Copyright: RecoverLost Data
Citation: RecoverLost Data


Preface

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Copyright: © 2004 StompSoft. This computer program is protected by copyright law and international treaties. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program, or any portion of it, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties.

Pentium is a trademark of Intel Corporation, RecoverLost Data and StompSoft are trademarks of StompSoft. Windows 98, Windows Millennium, Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Specifications subject to change without notice.


User Registration and Support

STOMPSOFT’S TECHNICAL SUPPORT POLICY

StompSoft provides unlimited telephone technical support for 30 days without charge.  The 30-day no charge support period begins from the first time you call our technical support department.  After the 30 day no charge period has expired, telephone support is available for a nominal charge of $20 per incident (not per call).  Web based support is available without charge and is unlimited for the life of the product.

GETTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT

StompSoft is committed to customer satisfaction.  If you encounter problems installing or using RecoverLost Data, please do the following:

•	Visit http://support.recoverlostdata.stompsoft.com/.  You can view FAQ’s, check for updates, and view the device support list, download manuals, and more.

•	If you would like to contact StompSoft via telephone, please call 949-263-8560 Monday ~ Friday 8AM ~ 5PM PST.  Please be at the computer where the software is installed when you call.


Introduction to RecoverLost Data

How RecoverLost Data Works

Microsoft Windows provides a Recycle Bin ( [image]) function to protect you from accidental data deletion.  When a file is deleted in Windows, it is first moved to the Recycle Bin and can be restored if needed.  If, however, a file is deleted from the hard disk without being stored in the Recycle Bin ([Shift]-[Delete]), or if the user has emptied the Recycle Bin, it cannot be restored in Windows.

When a file is completely deleted in Windows, only the file directory information is removed, which means the file data still resides in data sectors on the hard drive.  So, it is technically possible for the file to be restored.

RecoverLost Data uses these principles to recover data, even after the Recycle Bin has been emptied.  RecoverLost Data is able to easily recover deleted files and hard disk information damaged by viruses or by accidental formatting.  Even when the directory structure is partially damaged, RecoverLost Data can recover the files as long as the data remains on the hard drive.

RecoverLost Data Features

User-Friendly

It’s fast and easy!  If you know how to use Windows Explorer, that’s enough.  You can recover lost data with some simple operations.

Data recovery after virus infection

Traditional vaccine and firewall programs do not guarantee security against new viruses and hacking schemes.  RecoverLost Data will completely restore your lost data caused by  viruses or hackers attacking your system directory structure or file tables.

Fast and easy

RecoverLost Data’s "Find" feature will allow you to search for your needed file from thousands of recoverable files (similar to the Windows Explorer "Search" capability).  RecoverLost Data will restore your valuable data quickly and conveniently.

RecoverLost Data is Windows XP compatible

RecoverLost Data is compatible with Windows XP, as well as Windows95/98/Me/NT/2000.  No more complicated DOS commands are required.  Don’t worry if you don’t know the meaning of FAT, MBR, or BPB.  With a few clicks of your mouse, RecoverLost Data can recover your data.

RecoverLost Data is reliable

RecoverLost Data is recognized as a world-class application in the aspects of simplicity, safety, speed and rate of recovery.  It is the specialized recovery program that IT professionals utilize.

Data Recovery after emptying the Recycle Bin

RecoverLost Data can recover your files as long as the data has not been overwritten and the information still exists in your storage device.  RecoverLost Data has often recovered what data recovery laboratories have given up on.  Many world famous companies are already using RecoverLost Data.

Keeps your information private

If the data is so important that even a data recovery technician must not see it, you can recover the data yourself and keep your information private.

Data recovery from CD-ROM drives and removable drives

RecoverLost Data is capable of recovering data stored on several types of storage devices including: CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, flash memory, memory stick, and MO/ZIP/Jaz drives.


Before Installing RecoverLost Data

1.	RecoverLost Data installation requires the original CD and its serial number.  Please keep them in a secure location.

2.	If you have an earlier version or a demo version of RecoverLost Data installed on your system, uninstall it before installing RecoverLost Data.

3.	Please keep in mind that if you install RecoverLost Data on the drive from which you wish to recover data, the installation process might overwrite your previously deleted data.  Therefore, it is recommended that RecoverLost Data be run from the CD-ROM drive.  Likewise, never save files to a disk having data in need of recovery.  To run RecoverLost Data from the CD-ROM, find the RecoverLost Data executable file.  This file is typically located in the following directory: "D:\RecoverLost Data\RecoverLost Data.exe" (D: representing your CD-ROM drive).  To launch the program, go to the "Start" button on the Windows task bar and select "Run".  Then click "Browse" and find the executable file on the RecoverLost Data CD-ROM.  After your data has been recovered you can safely install RecoverLost Data for increased protection against any future instances of data loss.


System Requirements

Please check the minimum system requirements before using RecoverLost Data:

O/S: Windows 95/98/ME/NT Workstation/2000 Professional/XP Home & Professional

RAM: Minimum 32MB of RAM (64MB or more recommended)

Hard Drive: At least 10MB of free disk space (20MB or more recommended)

CD-ROM: 2x CD-ROM Drive or faster

VGA: 256-color VGA resolution or higher


Installing RecoverLost Data

You can install RecoverLost Data as follows:

•	Start Windows.

•	Insert the RecoverLost Data CD in the CD-ROM drive.  The setup program will be launched automatically.

If the setup program is not launched automatically, please take the following steps:

•	Double-click the [My Computer] icon on the desktop.

•	Double-click [CD-ROM Drive].

•	Open the [Setup] folder.

•	Run Setup.exe.

Remarks: When program installation starts, a confirmation message for installation of RecoverLost Data comes up.  Please install RecoverLost Data on a different drive than the one from which you are recovering data.  The installation might damage data that would have otherwise still been recoverable if it is performed on the same drive.

1.	Install RecoverLost Data: Start the installation of RecoverLost Data.

2.	View readme: View the Readme file.

3.	Exit Installer: Closes the installation window.

Click [Yes] after reading the above Software License Agreement.

Please enter your name, your company’s name, and the product serial number.

The above dialog box allows you to choose the installation folder for RecoverLost Data.  The default folder is "C:\Program Files\StompSoft\RecoverLost Data".  To install to a different folder, click [Browse] and select another folder.

Installing RecoverLost Data to the same drive where files or folders are in need of recovery may potentially overwrite those files and folders.  Please make sure that the drive where RecoverLost Data is to be installed has no data in need of recovery.  Click [Yes] to continue to install.

If you want RecoverLost Data to protect against future data damage, click [Yes] to install [File Delete Manager].  However, if you are installing RecoverLost Data to restore your damaged data, you may choose not to install [File Delete Manager] at this point, due to the fact that the log file that is created for this function (File Delete Manager) might overwrite deleted data.

When a file is deleted, [File Delete Manager] stores the file directory information.  By only storing the file directory information this saves system performance and storage capacity.  This also prevents even more recoverable files from being overwritten.  The default maximum file size is 1024 KB.

At this point, a log File is being created for [File Delete Manager] service.  Depending on the size of the hard disk, this may take a up to several minutes.


Uninstalling RecoverLost Data

Click the [Start] button and choose [Program]-[StompSoft]-[RecoverLost Data]-[Uninstall RecoverLost Data].  The RecoverLost Data application will be removed automatically.

If this menu is not available, you can remove RecoverLost Data as follows:

•	Select [Start]-[Settings]-[Control Panel]

•	Open the [Control Panel] and double-click [Add/Remove Programs].

