[slack]

I have been trying to open some files in my history of MS Works but everytime I do I get the message that the files may have been deleted. I have checked and that is the case. Is their anyway to restore these files?

 

[WyldStallyyn]

Have you checked your Recycle Bin?

 

[slack]

I checked my recycled bin, they're not there. I don't even know how long they have been gone.
thanks

 

[kiwiguy]

When a file is deleted off the hard drive, the space it occupied is marked as "free", and the file will exist until more disk write activity re-uses the free space that it used to occupy.

If the files were deleted some time ago (and that sounds as if it is the case from your post) the chances of that disk space still containing the file are probably quite low.

If any part of the file has been written over, then it has essentially gone, unless you want to pay a lot of money to a forensic recovery company.

How important were the files? If they were very important then immediately cease using the computer, as every operation will reduce the chances of recovery. There is data recovery software available, but you need to slave the existing hard drive to another PC, as loading the software and recovering any file on the same disk could overwrite any other file yet to be recovered.

 

[WyldStallyyn]

Is it possible they were on a CD or a floppy? If you are looking at your most recently used file list, it will normally tell you the path to the files in question. If they are on the hard drive and you can't find them in the Recycle Bin, then kiwiguy is right, they are probably gone but you can try some data recovery software and see if that will bring them back.