Can I retrieve corrupted files?

Retrieving corrupted files is often possible with the right tools and techniques. The likelihood of recovering a corrupted file depends on the type and extent of corruption. In many cases, users can recover at least some of their data and get important files back.

What causes file corruption?

There are several potential causes of file corruption:

Faulty storage devices: Issues with the physical storage device like bad sectors can lead to data corruption.

System crashes: A crash or sudden shutdown while a file is being written can corrupt the file.
Software bugs: Bugs in an application or operating system can sometimes corrupt files.
Viruses and malware: Viruses and other malware are a common cause of file corruption.

Human error: Accidentally deleting or overwriting a file can lead to data loss.

Can you recover 100% of corrupted data?

It’s usually not possible to recover 100% of corrupted data. However, the specific recovery rate depends on the cause and severity of corruption:

Minor corruption: With minor issues like bad sectors, you may recover 99%+ of data.

Partial overwrites: If a file was partially overwritten, you can recover the intact portions.
Total overwrites: If a file was completely overwritten, recovery is very difficult but fragments may be retrievable.
Physical damage: With physical damage to a disk, recovery rates vary widely based on severity.

Deletions: Recovering recently deleted files is typically very successful.

While getting back every single byte is rare, advanced data recovery tools can recover substantial portions of files in many corruption cases.

How can I retrieve corrupted files?

Here are some steps to attempt corrupted file recovery:

Stop using the storage device immediately. Continued use can overwrite corrupted data.
Try recovery software. Many free and paid programs can retrieve various file types.
Send the drive to a data recovery service for advanced recovery methods if DIY software is unsuccessful.

On storage devices like SD cards, you may be able to perform a low-level format to fix file system corruption issues.
For accidental deletions, try undelete utilities to recover files before they are totally overwritten.

Best data recovery software

Some top data recovery programs include:

Software	Key Features
Recuva	Free; recovers files deleted from hard drives, cameras, and more.
Stellar	Recovers lost and deleted files from all storage media.
EaseUS	Has physical and logical recovery tools for comprehensive file recovery.
Disk Drill	Powerful deep scanning recovers lost or deleted files even without a trace.

Does data recovery work if a hard drive won’t boot?

Yes, data recovery is often possible even from drives that won’t boot. When a drive has a mechanical, logical, or electronic failure that prevents the operating system from loading, recovery software can still scan the disk and rebuild file systems to extract data.

Hard drive recovery techniques

Data recovery tools can read non-booting drives using methods like:

Bypassing the file system entirely and scanning the raw sectors for identifiable file signatures.

Removing the hard drive and connecting it as an external drive to another computer.
Cloning the drive and working on the copied image to avoid harming the source.
Performing a specialized firmware repair to reset drive electronics.

As long as the physical disk platter is intact, specialized utilities can often recover at least some files regardless of the boot state.

How long does data recovery take?

Data recovery timelines vary widely depending on several factors:

Type of data loss: Recovering deleted files is much faster than rebuilding corrupted data.

Drive capacity: Larger hard drives take longer to scan fully.
Drive condition: Heavily damaged drives take longer to read data from.
File system: More complex file systems like NTFS take longer than FAT32.

Software used: Some tools are significantly faster than others.

For a 1TB hard drive in good condition, an average recovery using standard software may take 2-8 hours. More serious recovery cases can take days to complete.

Can you recover unsaved Word documents?

It’s often possible to recover unsaved Word documents in cases like:

Accidental closes without saving.
System crashes during editing.
Forgotten auto-recovery files.

Methods to retrieve unsaved Word docs include:

Using Word’s AutoRecover files as a starting point.
Searching for temporary files left behind during editing.

Using file carving to search the drive for Word document signatures.

The best results come from recovering quickly before older temporary files get overwritten. But advanced recovery tools can still find document fragments after significant time has passed.

Can files be recovered after emptying the Recycle Bin?

Recovering deleted files after emptying the Recycle Bin is often possible, but becomes less likely over time. When you first delete a file, it isn’t immediately removed from your system. Only when the space it occupies is overwritten does permanent data loss occur. So for recently emptied Recycle Bins, undelete utilities can:

Scan for intact files that still retain the original data.
Check for directory entries that point to deleted files.
Look for traces of old file locations and metadata.

If a file was only recently deleted, there’s a good chance of getting it back. But the odds drop significantly as new data overwrites the space.

Is data recovery expensive?

Data recovery costs vary widely depending on the specific situation:

DIY software recovery: Affordable options under $100 like Recuva and Stellar offer file recovery capabilities for minimal cost.

Professional recovery service: For difficult mechanical failures, a service may charge $400-$3000+ depending on effort required.
Replacement drive: Logical failures may require replacing the failed drive, which can cost $50-$1500+ depending on capacity.

While costs quickly add up for serious recovery cases, inexpensive software can successfully retrieve many recently deleted files for modest prices.

Does data recovery work on SD cards?