•	Select [RecoverLost Data] and click the [Add/Remove] button.

•	RecoverLost Data files and folders will be automatically deleted.


Launching RecoverLost Data

Click [Start] and choose [Programs]-[StompSoft]-[RecoverLost Data]-[RecoverLost Data].

The main screen will be displayed as follows.


Open

Choose the drive where the files have been lost.  If a logical drive is not recognized because it has been formatted, or its partition information is damaged, you should search for a physical drive.

To find a drive, select [File]-[Open].

From the [Select Drive] dialog, choose the drive you wish to recover files from.

Logical Drive Search

Choose the [Logical Drive] tab from the [Select Drive] dialog, and then click the drive containing the data you wish to recover and click [OK].

Physical Drive Search

If a drive you wish to recover data from is not recognized because it has been formatted or its partition information is damaged, you will not find the drive in the [Logical Drive] tab.  Instead, you must choose the drive from the [Physical Drive] tab.

If you choose the [Physical Drive] tab, you will see a list of physical drives such as Hard Disk1 and Hard Disk2.

From the list, choose the physical disk containing the data you wish to recover.

Click [OK].  RecoverLost Data will start scanning for lost data on the entire hard drive.  RecoverLost Data will examine directories and clusters to recover deleted files.

If RecoverLost Data is unable to automatically detect the file system associated with the lost partition(s), you must use the [Find Format] button to perform a manual search.  Choose the [Physical Drive] tab and click [Find Format].  RecoverLost Data analyzes and searches the disk in cluster units.  If the detected file system contains the data to be recovered, click [Select Format] and search the drive.  Otherwise, click [Continue] to look for any other file systems that may contain your lost data.

Note: Concepts of logical and physical drives:

Here, [Logical Drive] refers to C:/, D:/, E:/, F:/, and G:/(C:/~G/:), whereas Hard Disk1 and Hard Disk2 are referred to as [Physical Drive].  A physical drive can be partitioned into several logical drives such as C:/, D:/, E:/, F:/, and G:/.

Therefore, if one of the logical drives (partitions C, D, etc) is partially damaged and cannot be opened, you must look for the physical drive that contains the data you wish to recover.


Directory Scan

When RecoverLost Data starts the directory scan on logical or physical drives, it analyzes the FAT/MFT and Directory Entries of the corresponding drives (logical or physical).

When a file is deleted, what is actually deleted from the directory entry is the first character of the names of that particular file or folder.  RecoverLost Data finds deleted files and folders by searching the contents of the sub-directory entries in the root directory and the data area.  After the search, RecoverLost Data makes a list of the deleted files and folders.

If you know the exact directory where the deleted file or folder exists, cancel out of the cluster search by clicking the [Cancel] button after the directory search, and find the file or folder to recover under the [Root Directory].

In some cases, the first character of the file and folder names are deleted and not shown.  This is because the file/folder name information is stored as the short form of the MS-DOS file name (8-character file names and 3-character extensions).  In Windows, if the file name has more than eight characters or has lowercase letters, the long file-name information is stored.  However, when the O/S deletes a file or folder, only the first character of the short file name is erased, and not the actual long file-name information.  Hence the first character of a file or folder may be displayed as "#".  Files or folders with their long file-name information can be restored to their original names.

When the directory scan is completed, seven items will be displayed in the left panel and their directory and file information in the right panel as shown below.

Descriptions of the seven items are as follows:

Root Directory: Normal root directory

Deleted Directories: Collection of Directories deleted from the root directory (available after a directory scan)

Deleted Files: Collection of Files that are deleted from the root directory (available after a directory scan)

Lost Directories: This is where directories are listed after they have been found during the cluster scan.  The normal Root Directory scan will not find theses directories due to the fact that they have been partially overwritten or damaged.  If the root directory is damaged due to formatting or virus attacks, RecoverLost Data will find and recover the desired information in the Lost Directories.

Lost Files: Severely damaged files can be recovered from "Lost Files" if their data content is intact.  After a directory scan, RecoverLost Data performs a cluster scan to find damaged files and lists them under the "Lost Files" directory.  If the directory information is damaged, the recovered file names and size information are not available, so RecoverLost Data will create a temporary file.  The file is named with the data’s starting cluster number and an extension is provided corresponding to the data format.  Moreover, a temporary file size is assigned according to the default value specified in the user preferences.  Once the cluster scan is complete, you can change the file name and size from within the preferences dialog.  This approach is especially useful for restoring files damaged with the I-Explorer Worm Zip Virus or the Love Virus, since these viruses usually corrupt the directory information, but not the actual data.

Recently Deleted Files: When RecoverLost Data is installed in a system, the "Delete Detection" function automatically registers deleted files to the "Recently Deleted Files" directory.  Since RecoverLost Data stores these files in a specific hard disk location, most of them can be completely recovered at a later time.

Searched Files: Allows you to search for and register a file according to its name, cluster, and date.

Note: Items in the "Deleted Directories" or "Deleted Files" list can be recovered with a directory scan, whereas those in the "Lost Directories" or "Lost Files" list require a cluster scan.


Cluster Scanning

The above figure displays a general hard disk structure.  One physical hard disk is partitioned into C: and D: drives.

If only the boot sector, FAT1, FAT2 and the root directory are damaged (in other words, if there is no damaged data in the User Data area), RecoverLost Data can scan the User Data area where the actual data exists and recover the data.

If only FAT1 and FAT2 are damaged, RecoverLost Data can recover the deleted data from the "Deleted Directories" or "Deleted Files" list by performing the Directory Scan.  However, if the root directory is also damaged, a cluster scan must be performed, and the corresponding data can be recovered from the "Lost Directories" or "Lost Files" list.

The cluster scanning procedure is as follows:

When the directory scan is completed, the following Windows is displayed.  Specify the cluster range and click [OK].  RecoverLost Data will then scan the clusters chosen.  The default values are set at the partition’s first and last clusters.

RecoverLost Data scans the clusters within the selected range, finds the damaged directories and files, and lists them in "Lost Directories" and "Lost Files".

The directory information usually contains detailed data about file and directory names, date created, and file size.  Therefore, if the directory information is damaged, that data becomes unavailable, and files found with the cluster search are assigned default values.  RecoverLost Data names the files with combinations of "#" and file cluster numbers.  The creation date and file size are assigned according to user defined preferences that default to January 1st, 1980 and 1024KB.

For *.doc, and other file formats, RecoverLost Data can replace damaged file names with several of the initial characters in the file’s content.

Note: The time required for a cluster scan varies according to the system specifications.  For a 8GB hard disk, an average cluster scan time is about 60 minutes.  RecoverLost Data’s task speed is also dependent upon the CPU clock frequency and the amount of RAM.

When the cluster search is complete, data will be registered in the [Lost Directories] and [Lost Files] lists.  Since file and directory information for these files were not in the root directory, they were found by searching the actual clusters.

Files in the [Lost Files] list are all named with their start cluster numbers.  Their file size and creation date are 1.0MB and January 1st, 1980, respectively.  Since the directory information containing the original data is damaged, the files are assigned default values by RecoverLost Data.

RecoverLost Data analyzes [.DOC], [.XLS], [.PPT], [.JPG] and [.BMP] files and automatically calculates their sizes.  If the file data is damaged or fragmented, and the original file size cannot be analyzed, RecoverLost Data assigns them the default value.

Although [.BIFF] and other files in the [Lost Files] list are assigned the default values, you can restore the file size information by opening the files in their respective application programs, and saving them with the original file name.  This process will restore the file size information.

