Windows XP Data Recovery

Restoring previous or lost data on Windows XP is easy. There are several steps you can take in order to do this. You will want to use these tools in the order presented, because System Restore is far easier than later tools, and if you can fix your problem with that, then you are good to go.

System Restore

System Restore is when your computer makes “saves” or “photographic snapshots” of the current running system and files periodically, and you can restore your computer back to any of these times if your computer crashes or a virus is affecting your files. Be sure to get rid of the virus first, before restoring your computer to a previous state. System Restore is automatically enabled on some computers. You must check to make sure that your computer is currently backing your files up and that you have the availability of using System Restore in the future. Most of the time, however, this is selected and done by default, so you should not have to make any changes.

Make sure you are using an Administrator account when doing this. This is opposed to logging into a User Account which does not have Administrative privileges. Go to Start Menu, then All Programs, then Accessories, followed by System Tools and click on System Restore. This will open a window which tell you about System Restore and have two options. Click the option which says “Restore my computer to an earlier time” and then click Next. The following page will have a tiny calendar with hyperlinked numbers on all of the days which you can restore your system back to. Click on the most recent date BEFORE your computer crashed, and click Next. Confirm your restore point selection and click Next. After the System Restore is complete, you will need to restart your computer, log back in using an Administrator account and click Restoration Complete.

Data Recovery Software

Pandora (found here) and Easeus (found here) are both excellent and free data recovery software programs. With these programs, you should be able to find individual files and sets of lost files, by following the instructions in the program. Download one of them safely from an accredited site, such as download.cnet.com. You should be able to recover lost files with these. If not, you may have to take your computer in to see an expert or try our tutorial if your external hard drive has crashed.

If System Restore and Data Recovery Software are not working for you, then you may have to take your equipment in to see an expert who would be able to set things right for you. Do not despair. Experts in this field are sure to recover your lost data.

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Posted in: Recovery,Windows