and flash drive file systems used in Windows.

Easy download and installation makes undeleting any still-intact file quick and easy.

Logical "Folders" and "File Types" views of deleted files makes finding the one you're looking for super easy.

Glary Undelete works on hard drives, floppy disks, flash drives, and memory cards.

Advanced filter allows narrowing of found files based on name, size, date, and level of corruption.

Glary Undelete is installable in most Windows versions.

My Thoughts on Glary Undelete v2.4

Glary Undelete is one of the best free undelete software programs out there. While not my absolute favorite, Glary Undelete probably is the easiest to use, especially if you're not completely sure where that file was when you deleted it.

To begin, head to Glary Undelete's download page by clicking the Download Glary Undelete v2.4 link at the bottom of my review here on this page. Once there, click the big Download Now button.

Save the gunsetup.exe file to your desktop or some other place you'll remember and then run the setup program. This is actually one of my biggest issues with Glary Undelete - the fact that you actually have to install it.

See, a file recovery program can only undelete a file if the exact space on the hard drive (or flash drive, etc.) that it occupied hasn't already been overwritten by new information. Each time you install a program or save a file, you run the risk of overwriting that space, making the file impossible to recover.

Anyway, once the program is installed, run it and click the Search button. Glary Undelete will scan your entire hard drive for deleted files. This might take anywhere from a few minutes to much longer depending on how big your hard drive is and how many files it finds.

Once Glary Undelete's search is complete, use the Folders or File Types views on the left to narrow down the list of deleted files (which could be in the tens of thousands or more) to something more manageable, based on what you know about the file that you want to recover. You can use the Filter button to narrow down the list in a more specific way if you like.

Once you [hopefully] find the file you'd like to recover, select the box next to the file and click the Restore button. I highly recommend that you restore the file to someplace other than where it was, preferably a different drive entirely, especially if you're planning on recovering more files.

I think Glary Undelete is a really good choice among the truly free file recovery programs out there. I've seen it progress through several versions so I know the developer is continuing to make it a better product.

If you like the sound of how easy Glary Undelete is to use, give it a shot. If you don't like the fact that you have to install Glary Undelete or it doesn't find the file you were after, giveRecuva a try instead, the highest-ranked free file recovery program in my list.

Dowload now: Glary Undelete v2.4

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Puran File Recovery (v1.2)

Puran File Recovery is a free file recovery program. If you need to restore lost or deleted files, Puran File Recovery is a great solution as the disk scans are quick and the program is easy to learn.

The Tree View option in Puran File Recovery is a super easy way to navigate through the deleted files and find the exact ones you wish to restore.

Puran File Recovery (v1.2)

Pros

Works with every recent Windows operating system

Easily see the file condition and size next to every deleted file

Portable versions available for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows

Results can be reviewed in Tree View for easier searching

Small download file

Cons

Free for home use only (non-commercial)

Description

Puran File Recovery searches over 50 files types to find deleted files.

Filter deleted file results to see pictures, music, documents, videos, or compressed files only.

Files can be viewed in List View or Tree View and previewed before restoring.

Can restore deleted files back to where they were originally.

Scan FAT12/16/32 and NTFS file systems.

My Thoughts on Puran File Recovery

Puran File Recovery has done a great job restoring lost files in the time that I've used the program. Here's a look at how to scan hard drives for deleted files with Puran and what to do when you need to restore them.

To start recovering deleted files, visit the download link at the bottom of this page. Click the green Download button to the right of the page to download the most recent version of Puran File Recovery.

Run the setup file called PuranFileRecoverySetup.exe to begin the install process. No additional programs or toolbars are asked to be installed, which is fantastic.

Once installed, run the program from the start menu or desktop shortcut. You'll be asked to select your language each time you start the program unless you check the box that says Do not show this window again.