Note: BIFF is a file format used by Microsoft Office products.


Finding Data to Recover

After you have opened a drive, if you cannot locate a file that you wish to recover, or you find it difficult to locate it manually because there are too many files in the [Deleted Files] list, you can use the [Find] function.  Go to [File]-[Find] to specify options.

File Name Search

Choose the [File Name] tab and enter the file name you wish to find.  RecoverLost Data will search the current drive for existing and deleted files.

You can use wildcard characters (* and ?) for the [File Name] to facilitate your search (Ex: *.doc, a???.xls, secret.ppt).

Cluster Search

Choose the [Cluster] tab and enter the initial and final cluster numbers (in the [Range]) you wish to scan.  RecoverLost Data will search the entered range for existing files as well as deleted ones (MFT number is used for searching the NTFS file system).

Search by Date

Select the [Date] tab and choose one of the following options from the drop-down menu: [Do Not Check Date], [Created Date], [Modified Date] and [Last Used Date].  Enter the start and end dates of the period you wish to search and RecoverLost Data will find all the deleted files as well as all existing ones matching the conditions provided.

The files found will be registered in the [Searched Files] list in the left panel.


Recovery

Data detected by RecoverLost Data is not a fully recovered file.  From the available lists, you must select the files and directories you wish to recover.  Then by right clicking and selecting [Recover] you will be given the option to save to a directory.  If your mouse settings do not allow you to see right-click menus simply go to [File]-[Recover] and choose a directory you wish to recover the file(s) to.

Saving to a Local Drive

From the [Select Directory to Save] dialog box, select a drive that does not contain files that have yet to be fully recovered.  Since the data you have selected is not yet restored, saving the files in the same drive might overwrite the original data and disable any future recovery attempts.  Therefore, the hard disk containing the data you wish to recover must have at least two partitions.  Otherwise, you must save files on a network drive, a removable drive, or a CD-R drive.

The [FAT] setting is dependent upon the file system.  FAT16/32 used by Windows 95/98/ME allows you to select the FAT option as shown on the left.  However, if you’re using NTFS4.0/5.0 for Windows NT/2000/XP, no FAT option will be available as shown on the right.

You can choose from [No FAT] and [FAT1].  If [FAT1] is damaged, you must recover files using the [No FAT] option.

When saving files, keep in mind that in addition to saving them on a different drive, you should not save them in the root directory.  When important data is accidentally deleted from the root directory, any other data in the directory substantially decreases the chance of the important data being recovered.  Data saved in subdirectories are much more likely to be recovered than those in the root directory.  It is recommended that you create a new directory for saving recovered files.

After saving files, run Windows Explorer and the corresponding application programs to verify whether they have been recovered properly.

Saving to a Network Drive

If the hard disk you wish to recover only has a single partition and no other storage device is available, you can save files to a network drive as follows:

1.	Select [Network Neighborhood] from the desktop.

2.	Select a computer with a shared drive or folder (You must be authorized to read/write from/to the driver or folder).

3.	Right-click the drive or folder and select [Connect To Network Drive].

4.	Open [My Computer] to verify that the network drive is properly configured.

5.	Select [Save] from RecoverLost Data to save the files in the network drive.

Saving to a CD-ROM Drive

If your hard disk only has a single partition, but there is a CD-RW installed in your system, you can use a program like DirectCD to recognize the CD-RW drive as a local drive and save files as follows:

1.	Install an application program like DirectCD.

2.	Simply inserting a blank CD in the CD-RW will create an additional drive in [My Computer].

3.	Run RecoverLost Data and select the data to be recovered.

4.	Click "Save" and the new local disk will appear in [My Computer].

5.	Select the new local disk drive to save files.


Preference Settings

You can change various RecoverLost Data program settings by selecting [File]-[Preferences] or clicking the [Preferences] icon.  The [Preferences] menu consists of [Column] and [File list].

Column

The [Column] tab allows you to change the items displayed in folder columns to view [Details] (To change the folder view, select [Large Icons], [Small Icons], [List] or [Details] from the "View" menu or the toolbar).

File list

The [File list] tab allows you to configure the file display method and file recovery settings.

Deleted File Name

Designates the way the first character of the deleted short file name is displayed.  "Automatic" applies to both 1 and 2 byte methods.

Default File Size

Sets the default file size for damaged directory entries for which sizes cannot be determined.

Use System Icons

When this option is selected, files will be displayed using default icons registered in Windows.  You can modify these icons from [Windows Explorer]>[Folder Option]>[File Format] tab.

If you choose not to select this option, RecoverLost Data will display its own icons.  Contiguous files will be marked with "C", damaged files with "D", and fragmented files with "F".  All other normal files will be represented by the icon with no mark.

Find Names of Lost Files

When directory information for files registered in the [Lost Files] list is damaged and their names are not available, RecoverLost Data names these files with a "#" and the File’s Cluster Address (Ex.#222203.txt).

Note: Microsoft Word facilitates to provide names using the first few words of the file data.  With this option selected, RecoverLost Data can provide names using the first few words of the file data instead of "#" and the Cluster Number.

Search All Clusters for Damaged Files

When you select this option, RecoverLost Data will search the entire hard disk, including the boot sector, FAT, directory entries and the data area, enabling you to find data from partitions that were previously deleted.  If this is not selected, only the data area is searched.  However, since activating the option substantially decreases the search speed, it is better to disable it when recovering files that are simply deleted.

Ignore Damaged Sectors

When RecoverLost Data detects a damaged sector on the hard disk during a search, you will be asked whether you want to ignore the sector.  If you check the "Ignore Damaged Sectors" option, RecoverLost Data automatically bypasses damaged clusters without prompting you with the message.


File Preview

[File Preview] allows you to view the file content before recovery.  This feature is useful for verifying contents of a file whose name information is damaged, or checking the degree of damage of a file before determining whether a recovery attempt is worthwhile.

Right-click the file you wish to preview and select [File Preview].  You can also select [Repair]>[File Preview] or click the "Preview" icon.

You can preview JPG, BMP and other image files, text files, HTML files and some Office files with preview features (Not all images of an HTML file will be displayed and some script languages might not function properly since downloading images and other files from a web page could overwrite the data you wish to recover).

Office files can be previewed if their preview function has been configured in advance.

<Note>Since RecoverLost Data loads files to the system memory for "File Preview", nothing is written on your hard disk and there is no danger of your data being overwritten.


File Viewer

[File Viewer] displays a file in hexadecimal codes.  This feature is useful for analyzing a file for its format information.

Go to [Repair]>[File Viewer] or click the [File Viewer] icon.  You can also right-click a file and select [File Viewer].

"File Viewer" provides a convenient way to verify whether or not a file’s header information is damaged.  It can also be used to view portions of damaged document files (DOC/HWP/TXT) that cannot be opened.

Find Text String from File Viewer

You can search for desired text strings from "File Viewer".  This feature can be useful in many aspects.

1.	Text: Input the text string you wish to search for.

2.	Hex: Displays the hexadecimal values of the text string.

3.	Find Opposite Condition: Finds locations that do not contain the text string provided.

4.	Search at Specified Offset: Tells RecoverLost Data to search for the text string within the specified range.

5.	Ignore Case: Decide whether or not the upper/lower case should be distinguished.

6.	ASCII Code /UNICODE: These are various formats of displaying texts.

7.	Add to Find List(A)/Change Find List /Delete: Adds/Changes/Deletes conditions to/from the [Find List].

You can search for a text string as follows:

1.	Input the text string you wish to search for in [Text].  The corresponding hexadecimal values will be displayed in [Hex] (Conversely, if you provide hexadecimal values, the corresponding text string will be displayed in [Text]).

