Trying to recover deleted files from secondary HDD (NTFS)

Recovering Deleted Files from an NTFS Secondary HDD: Strategies and Tools

Losing important files can be a stressful experience, especially when unintended deletion occurs during system synchronization or backup processes. If you’ve recently deleted files from an NTFS-formatted secondary hard drive and are seeking effective methods to recover them, this article provides an overview of strategies and tools to maximize your chances of success.

Understanding the Situation

In many cases, users employ synchronization tools like Nextcloud to sync folders between their computers and remote servers. While such tools are invaluable for backups, misconfigurations or accidental deletions can lead to data loss. For instance, a typical scenario involves setting up Nextcloud to sync with a folder on a secondary HDD, only to have the folder erased instead of synchronized, resulting in the loss of photos, videos, and other important files.

Initial Recovery Attempts

Common first steps include using Windows’ built-in file recovery features or third-party recovery software. Tools like Windows File Recovery can often retrieve deleted files, but they may have limitations:

• Partial recoveries, where some files are corrupted or incomplete.
• Disorganized file structures, as files are often recovered without original folders.

Similarly, specialized recovery programs like GetDataBack can display the folder structure and preview files, but their success rate varies. Usually, free or trial versions offer limited functionality, often warning that recovered files may be corrupted or incomplete.

Effective Recovery Strategies

1. Evaluate the Extent of Data Loss

2. Determine which files are critical.

3. Check if any recovered files are intact or salvageable.

4. Use Advanced Data Recovery Tools

Several commercial and free tools can improve recovery outcomes:

• Recuva (by Piriform): Offers deep scanning capabilities and can recover files from damaged drives.
• EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: Supports extensive file types and provides recovery previews.
• R-Studio: Designed for complex recovery scenarios and supports reconstruction of corrupted files.

• PhotoRec: Focused on multimedia files; works on a wide range of file systems.

• Focus on File Integrity

• Some tools can attempt to repair corrupted files, particularly videos and photos, through specialized recovery modules.

• Before attempting repairs, always recover files to a separate drive to prevent overwriting existing data.

• Preserving Folder Structure

• Some recovery software maintains folder hierarchy during recovery, which can help organize recovered files efficiently.

• If the software does not preserve structure, manual reorganization may be necessary.

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