To scan for deleted files, choose a drive from the list at the top. You'll normally choose the system drive, usually C. Before continuing, you have the option of additional scan options like Deep Scan and Full Scan. These options scan the drive byte by byte (which takes longer to complete) to find even more deleted files than a regular scan.

Regardless of additional options you choose, select any drive and then click the Scan button to begin.

When the scan is complete, place a check next to any item you want to restore. Notice the condition to the right of each entry. If the condition is listed as Excellent, you'll likely be able to recover the file without loss in quality or data. However, a Poor condition may not restore the file as it was in it's original state (or at all).

Then press the Recover button to decide how to restore the files. The first option called Just Recover will restore the file to any location you choose. Select the second option of Recover with Folder Structure to keep the folder path intact. This means if you are restoring a file from a folder called "C:\Files\Videos," the restored file will be placed in a folder called "Files\Videos" wherever you choose on your computer. Either option will work for restoring files, so it actually doesn't matter how you do it - it's more of a personal preference.

An easier way to view and restore files is to select Tree View at the bottom left of the Puran File Recovery program. This view shows the original path of the deleted files in an easy format. It looks as if you're looking at actual files on your computer because you can browse through the folders and see exactly where the deleted files came from. This, in my opinion, is the best way of looking for specific files to recover.

If it sounds like you may like Puran File Recovery, follow the download link below to get it installed and start scanning and restoring deleted files. If you still can't find a deleted file, give Recuva a try next.

Download Puran File Recovery v1.2

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Recuva v1.50.1036 Review and Free Download

Recuva is, without a doubt, the very best free file recovery software available today. Recuva is very easy to use and is as or more effective as any other freeware or premium file recovery program out there.

At some point or another all of us have deleted something we shouldn't have deleted. Usually the solution is to simply restore the file from the Recycle Bin but what if you've already emptied the Recycle Bin? In that case, a file recovery program like Recuva can help.

Recuva v1.50.1036 Review and Free Download

If you try only one file recovery program, make Recuva that one program. I highly recommend Recuva.

Download Recuva v1.50.1036

Note: This review is of Recuva v1.50.1036 which was released on January 20, 2014. Please let me know if there's a newer version I need to review.

Recuva Pros & Cons

There's a lot to love about Recuva!

Pros

Extremely easy to use

Very small download

Comes in both installable and portable versions

Contains a simple wizard and advanced options - perfect for everyone

Wide range of Windows operating systems supported

Cons

Download page on Piriform's site is a little confusing

Recuva Features

Recuva's easy to use wizard asks the important questions and does the hard work behind the scenes.

Frequent updates to the program by Piriform and a long history of success keeps Recuva at the top of many lists.

Recuva is available in a portable version making installation unnecessary - a very important advantage.

A quick standard scan and an optional "Deep Scan" cover all the technological bases in the search for recoverable files.

Recuva can recover files from hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, BD/DVD/CD discs, and even MP3 players, including the iPod.

Support for Windows 8 (including Windows 8.1), Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and even Server versions of Windows.

64-bit version of Recuva available for optimal operating in 64-bit versions of Windows.

Supports drives as large as 3 TB in size.

My Thoughts on Recuva

Recuva is the very best free file recovery software program available. I base that opinion mainly on my personal and professional use of the program but also from many comments from associates and readers.

Note: Piriform, the company that developed Recuva, also developed a few other wonderful freeware utilities - CCleaner, Defraggler, and Speccy - all of which I highly recommend you check out.

To get started with Recuva, visit the program's website linked at the bottom of my review. Once there, click the Download button corresponding to the download type you prefer. You can choose between Installer, Portable, or Slim.

Important: I highly recommend you use the portable version of Recuva. You should use the portable version of Recuva because it's important to avoid installing anything after discovering that you need to recover a file. You don't actually have to put the portable version on a flash drive to use it.

A file recovery program can only recover a file deleted from your computer if the same space on the hard drive hasn't already been used by another file. Every time something is saved or installed, the chance that your file will be recoverable decreases.