2.	Set various conditions (Find Opposite Condition, Search at Specified Offset, Ignore Case, etc…) and click [Add to Find List] to register the conditions in the "Find List" (You can register multiple conditions and apply them to a single search).

3.	Verify that the conditions in the [Find List] are correct.  If not, click [Change Find List] to make modifications.  Click [Delete] to delete conditions from the list.

4.	Select the search direction and click [Find Next].  Once the search commences, the [Find Next] button will become inactive and the [Pause] button will become active.  Click [Pause] to interrupt the search.  If you wish to terminate the search and return to the "File Viewer" Windows, click [Close].

During a search, the status bar will be displayed and the current search cluster will be indicated.

An interrupted status bar indicates that the text string has been found.  The [Find Next] button now becomes active and the [Pause] button inactive.  Go to the [File Viewer] window to view the text string.

If the scan is completed without finding the required text, then the message "Cannot find text" will appear such as below:


Find Starting Cluster of a File

When a file is deleted from Windows NT/2000/XP, a part of its address is erased (starting cluster).  Therefore, a file recovered with RecoverLost Data might not open properly.  If you are using Windows NT/2000/XP and the drive from which the file was deleted uses FAT16 or FAT32, you can find the erased starting cluster with RecoverLost Data.

This information is generally displayed with 4-byte location data.  When the file is deleted from Windows NT, the first two of the four bytes are initialized.  The following figure displays how the information for the starting cluster of a file is changed from "E1 13"to "00 13" after deletion.

Since RecoverLost Data searches for the deleted file based on the modified information (00 13), the incorrect start location prevents the file from being opened properly after recovery.  In order to restore its initial cluster, the original data (E1 13) must be found for full recovery.  [Find Start Cluster of a File] restores the modified two bytes of the starting cluster to its original value.

You can restore the original starting cluster of a file as follows:

1.	Select a file with incorrect start cluster data.

2.	Simply selecting [Repair]>[Find Start Cluster of a File] restores proper start cluster data.

3.	Go to [Repair]>[File Preview] to verify that the start cluster is properly restored and follow the general recovery procedure of saving the file to a different drive (see section 4.6).

**This feature applies only to files deleted from drives using FAT16 or FAT32 file system under Windows NT/2000/XP.


Drive Management

RecoverLost Data is capable of recovering deleted files.  If the files were deleted, overwritten or fragmented before RecoverLost Data was installed, recovery may take a long time or might not even be possible.  If however, RecoverLost Data was installed on your system beforehand, you can recover files quickly and efficiently.  You can also prevent important files from being deleted altogether.


File Delete Manager

RecoverLost Data allocates a part of the hard disk as a "Log File" for storing information about files that have been deleted.  This "Log File" keeps track of all the file system and directory information that is modified when a file is deleted (see section 4.3 and 4.4).  "File Delete Manager" enables you to control the "Log File" settings to manage this information.

Select [Drive Management]>[File Delete Manager] to open the [File Delete Manager] dialog box.  You can manage the "Log File" using this menu.

The default [File Delete Manager] setting is [Apply all folders], which tells RecoverLost Data to store information for every file deleted from every folder from your system.  Since the size of the "Log File" is limited, you can designate specific folders to utilize the "Log File" more efficiently.  Since the "Log File" only contains file information (file name, directory information, cluster information, etc…) and not the actual file data itself, it does not require a large amount of disk space.

If you select [Apply to following folders only], the information for the files deleted from these folders only will be stored in the "Log File".  In the example shown above, information about files deleted from "F:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents" & "F:\Documents and Settings\Default User\My Documents" will be stored in the Log File.

You can add/delete applicable folders by clicking "Add Folder/Delete Folder"

The [File Delete Manager] utility gives the advantage of a more accurate and faster recovery operation should it be needed.  However, a slight slow down in system performance may occur as a result, as the Log file is being accessed each time a file is deleted.  To reduce this activity, RecoverLost Data will only record file information (name, size, location, etc…) rather than the whole file data, when files above a certain size are delete.

Click the [Advanced] button on the [File Delete Manager] dialog box to alter the file size settings.  If a file is smaller than the file size setting, the whole content of a file will be stored and when bigger, only the file information will be stored.

You may set the maximum file size that stores the whole file by using [Advanced...] button on [File Delete Manager] window.  The default maximum file size is 1024KB.  When a file bigger than 1024KB is deleted, only file information will be stored in Log File instead of the whole file contents.

If the "Manage deleted file without considering file size" box is checked, then the entire contents of every deleted file will be stored in the "Log File", regardless of the file size.  However, deleting files bigger than 100MB, will slow down the system.  Only use this option if necessary.


Folder Protection

Menu [Drive Management]-[Folder Protection]

You can protect files and folders from being deleted with the [Folder Protection] function.  Folders registered with the [Folder Protection] function will be protected from the future deletions of files or subfolders within that folder.

Select [Drive Management]>[Folder Protection].

To use [Folder Protection], a password should be assigned.  When you first choose [Folder Protection], you will be prompted to enter a password.

If a password has already been assigned for [Folder Protection], you will be asked to enter the previously assigned password.

To change the current password, click [Change Password].  The following prompt appears as shown below.

The [Folder Protection] dialog box appears after the new password has been accepted.  A password will not be accepted if the previous password is incorrect or if the new password was not typed in identically in the [New Password] and the [Confirm new password] field.

Click [Add] from the [Folder Protection] dialog box.

Select the folder/s you wish to protect from the [Find Folder] dialog box and click [OK].

The folder will be added to the [Folder Protection] list as shown below.

Click [OK] to apply the new settings.

When you attempt to delete files from either folders or subfolders registered in [Folder Protection], a message will be displayed indicating that the file cannot be deleted.

You can exclude a folder from the [Folder Protection] list as follows:

Select the folder you wish to delete from the [Folder Protection] list (F:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop in the example below).  Click "Delete" to remove the folder from the list.


Exceptions

You can prevent [File Delete Manager] from storing temporary(.TMP) and other unnecessary files in the Log File by designating them as [Exceptions].  [Exceptions] consists of [Directory Exception] and [Extension Exception].

Directory Exception

Files deleted from folders and subfolders specified here are not stored in the Log File (see [File Delete Manager] above).  You can reduce the "Log File" size (the amount of disk space dedicated to storing information for deleted files) by registering Windows "temp folders’, Internet cache and history files, and less important directories here.

You can add/delete folders using the [Directory Exception] dialog box.

Extension Exception

Prevents files specified with certain extensions from being stored in the Log File.

You can add/delete extensions from the [Extension Exception] menu.

When [Ignore if file has no file extension] is selected, files with no extension will not be stored in the Log File upon deletion.

The [Extension Exception] dialog box contains [File] and [Ignore] columns.  Files with extensions in the [Ignore] column will not be stored in the Log File after deletion.

If you wish to add an extension to the [Ignore] column, click [Extension Add...] and provide the new extension.  You must type in "*." followed by the extension.  For example, if you wish to add the "lnk" extension, you should type in "*.lnk".

When you wish to remove an extension from the [Ignore] column, select the extension and click [Delete].  The deleted extension will be moved to the [File] column.

An extension in the [File] column can be moved back to the [Ignore] column by highlighting and clicking [Add].


Disk Log Manager

After installation, RecoverLost Data analyzes your hard disk and allocates the "Log File" area for each drive.  The default size of the Log File is 10%of the drive’s free space.  For example, if a drive has a total capacity of 10GB and 6GB of free space, the Log File size is configured as 10%of 6G, or 600MB.

