Weekly Q&A: Recover deleted files on a hard drive
Question:
I deleted a user account on my XP Pro machine. I’d never done this before. In spite of my computer education, I wasn’t familiar with what actually takes place, and I just didn’t think! I’m a businessperson and busy.
Question: Is there a way that I can recover the deleted files on this hard drive? I did some online reading. Some programs are available. (I trust none of them, especially since this is my business computer.)
Answer:
This has been a fairly common problem in Windows. When people are having problems, they often think that deleting the user account may clear up the situation. However, in deleting the user accounts there is an option to not delete all the associated files. If you didn’t delete all of the user files, then you should be able to log on as Administrator and find the files under Documents and Settings, plus the old user name.
However, if you did delete all the files, then your only option appears to be data-recovery programs. Rather than searching the Web for programs, it’s best to go to a site such as CNET’s Download.com. At Download.com, many of the programs are rated by both the editors and the users. These should be clean programs, as complaints would cause the software download to be pulled off the site.
Also of interest is the number of people who have downloaded the program. The more who have used it, the more likely that it is a safe program. The following is a link to the free Windows data-recovery programs at CNET Download.com.
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