When Recuva starts, you're presented with a wizard where you choose what kind of file you're looking for and where it was last located, neither of which you need to know but will help in the search for deleted files if you do.

After a quick scan, you're presented with a list of recoverable files. Recovering one of the deleted files is as easy as selecting it and clicking Recover....

At any time you can switch to Advanced Mode which reveals a number of options and additional sorting abilities.

If a file has gone missing, either from your mistake or even from a virus infection or system crash, I recommend you use the Recuva free file recovery program. There's no guarantee that Recuva can successfully recovery any particular deleted file but it's certainly your best bet!

Dowload now: Recuva v1.50.1036

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File Recovery Software FAQ

If the number of questions I get about file recovery are any gauge of an article's popularity then my free file recovery software list must be one of the more popular pieces on my site.

In other words, the complicated and often misunderstood topic of recovering deleted files rightly generates a lot of confusion.

File Recovery Software FAQ

So to both shrink my ever-growing inbox, and to settle the minds of those that decide not to take the time to ask a question, here are answers to some of the more common questions I get regarding these "undelete" programs and file recovery in general.

"I just deleted a file that I want to get back. Am I out of luck since I don't already have a file recovery program?"

No, not having a file recovery program already installed doesn't preclude you from being able to recover a file. Having a file recovery program installed doesn't mean that it's watching for deleted files or anything like that.

So if you've deleted a file you want back, go download a file recovery program, and run it. Assuming that space hasn't already been overwritten (see the next question below), you'll probably have no problem undeleting the file.

Unless you mean quite literally that you just deleted a file? If so, check the Recycle Bin. It's probably there since that's what it's for. See How To Restore Deleted Files From the Recycle Bin if you've never restored a file from the Recycle Bin.

"Will a file recovery program undelete anything I've ever deleted?"

The short answer is no, but it's a bit more complicated than that.

While this might surprise you to learn, the information in a file, for example, doesn't actually get removed when it is deleted. The file system, which is like an index that keeps track of where the pieces of a file are located, simply marks the areas that contained the file as free space that the operating system can overwrite with new data.

In other words, the map that held the location of the file is removed from the index, essentially making the file invisible to the operating system... and you.

So a file recovery program works by exploiting the fact that, while the directions to a file are missing, the actual file is not, so long as that physical space has not been overwritten by something new already.

Now that you know a bit more about how it works, I can better answer the question: a file recovery program isn't likely to undelete everything you've ever deleted because at least some of the physical space occupied by those deleted files has likely been overwritten with new files.

"How long is too long before a file I've deleted becomes unrecoverable?"

Technically, it's not a "how long" question so much as it's a "how much data have you written to the media since deleting the file" question.

As I discussed in the answer to the previous question, when you delete a file, you don't really remove the data, only the directions to it. The space occupied by that data is marked as free and will eventually be overwritten. The key, then, is to minimize the writing of data to the drive that contains the deleted file.

In other words, the less writing activity (saving files, installing software, etc.) on the drive, the longer, in general, a particular file will be able to be recovered.

For example, if you delete a saved video and then promptly turn off your computer and leave it off for three years, you could theoretically turn the computer back on, run a file recovery program, and restore that file. This is because very little data has had a chance to have been written to the drive, potentially overwriting the video.

In a more realistic example, let's say you delete a saved video. For weeks, or even just days, you use your computer normally, downloading more videos, editing some photos, etc. Depending on things like how big the drive you're working from is, the amount of data you're writing to the drive, and how big the video you deleted is, chances are it won't be recoverable.

"Do any of these programs undelete files that I've deleted from my flash drive/SSD/external hard drive/media card/iPod/CD/DVD/BD?"

Yes, many do. Whether a program supports one storage device over another depends on the file system that the particular file recovery program supports.

Most file recovery programs support any device that you can plug into your computer and display the contents of as a drive.