You can reconfigure the Log File size according to your environment from [Disk Log Manager].  Enlarging the Log File size will not delete the contents of this file.  However, keep in mind that reducing the file size may result in data loss according to the size differential.

Select [Drive Management]>[Disk Log Manager] to open the drive selection window as shown below.  Select the drive containing the Log File you wish to reconfigure.

The [Select Log File Size] window will appear upon hitting [OK].  RecoverLost Data will assign a single Log File to the specified disk area.  The default Log File size is 10%of the drive’s free space.  You may adjust the Log File size according to your preference.

Click [OK] to reconfigure the Log File size.

<Note>

The Log File is located in the System Volume Information folder under the root directory.  Access to this folder is not permitted.  This is to prevent files in this directory from accidentally being deleted.


Start/Stop Drive Manager

You can choose to start or stop the Drive Manager.  If drive management is stopped, the [File Delete Manager] service will be removed from the system, and subsequently deleted files and folders will not be saved in the Log File.

Start Drive Manager ([Drive Management]-[Start Drive Manager])

Stop Drive Manager ([Drive Management]-[Stop Drive Manager])

<Note>

1.	How to check the [File Delete Manager] status

You can verify that the [File Delete Manager] is running by clicking: [Start]>[Settings]>[Control Panel]>[Maintenance Tools]>[Services].  The [Started] status indicates that the [File Delete Manager] is running.

2.	How to completely remove the [File Delete Manager] from your system

Select "Stop Drive Manager" from RecoverLost Data and go to [Start]>[Settings]>[Control Panel]>[Maintenance Tools]>[Services].  Right-click WDelMgr20 and select "Stop".  Then go to the [Run] and input "Ntfsldf20.exe -u", and hit [OK].

3.	How to reinstall the [File Delete Manager]

Run Ntfsldf20.exe from your RecoverLost Data setup disk.


Emptied Recycle Bin (Windows 95/98/ME)

If you have emptied the Recycle Bin or deleted files while holding down the [Shift] key, the corresponding files will not show in the Recycle Bin.  Files deleted by a user accessing your system through a network share are also not stored in the Recycle Bin.  Windows does not have the capability of recovering these files.

If you have simply emptied the Recycle Bin, there is a great possibility that you will be able to recover your files.  If you are using Windows 95/98/ME, you can recover lost files with RecoverLost Data’s directory search.  If you have emptied the Recycle Bin from Windows NT/2000/XP, refer to the procedure explained in the Formatted Hard Disk section.

If you have simply emptied the Recycle Bin from Windows 95/98/ME, you can recover your files in the Recovery section.


Formatted Hard Disk (or Emptied Recycle Bin in Windows2000/XP/NT)

If you have emptied the Recycle Bin from Windows NT/2000/XP or formatted your hard disk with a quick or standard format, you will not be able to find your files with a directory search alone.  You must also perform a cluster scan to recover these files (see section 4.4).

Go to [File]>[Open] and select the logical drive you have formatted.

After directory and cluster searches are complete, find the folders and files you wish to recover in [Lost Directories] and [Lost Files] in the left panel.

If [File Delete Manager] is installed, go to [Recently Deleted Files] where the deleted files are listed by date.  If not be found there, go to [Deleted Directories] or [Deleted Files] to find the file.

Select file/s from [Lost Directory(s)] and [Lost Files] and Recover them to a different drive.

Note: RecoverLost Data can recover hard disks formatted with standard or quick formats.  However, if a standard format is conducted on a floppy disk, the entire data area is initialized, making it impossible to recover.  A quick-formatted floppy disk can be recovered with RecoverLost Data Premium Edition.  Please refer to FAQ for detailed information.


Altered File Size due to Virus

Files contaminated with viruses such as Worm.ExploreZIP are displayed in Windows Explorer, but their file sizes are altered to "£¢®Æ".  Since the system cannot secure sufficient memory, these files cannot be opened.  You can recover these files using the following procedure:

Go to [File]>[Open] and select the drive.

After the directory search is complete, the cluster search will find damaged directories and files.

Select the file you wish to recover and select [Information] from the [File] menu.

Change the file size by inputting a number larger than the original file size in [Size].

Select a directory for saving the recovered file.

The initial size of the recovered file will be the random number you have provided.  However, if you open the file with the corresponding application program and save it, the original size will be restored.

RecoverLost Data analyzes [.DOC], [.XLS], [.PPT], [.JPG] and [.BMP] files to calculate their sizes.  But, if the original file size cannot be calculated because the data is damaged or fragmented, RecoverLost Data will assign the default file size.


Hard Disk Formatted with Another File System

After a hard disk is formatted with a different file system or a partition is deleted and reformatted with a different file system (usually with FDISK), you can recover the data by using the following steps:

Go to [File]>[Open] and select the desired hard disk from the [Physical Drive] tab.

Select [Find Format].

Specify the sector range to be searched and click [OK].

If a boot sector is found, the [Found a Boot Sector] screen will be displayed.

Click [Select Format] to go to the cluster search or [Continue] to continue the format search.

Even when the boot sector information is not found, RecoverLost Data analyzes the data and displays the file system as FAT16 or FAT32.

If you are certain that the analysis result is incorrect, you can change the file system type manually.

If the format found is correct, confirm by choosing [Select Format]; the file(s) found will be listed under [Lost Directory(s)] and [Lost Files].

After scanning is complete, find the files you wish to recover and save them to a different drive.


Unrecognized Drive

If a drive is not recognized because it has been contaminated with a virus or its partition information has been deleted with FDISK, use the following procedure to recover the data:

Go to [File]>[Open].

Select the [Physical Drive] tab and choose the physical drive (hard disk) containing the unrecognized drive.  The [Logical Drive] tab will not display the drive to be recovered.

Upon hitting [OK], RecoverLost Data will begin to search for the partition.

Partition found

After partitions are deleted with FDISK, and before new ones are created, you can recover data from the original partition(s) by using  "Find Partition".  Furthermore, if the disk has multiple partitions and the MBR (Master Boot Record) has been damaged, you can recover data provided that the partition information is not damaged.

Select the partition you wish to recover among the partitions found.  It will be recognized as a normal drive.

<NOTE>During the Find Partition process, a partition is not restored, but merely detected.  RecoverLost Data is then able to start the recovery of data on that partition.

Partition not found

Select the drive and click [Find Format].

Specify the sector range to be searched and click [OK].

If a boot sector is found, the [Found a Boot Sector] screen will be displayed.

Click [Select Format] to go to the cluster search or [Continue] to continue the format search.

Even if the boot sector information is not found, RecoverLost Data can analyze the partitions and displays the file system as either FAT16 or FAT32.

If you are certain that the analysis result is incorrect, you can change the file system type.

If the format found is correct, select the format, and the data stored in that file system format will be registered in [Lost Directory(s)] and [Lost Files].

After the disk search is complete, find the files you wish to recover and save them to a different drive.


System Not Bootable

If your computer has only one hard disk and cannot start Windows, you can recover data by attaching that disk as a slave to a separate system (master) with RecoverLost Data already installed.  RecoverLost Data can only be run in a working operating system.

If the hard disk is not recognized by the system BIOS the hard disk may have physical damage.  Recovering data from a physically damaged drive is beyond the capabilities of data recovery software.


FAQ

Can I recover data from a formatted disk?

Can I recover a hard disk that is not recognized?

Can I recover my data after performing FDISK?

