Thread: Data Retrieval software

Recuva from Piriform. Free and effective.

Technically it can't be done if you've actually wiped the harddrive. If you on the other hand have simply told the harddrive "you may overwrite all these sectors", there are a lot of tools out there that can help you. But if you've told your harddrive, just once, to "overwrite all sectors with 0s right now", then it is impossible to recover even a fragment of data.

Originally Posted by Marvo

Technically it can't be done if you've actually wiped the harddrive. If you on the other hand have simply told the harddrive "you may overwrite all these sectors", there are a lot of tools out there that can help you. But if you've told your harddrive, just once, to "overwrite all sectors with 0s right now", then it is impossible to recover even a fragment of data.

It's impossible with software. It might be possible to recover some sectors and fragments with specialized equipment.

Originally Posted by khh

It's impossible with software. It might be possible to recover some sectors and fragments with specialized equipment.

On old harddrives, yes. Modern harddrives are so precise, that you can't realistically recover data from them.

This however is intended for older harddrives, so the issue is still pertinent. Thank you Mario, I'll check that one out.

Originally Posted by Lseadragon

This however is intended for older harddrives, so the issue is still pertinent. Thank you Mario, I'll check that one out.

It would still require extremely advanced tools to do, as in, actually analysing individual sectors with electron microscopes. You can't actually recover data from a completely wiped harddrive with just regular software.

I think he's testing to see if his hard drive is actually wiped. If it has been done properly, then yeah, Recuva shouldn't turn up anything. If whatever software he's using right now is shite, then it should still turn up old files that should have been deleted. If that is the case, I'd consider getting a new program. File Shredder has a Gutmann algorithm that's specifically designed to annihilate any data beyond recovery, even by the most sophisticated methods. Really, though...this is excessive. If Recuva doesn't pick it up, nothing will within the next 20 years.

Originally Posted by Mario92

I think he's testing to see if his hard drive is actually wiped. If it has been done properly, then yeah, Recuva shouldn't turn up anything. If whatever software he's using right now is shite, then it should still turn up old files that should have been deleted. If that is the case, I'd consider getting a new program. File Shredder has a Gutmann algorithm that's specifically designed to annihilate any data beyond recovery, even by the most sophisticated methods.

Personally I just use the Wipe Free Space feature of CCleaner every once in a while to make sure my deleted data is gone. It's simple to use and more than enough for most people.

I'm not sure what you guys are doing with your harddrives, but I've never found myself in a situation where these kinds of measures were necessary.

Originally Posted by Marvo

I'm not sure what you guys are doing with your harddrives, but I've never found myself in a situation where these kinds of measures were necessary.

I don't know about Mario, but I'm just paranoid.

Ayup, paranoia. I've got three different truecrypt volumes, too, and I found a way to make the DV user map not show my actual location.

All riiiight.