SD cards and other removable storage can absolutely be recovered using standard data recovery software and techniques. However, SD cards do carry higher risks of permanent data loss if corruption occurs. This is because:

SD cards utilize flash memory rather than magnetic platters, making partial overwrites more impactful.
SD cards have on-board controllers more prone to electronic failure than hard drives.

SD cards have less onboard data redundancy and error correction compared to managed storage.

So while the recovery process is essentially the same, best results will come from quickly powering off the device at the first sign of failure to prevent overwrites.

How can I recover photos from a damaged SD card?

To recover photos from a damaged SD card, follow these general steps:

Immediately stop using the card to prevent overwrites.
Try inserting the card into a different device like your computer or phone reader.
Scan the card with recovery software like Recuva to extract retrievable image files.

Use advanced recovery methods like file carving if initial scans fail.
Send to a recovery service if DIY options can’t reconstruct corrupted photos.

Recovering quickly before further use of the card increases the chances. But data recovery specialists have specialized tools to reconstruct even significantly corrupted picture files by searching for image signatures.

Can you recover permanently deleted files?

Recovering permanently deleted files is challenging but sometimes possible depending on when and how they were deleted. If a file was manually permanently deleted, this typically involves:

Removing file system pointers to the data location.
Marking the occupied space as available for future writes.

Until new data physically overwrites the space, file recovery software can often:

Scan for familiar file headers and structures.
Check previously known file locations.

Look for traces left behind like metadata.

Success rates drop significantly over time. But there’s often a window where recovery specialists can reconstruct permanently deleted files before they are totally lost.

Can files be recovered after reformatting a hard drive?

Recovering files after reformatting a hard drive is often possible, but becomes more difficult as new data is written. When reformatting, the file system structure is rebuilt, but the actual contents on disk are not immediately erased. So immediately after reformatting, recovery software can leverage methods like:

Reading data directly from the disk platters instead of relying on file system metadata.
Searching for data patterns and familiar file headers that were orphaned but still reside on the disk.
Looking at remnants of old partition structures that may reveal locations of previously stored files.

The greater the gap between reformatting and running recovery software, the lower the chances due to increasing likelihood of overwrites. But skilled specialists can still recover substantial data under the right conditions.

What file formats are easiest to recover?

File recovery success rates vary by format. Some of the file types easiest to recover include:

JPG: Contains distinct header structure and is resistant to fragmentation issues.

PDF: Has file trailer that aids recovery even with some corruption.
DOCX: XML structure provides multiple entry points for file carving.
MP4: Recovery possible even if video is corrupted by locating metadata.

Formats with redundancy like ZIP archives are also relatively easy to reconstruct partially when full recovery fails. Raw data types without structure like TXT files or databases are trickier.

What file formats are hardest to recover?

Some file types pose greater challenges for recovery tools including:

GIF: No distinct header makes carving difficult, relies more on file extension.

WAV: Audio data lacks strong file structure for rebuilding corrupted files.
PSD: Photoshop files are stored in multiple layers,logged actions complicate recovery.
AVCHD: Video camera format scatters B-frames throughout footage, challenging reconstructions.

Heavily encrypted and compressed formats without predictable internal data patterns also lower odds of recovery success.

Can you recover corrupted files after a disk check?

Running the CHKDSK tool or a disk check utility can potentially help or harm corrupted file recovery:

Helps: May fix file system errors allowing normal access to previously inaccessible files.

Harms: Can potentially overwrite portions of damaged files while repairing disk issues.

So the impact depends on both the health of the original files and what actions the disk check program takes. In some cases of logical corruption, CHKDSK may sufficiently repair the file system to regain access without needing data recovery. But with physical media damage, it risks overwriting data during repairs.

Can you recover encrypted or compressed files?

Recovering encrypted and compressed files introduces additional challenges, but is sometimes possible depending on the specifics of the situation:

Encrypted files require access to the correct decryption keys to be recovered, which may not be feasible if keys are lost.
Compressed archives allow partial recovery of individual intact files even if part of archive is corrupted.
Compression formats without archiving like JPEG let users recover readable portions of images.

Specialized decryption tools may provide alternatives like brute force attacks to recover inaccessible encrypted data.

So while encryption and compression create barriers, they do not universally prevent data recovery given the right tools and access to needed credentials.

Can you recover RAW image files?

RAW photo formats like CR2 and NEF files can be recovered using standard data recovery techniques:

File carving tools can identify and reconstruct RAW headers and structures.
RAW formats contain thumbnail previews allowing partial image recovery.
Specialized recovery software targets RAW formats and leverages included metadata.

However, RAW formats are less standardized than JPG and lacks compression, so corruptions may be harder to work around. But intact RAW files are accessible with many consumer recovery tools.

Conclusion

While completely recovering all lost and corrupted data is rare, significant file recovery is possible in many situations. With quick action and the right software, users can often get back lost files before they are permanently overwritten. In trickier cases involving physical media damage, recovery specialists have advanced tools that can reconstruct data without file system access. So while outcomes vary case-by-case, there are established techniques that can restore important lost files and documents across many common data loss scenarios.