Is RecoverLost Data compatible with Windows XP?

How long will it take to recover data?

Can I recover data on CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, MO, etc...?

What are [damaged files], [fragmented files], [contiguous]?

What kinds of viruses are protected against by the RecoverLost Data counter measures?

I have recovered a file, but I cannot open it.

I have accidentally overwritten my partition while using Ghost.

Can I recover deleted partitions?

Can I recover data with one hard disk?

Can I recover files deleted from a floppy disks?

Can RecoverLost Data recover files over a network?


A disk can be formatted in three different ways: Quick, Standard and Low-Level (physical) format.
Quick Format enables you to quickly format a disk by simply initializing the directory entry information in the root directory area and the FAT information.  The data area during this process remains intact.
On the other hand, Standard Format examines the data area, and maps the bad sectors.  Since each sector head must be read to determine whether it is bad, the process takes a substantial amount of time.  If a bad sector is detected, clusters in that sector are marked in the FAT to prevent them from future usage.  Once again, full format does not overwrite the data area, so the data content is preserved.
Finally, Low-Level Format modifies the surface molecule arrangement, initializes the entire disk, and records sector identifiers to each track (creating addresses to identify sectors within each track).  All of the data contained in the disk is initialized, preventing any future recovery attempts.
If file system information such as directory entries or FAT is lost, the file cannot be opened by the Windows operating system.  However, RecoverLost Data is capable of directly reading data from the data area to recover files after a quick or standard format.
For hard disks, a quick or standard format is generally carried out as a high-level format, where data areas are not overwritten.  Therefore, even though the FAT and the root directory are initialized, RecoverLost Data can still recover the data remaining in the data area.
On the other hand, for disk media that cannot be partitioned with FDISK, such as a floppy disk, a standard format is comparable to a low-level (physical) format process, rendering the original data on the floppy as unrecoverable.


You must first check whether the hard disk is physically damaged.  If the disk is not recognized by the CMOS Setup program or FDISK, there is a high possibility of physical damage.  RecoverLost Data cannot recover a physically damaged disk, and you should have it serviced by the disk manufacturer.
If a disk is not bootable, but not physically damaged, RecoverLost Data can recover its data.  Please refer to the Unrecognized Drive section.


Even if your partitions have been deleted with FDISK, you can select a physical drive scan from RecoverLost Data and recover the data from the lost partition.  Furthermore, even if you have created new partitions after removing old ones, you can still recover your data using RecoverLost Data.  Please refer to the Hard Disk Formatted with Another File System section.


RecoverLost Data Standard is compatible with Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP Home Version.
However, please note that RecoverLost Data does not run on Windows server products (Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server or higher).


Although the exact recovery speed depends on the capacity of the disk to be recovered and the computer specifications, the average time required for each task is as follows:

•	Data recovery from an emptied Recycle Bin: A few seconds (If you remember the location of the file, you can recover the data instantly).

•	Data recovery after FAT has been initialized with a quick format.

(For AMD-K6-2 300MHz CPU)

Floppy Disk (1.44MB): About one minute

Hard Disk (1GB /10%of free space): About five minutes


RecoverLost Data can recover data from CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, MO Drive, Zip Drive, Jaz Drive, Memory Stick, Flash Memory, and Smart Media.
If you cannot read data from your CD-ROM drive or incur other CD-ROM problems, then RecoverLost Data can assist you in recovering the data.  However, RecoverLost Data cannot recover data from a scratched CD-ROM (physical damage) that is not recognized by the computer.


[Damaged File]

If parts of the file you wish to recover are overwritten or severely fragmented, it is not likely that you will be able to fully restore the file.  Overwritten files and root directory files that have been damaged are indicated with a "D" for "Damaged File".  Most of these damaged files cannot be fully recovered.  RecoverLost Data can recover intact data when only the root directory has been damaged.

[Fragmented File]

Fragmented files are indicated with an "F" for "Fragmented File".  Most of these files are damaged, and even if they are recovered, they will not function properly or you will not be able to read them.

[Contiguous Files]

Files labeled as "Contiguous File" are indicated with a "C".  This points to the fact that the data exists on the hard disk in a sequential fashion in one general area.  Most of these files can be recovered to their original status.


RecoverLost Data is effective against viruses such as CIH, that initialize the file system information including MBR and FAT.  Furthermore, RecoverLost Data can recover data attacked by viruses that alter the directory entry information such as WormExploreZip.  These powerful features are implemented in RecoverLost Data’s [Lost Files] category.  The WormExploreZip virus destroys the entire directory information and FATs, thus completely eliminating file information, extension, and file size data.  Consequently, only the data area remains unaffected.  Even in these extreme cases, RecoverLost Data provides a miraculous recovery result.
RecoverLost Data cannot recover data damaged by viruses that directly attack a file’s data area.


In some cases, files recovered by using RecoverLost Data cannot be opened properly.  Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Power Point) files and large files such as MPEG files often run into this problem.  Please consider the following points:

Damaged File

After a file is deleted, it could be damaged by being overwritten by another file, disk defragmentation, virus attack, or hacking activity (Microsoft Office files are especially susceptible).
These files are marked as [Damaged Files] in the RecoverLost Data display.  The degree of damage may vary according to the file type.  If only the file location information is damaged, you can restore the file using [Tools]-[Find Start Cluster of a File].  However, if the file’s data content is damaged, it will not be recoverable.

Note: Premium version of RecoverLost Data contains the function to recover these files.  The higher versions have an Office repair utility that is integrated into the software (compatible with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the MPEG file format).  It can also recover files damaged during export from Oracle.

Fragmented File

Some large files are saved in discrete locations because they cannot secure contiguous hard disk space.  When one of these files is deleted, recovery is very difficult.  Even though the file’s start location is available, the location information of other fragments is usually erased.

<Note>RecoverLost Data Professional Premium version features a "Fragment Recovery" function for restoring fragmented files.


Symantec Ghost is a utility program for creating disk images for backup and cloning purposes.
However, since Ghost not only creates new partitions, but also copies the previous image to the hard disk, data recovery afterwards becomes impossible.


Hard disk partitions can be accidentally deleted with improper use of FDISK or virus attacks. RecoverLost Data recovers deleted data but not the partition.  You must save the data in the deleted partition to another drive and adjust your disk partition.


RecoverLost Data prevents users from saving data in the drive carrying out recovery tasks since saving data in the recovery drive might overwrite other data yet to be recovered.
If you only have one hard disk with a single partition, recover your data as follows:

1.	Save files to another computer’s drive over a network.

2.	Save small files on a floppy disk.

3.	Save files on large-capacity storage media such as ZIP or MO drive.

4.	Save files on empty space of CD using a CD-RW.


Files deleted from a floppy disk can be recovered.  Files saved in subfolders, rather than in the root directory, have a higher recovery rate.
You can also recover files after formatting a floppy disk.  However, you can only recover data if the floppy disk is quick-formatted.  Unlike a hard disk, data cannot be recovered after a standard format has been performed on a floppy.
Files that were saved in sub-directories of a quick-formatted floppy disk can be recovered from [Lost Directory(s)], whereas ones in the root directory must be restored from [Lost Files].


Our patented RecoverLost Data Network Recovery can recover files from remote locations on the same network anywhere in the world (Network Recovery is only available on RecoverLost Data Standard for Server).


RecoverLost Data Error Messages

Incorrect Registration Number.

Cannot save in current drive.

Insufficient Disk Spaces.

I opened the recovered file and some characters were missing.

Cannot view the content of a recovered file.

Cannot read ***(Number) sector.