"What if I delete a file from a network/shared drive? Can a file recovery program undelete those?"

No, not exactly. The reasons why are a bit complicated but basically it's because your computer doesn't actually "control" the drive, another computer does.

However, if you have access to the computer that the shared drive is actually located on, go there and try to undelete the file with a file recovery program.

Unfortunately, this also applies to network storage devices you might have on your network that are not directly connected to another computer. While it might seem strange to think about, there is actually an operating system supporting that drive and file recovery would have to be initiated from within that drive. A Windows or Mac based file recovery program won't be of help there but you should log on to the web-based administration for the device and see if there are any integrated file recovery features that might be helpful.

"I found a file recovery program that looks good but there are two download options: 'portable' and 'installable.' Which one should I use?"

They are identical programs. The difference is that one installs to your hard drive, the other runs self-contained.

In general, I like portable, self-contained programs. They don't leave shortcuts, DLL files, and registry keys all over your computer. That just "feels" better to me.

Now, multiply that "like" times one million and that comes close to how much I prefer portable file recovery programs over installable ones, and here's why:

If you've been reading through all the questions in this FAQ, then you already know that the single most important thing you can do to make sure a file you've deleted will be recoverable is to stop writing information to your hard drive. If you didn't know that, now you do.

Installing software is one of the most write-heavy things you could possibly do, so" installing" a file recovery program is a very ironic, and potentially destructive, thing to do.

In a perfect scenario, which may or may not be possible for you, you'll choose the portable version of a free file recovery program, download it to another drive, and run it directly from there. Where you run it from doesn't impact where you search for deleted files on, so don't worry about that.

"The file recovery program I'm using finds a lot of files but few of them are 100% recoverable. Why are only parts of my deleted files available for recovery? Will I still be able to open these files if I recover them?"

When your computer writes data to your hard drive, or flash drive, or whatever storage media, it's not written to the drive in a perfect order. Divisible pieces of the file are written to parts of the media that may not sit next to each other physically. This is called fragmentation.

Even files we might consider to be small contain many thousands of divisible pieces. For example, a music file could in reality be heavily fragmented, spread over different parts of a hard drive.

As you may have learned several answers above, your computer sees the area occupied by a deleted file as free space, allowing other data to be written there. So, for example, if the area occupied by 10% of your MP3 file has been overwritten by part of a program you installed or a new video you downloaded, then only 90% of the data that comprises your deleted MP3 file will still be available for restore.

That was a simplistic example, but hopefully you get the idea.

To the question of the usability of just part of a file: it depends on what kind of file we're talking about and also what parts of the file are missing, the later of which you can't be sure of. So in most cases, no, restoring a file that has missing data will usually result in a worthless file.

"My computer won't start at all but I need to get my files off. Can a file recovery program help with that?"

No, a file recovery program isn't going to help get your computer started. Keep in mind, just because your computer won't start, doesn't mean your files are gone; it just means that you can't access them right now.

What you need to do is get your computer started again. See How To Troubleshoot a Computer That Won't Turn On for help with that.

"I have determined/was told that my hard drive is completely dead/broken. Is there any chance that one of these file recovery programs will be able to get my important data off of it?"

If by dead or broken you mean a physical problem with the hard drive, then no, a file recovery program isn't likely to help. Since file recovery software needs access to your hard drive like any other program, it is only valuable if the hard drive is in otherwise working order.

Physical damage to a hard drive, or other storage device, doesn't mean all hope is lost, it just means that a file recovery tool isn't your next step. Your best solution to recover data from a damaged hard drive is to employ the services of a data recovery service. These services have the hardware, expertise, and lab environments necessary to help repair and restore the data from damaged hard drives.

However, if you're experiencing a BSOD or some other major error or situation that's simply preventing Windows from starting, that doesn't necessarily mean that your hard drive has a physical or unrecoverable problem. See the answer to the last question for more on that.

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