This handy utility can even restore data after an installation of your new Operating System or a format of your computer. For me, this is a must-have tool.

Norm has previously covered how to use Recuva to recover long lost files. In this tutorial, we will cover the Recuva portable, a portable app that you can bring along in your USB.

Some of the useful features in Recuva include:

• Recover from damaged or formatted disks. It is worth to try a recover program even if the drive is not working properly. The best option in this case is using other computer to scan for lost files.
• Recover deleted emails. Recuva, as other programs of this kind, look for the header of a file trying to identify the content. It can even used to restore lost emails.
• Restore Unsaved Word documents. When you are working with Word or other Office programs, it stores temporal backups even without your knowledge. Recuva can identify them and restore your work.
• Delete files you want to erase forever. It is easy to find files even as they have been deleted. The program helps you to erase a file so cannot be recover using other programs.

The utility can be used to recover any sort of documents, pictures, music or video.

1. Download Recuva Portable

2. Unzip the downloaded file. This is what you are going to get:

Recuva can work in both 32 bits and 64 bits system. Depending on your system architecture, double click the icon most suitable for your system.

The Recuva Wizard will appear and ask you for the kind of files you want to recover. The more specific you are the faster you will find a file. Here you can see the kind of document the utility can recover. For example it can find emails only created by Thunderbird, Outlook Express and Windows Mail, so if you are using other email client, don’t use this option.

Select File Location. If you are dealing with a complex situation, a hard drive that has being formatted or you are not sure where the files are located, the best way to go is using the first option:

Recuva will ask if you want to enable “Deep Scan”. In this case it will take more time to find files, but you will also be more likely to locate the files that you are looking for.

Recuva starts to work:

Finally it will show you the files:

You just have to select the entries and click the Recover button. That’s it.

What other programs do you use to restore your lost files?

Recuva allows you to selectively search for specific files such as pictures, music, videos, and documents or you can search for any deleted files if you are looking for something outside of a specific niche.  This handy walkthrough will show you just how easy it is!

To get started, download the installation file from the Recuva site and use the wizard to guide you through the installation.  The only change that I would suggest would be to uncheck Install Yahoo Toolbar when presented with the option.

Once installed, launch Recuva and select continue if prompted by Vista’s UAC security warning.  This product uses a very easy to follow wizard to help you recover those lost files quickly and easily.

As you can see, Recuva gives you the ability to specialize your search, so that your file is more likely to be recovered quickly.  Once you get to the end of the wizard, you are given the option to do a deep scan.  It’s not recommended on your first pass, but if you have trouble recovering a file you can try the deep scan to improve your results.

After you click Start, Recuva will begin scanning your drive(s) for deleted files.  A progress bar allows you to see how far along the scan is at any given moment.  Once that scan is complete, you will be presented with a listing of files that can be recovered.  I chose to recover a picture, so in my example I am offered thumbnails to make finding my file easier.

All that’s left is to place a checkmark in the checkbox under your file, then click the Recover button in the lower right-corner of the window.  A dialog box will appear asking where you would like to save the recovered files to.  It is highly recommended to select a drive that is different than the drive containing your files.

After one last prompt that tells you the recovery time, your files are in your selected location and ready for use.

This tool is a great asset to have on hand and it could certainly be a life saver one day.  I look forward to the next great product from Piriform to see just how much easier computer management can get.