Cannot read sector 0.

File Format not supported.

Cannot run INFDRV.DLL.

Apply old drive drive information to new drive information?

I ran RecoverLost Data, but nothing is displayed.


Please verify your serial number and try typing it in again.  This message might also appear if you attempt to install RecoverLost Data in a system that already has a previous version installed.  The new and old serial numbers will cause a conflict.  Please note that you can only register one serial number for each computer.


RecoverLost Data prevents users from saving data in the drive carrying out recovery tasks since saving data in the recovery drive might overwrite other data that need to be recovered.  An error message will be displayed when you attempt to save files to the recovery drive.  You should save your data in another drive or if you have no other drive available in your computer system, you could recover the data as follows:

1.	Save files to another computer’s drive over a network.

2.	Save small files in a floppy disk.

3.	Save files in large-capacity storage media such as ZIP or MO drive.


The message indicates that there is not enough free disk space to save recovered files and/or folders.  You should secure more free space and try saving again or recover your files/folders to another disk with sufficient free space.


Possible causes for missing characters are as follows:

The recovered file is a temporary file.

Programs like Microsoft Word create temporary files while you’re working in the programs.  Since the temporary file bears the same name as the original file, you may have mistakenly recovered the temporary file.  In this case, it is highly likely that the original file with the same name exists in the drive.  Try recovering the original file.  If the original file is not found, the file may be damaged, or only the temporary file exists without the original file.  In the latter case, the file cannot be recovered properly.

The file is damaged.

The Premium version of RecoverLost Data contains the function to recover damaged files for certain file types.  It is compatible with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MPEG files.  It can also recover files damaged during export from Oracle.


Some files contaminated with viruses such as Worm.ExploreZIP and MiniZIP indicate that their file size is 0.  When you attempt to open these files, they are displayed as empty files.  Since the system cannot secure sufficient memory, these files cannot be opened.  In this case, select [Information] from the [File] menu and modify the file size to an appropriate value.  If the original file size is larger than the assigned value, the file will not be displayed properly.  Therefore, if you do not know the exact file size, assign a sufficiently large value.


If there are other disks that RecoverLost Data has searched before this message is displayed, select [Ignore], and continue the search.  But, if you select [Ignore All], RecoverLost Data may skip all the unreadable sectors automatically.


In Sector 0, the important data required for the system start-up such as MBR is saved.  If this error message is displayed, please take actions according to following situations:

You selected a drive other than the hard drive.

Verify that the selected drive is properly connected and inserted.  If you selected a drive other than a hard disk, this error message could be displayed.

MBR is damaged

If it’s not a drive selection problem, as mentioned above, the MBR may be damaged.  The message can be displayed if a storage medium contains the manufacturer’s unique MBR format.  In this case, you can solve the problem by initializing the MBR with a utility tool such as a disk editor.
You can initialize the hard drive with FDISK or quick format, and inserted mediums such as floppy diskettes, CD ROMs, Zip disks, or MO with quick format.  Sometimes, the full format is required.  Unlike hard drives, the full format of floppy diskette deletes the data area as well as the MBR and makes data recovery impossible.  Quick format is recommended if possible.
Or, if virus eradication software runs a vaccine program, which backs up the original MBR, the MBR is hidden in a different location.  You have to delete the MBR information with a disk editor.


RecoverLost Data supports FAT12, FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS file systems.  If you attempt to search a hard disk formatted with any other file system, the "File format not supported" error message will be displayed.

The following table displays the file system used by each operating system.


INFDRV.DLL and INFTHK.DLL are DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files required for running RecoverLost Data on Windows 95/98/ME.  If you see this error message, check that these two files are in the Windows System folder.  If not, they can be copied from the RecoverLost Data CD-ROM.


If you select [Drive Management]-[Disk Log Manager] from a drive that already has a Log File, you can assign a new Log File size.  However, this creates a new and independent Log File.
The message asks whether you want to copy the old Log File information to the new file.  If you select [Apply], all information in the old Log File is copied to the new file.  If you click [Ignore], you will discard the old Log File information and create a brand new Log File.  Since the information regarding previously deleted files will no longer be available, chances for their recovery are lessened.
If you assign a new Log File size that is smaller than the old one and click [Apply], you will lose some of the old Log File information.  In this case, RecoverLost Data will copy the latest information.

Ex) Old Log File Size: 500MB

New Log File Size: 100MB

In this example, only 100MB of the latest information will be copied from the old Log File to the new one.


RecoverLost Data cannot recover data from a physically damaged hard drive.  A physically damaged disk refers to a wet or burned disk, a disk with damaged parts due to mechanical shock, or a disk with an electrically malfunctioning motor due to electric shock.
For example, it is highly likely that disks with the following symptoms may be physically damaged.

Abnormal noise (metallic noise)

When a hard disk is dropped, resulting in physical damaged, the magnetic head may become bent or loose and end up scratching the disk surface.  It is very difficult to recover data from these disks.

Burning smell

There may be a problem with the hard disk’s electrical circuit.  Possible causes include inadequate power supply, a short circuit caused by liquid, improper power cable connection or a bad component such as a capacitor.

Disk not spinning (no spinning sound).

The head and the disk may be stuck together making the disk unable to spin for some reason.  When the temperature falls, viscosity of the grease on the disk’s spinning axis may increase.  In this case, you can solve the problem by simply increasing the room temperature.


EULA

END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR STOMP SOFTWARE

IMPORTANT-READ CAREFULLY:  This End-User License Agreement ("License") is a legal agreement between you and Stomp Inc. dba StompSoft ("Stomp").  All Stomp software and third party software distributed by Stomp shall be referred to herein as the STOMP SOFTWARE.  This License covers only the STOMP SOFTWARE.  The STOMP SOFTWARE includes the computer software, the associated media, any printed materials, any "on-line" or electronic documentation, and all updates thereto. By installing, copying or otherwise using the STOMP SOFTWARE, you agree to be bound by the terms of this License.  If you do not agree to the terms of this License, Stomp is unwilling to license the STOMP SOFTWARE to you.  In such event, you may not use, install or copy the STOMP SOFTWARE in any way, and you should promptly contact Stomp for instructions on returning the unused product(s) for a refund of the purchase price of the STOMP SOFTWARE.

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The STOMP SOFTWARE is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties.  You agree to treat the STOMP SOFTWARE like any other patented and/or copyrighted material. You agree to not remove, modify or alter any patent, copyright, or trademark notice from any part of the STOMP SOFTWARE. The STOMP SOFTWARE is licensed, not sold.

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This License grants you the following rights:

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DESCRIPTION OF OTHER RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS

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LIMITED WARRANTY

LIMITED WARRANTY ON CD-ROM MEDIA.  Stomp warrants that for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of its delivery to you, that the CD-ROM media on which the STOMP SOFTWARE is furnished will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.  This limited warranty extends only to you as the original licensee.  Stomp’s entire liability and your exclusive remedy will be replacement of the CD-ROM media not meeting Stomp’s limited warranty and which is returned to Stomp with proof of purchase in the form of a bill of sale (containing a date verifying that the CD-ROM media is within the warranty period). Stomp will have no responsibility to replace a disc damaged by accident, abuse or misapplication.  ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES ON THE CD-ROM MEDIA, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO NINETY (90) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF DELIVERY.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THESE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.  THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

EXCLUSION OF WARRANTY ON STOMP SOFTWARE.  You expressly acknowledge and agree that use of the STOMP SOFTWARE is at your sole risk.  The STOMP SOFTWARE is provided "AS IS" and without warranty of any kind, and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Stomp EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  STOMP DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE STOMP SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE STOMP SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED, FUNCTION ERROR FREE OR WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. FURTHERMORE, STOMP DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE STOMP SOFTWARE IN TERMS OF ITS CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.  NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY STOMP OR A STOMP AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY.  SHOULD THE STOMP SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU (AND NOT STOMP OR A STOMP AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.  SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

STOMP SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY RELATED TO THIS PRODUCT. SUCH  DAMAGES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF USE OF THE PRODUCT OR ANY ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, DOWN TIME AND PURCHASER’S TIME, EVEN IF STOMP HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  IN ANY CASE, STOMP’S ENTIRE LIABILITY UNDER ANY PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU, IF ANY, ALLOCABLE TO THE STOMP SOFTWARE.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

UPDATES AND SUBSCRIPTION

Certain STOMP SOFTWARE products are updated from time to time depending on the title of the STOMP SOFTWARE (such as updated virus definitions; updated URL lists; updated firewall rules; updated vulnerability data, etc.; collectively, these are referred to as "Definitional and/or Content Updates").  You may obtain Definitional and/or Content Updates for any period for which you have purchased a subscription for Definitional and/or Content Updates for the STOMP SOFTWARE (including any subscription included with your original license of the STOMP SOFTWARE).  This license does not otherwise permit you to obtain and use Definitional and/or Content Updates.

MISCELLANEOUS

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California and all parties submit to jurisdiction and venue in California.

You may not export or re-export the STOMP SOFTWARE or any underlying information, components or technology except in full compliance with this License as well as all United States and other applicable laws and regulations.

Without limiting any of Stomp’s other rights, Stomp may terminate this License if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions herein. In such event, you agree to destroy any and all copies of the STOMP SOFTWARE.

If you purchased the STOMP SOFTWARE on-line via the Internet, or via any other electronic method, you may have a limited number of times that the STOMP SOFTWARE may be installed.

Your use of the STOMP SOFTWARE may be subject to additional third-party end-user license agreements. By installing and/or using the STOMP SOFTWARE, you agree to be bound by all license agreements whether from STOMP or any other third-party. Be sure to thoroughly read all licenses presented during purchase, installation and/or on-going use of the STOMP SOFTWARE, as well as all accompanying printed and electronic documentation.

Should you have any questions concerning this License or this limited warranty, you may contact Stomp by writing to:  Stomp Inc. 2302 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA 92606  Attn: Product Marketing.


RecoverLost Data Wizard
RecoverLost Data Wizard - Introduction

RecoverLost Data is supplied in two versions.  The Wizard version is designed to easily walk you through the steps required to recover lost and deleted files, as well as deleted email.  The second version of RecoverLost Data has an explorer look and allows for significantly more customization for data retrieval.  The two versions discussed in this help file will be designated as RecoverLost Data Wizard and RecoverLost Data, respectively (both versions are included with your install.  You may use either version for your data recovery needs).

Most users will find the RecoverLost Data Wizard to be the preferred utility for data recovery.  Under most situations, it should give identical results to those of RecoverLost Data.  Some users may prefer the explorer view for data recovery and may be comfortable with the additional options and configuration steps available with RecoverLost Data.  In that situation, you will find RecoverLost Data to be very flexible and likely one of the most powerful software data recovery tools available anywhere.  RecoverLost Data may require additional knowledge of data recovery compared to the Wizard version.  For that reason, we strongly recommend that you spend some time with the help file to fully understand some of the advanced data recovery options that are available with RecoverLost Data.

This is an image of the RecoverLost Data Wizard

This is an image of the full RecoverLost Data application


RecoverLost Data (Wizard)

RecoverLost Data Wizard is designed to make data recovery as easy and straightforward as possible.  The wizard will walk you through all the steps required to recover lost or deleted data based on several of the most common situations.  Under most situations, your valuable data can be easily recovered by simply following the steps outlined in the wizard.

RecoverLost Data Wizard contains several sections.  The two main sections are "Recover Deleted/Lost Files" and "Recover Deleted E-mails".  The "Advanced Data Recovery" button simply loads the non-wizard version of "RecoverLost Data", while the About section gives additional information about "RecoverLost Data Wizard" and lists several websites where additional information about the software and StompSoft is available.


Recover Deleted/Lost Files (Wizard)

This selection allows for data recovery using four different button selections.  Information about each selection is displayed when the mouse is hovered over the button.  The four data recovery button selection are listed as follows:

Recover Deleted Files

Recover Recently Deleted Files

Recover Lost Data

Recover Lost Drive

After selecting the most appropriate button for your particular data loss situation, you must select the drive to begin scanning for your data.  Once the scan is complete, a list of lost or deleted data is shown.  You can select one or multiple items from the list using standard Windows explorer selection keys such as Ctrl and Shift.  You may also limit your selection to a more manageable size using the "Search/Filter" button.

After your selection(s) are complete, simply click on the Recover Selected Files button and select a drive and folder in which to save your restored data.  Under most cases you will have successfully recovered your lost or deleted data, fully intact and ready to be used.


Recover Deleted Files

Please use this button if files have been deleted or Windows recycle bin has been emptied.  This is one of the fastest recovery methods, but the assumption is that your operating system directory structure is fully intact and has no damage.


Recover Recently Deleted Files

This option is only available if RecoverLost Data has been pre-installed on your computer before the files you are trying to recover were lost or deleted.  Also RecoverLost Data must have been configured to use the File Delete Manager.

Note: This option only works for Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP systems.  If you meet all of these conditions, this may be the best choice to recover your files.


Recover Lost Data

Use this option if files or directories have been lost on your system from a system crash or in some other manner the structure of your hard drive has been corrupted (i.e. you did NOT accidentally delete the files you are now trying to retrieve).  This option should also be used if you formatted your hard drive and need to try to retrieve the data.

Note: This can take several hours to complete the complete scan of your hard drive.  The required time will be directly related to the size of the hard drive being scanned.


Recover Lost Drive

Select this button if a logical drive is lost due to damage of a partition table.  When this occurs, you are no longer able to see the drive letter of the hard drive in Windows Explorer.  The name of the hard drive is still available and selectable from this option.

Note: This can take several hours to complete the complete scan of your hard drive.  The required time will be directly related to the size of the hard drive being scanned.


Recover Deleted E-mails (Wizard)

The Recover Deleted E-mail button offers an opportunity to get a second chance at retrieving emails that you have deleted and purged from your mail client.  Supported email clients include Outlook Express, Outlook, Netscape, and Eudora Mail.  The wizard will walk you through all the steps to attempt to get your deleted emails back.  The first step is to select your email client software.  You will then be asked to select the drive to scan for email recovery.  If you know where your email file(s) are stored on your computer, you can navigate to that file directly using the Explorer View Selection button.  If you are not certain, simply select the "Scan" button after the drive has been selected, and the program will search your entire hard drive for your email files.  Once the scan is complete you can select the email file(s) and attempt to recover any deleted emails that may exist.


Advanced Data Recovery (Wizard)

This selection will load the non-wizard version of RecoverLost Data.  The non-wizard version contains additional data recovery options.  Most data recovery can be accomplished without using this Advanced Data Recovery program.

Please make certain that you have reviewed this help file completely if you wish to use RecoverLost Data’s Advanced Data Recovery options, as it is far more complex and requires more knowledge to operate.


About Recover Lost Data (Wizard)

This section displays web links for StompSoft’s Home, Support, Registration, and Updates page.  The current wizard version number for RecoverLost Data is also displayed on this page.