DiskGenius Data Recovery Guide

Read this before you start

Do not save anything to the affected drive. Do not install software onto it — including recovery software. Do not run chkdsk hoping it will help, do not let Windows format the volume when it offers, and if the drive is the one Windows boots from, shut the machine down and attach the disk to another computer instead. Every write is a coin toss against your own files.

Recovered files must be written to a different physical disk. Writing them back onto the source is the most common way people destroy the second half of their own recovery.

What is actually recoverable

Deleting a file usually removes its directory entry and marks its blocks reusable. The content stays put until reused, which is why speed matters more than software choice.

• Good odds: recently deleted files on a mechanical hard drive, a quick-formatted partition, a volume that turned RAW, a partition that vanished from the table.
• Mixed odds: files deleted from an SSD, because TRIM clears free blocks in the background, often within minutes.
• Poor odds: data overwritten by new writes, a secure-erase wipe, or anything on a locked encrypted volume without the key.
• Not a software problem at all: a drive that is clicking, not spinning up or dropping off the bus mid-scan. That is hardware, and imaging it before further attempts is the only sensible move.

Choosing the right scan

Deleted file scan

Fastest option, and the right first move when files were removed but the partition is otherwise intact. It reads the existing file system and rebuilds the entries that were unlinked, so folder names and paths often survive.

Full or deep scan

Slower and thorough. It walks the whole volume looking for file system fragments and recognisable file signatures. Use it after a format, when a partition is RAW, or when the quick pass came back thin. Expect generic file names, because signature-based results carry no directory information.

Lost partition search

For the case where a whole volume disappeared rather than individual files. Rebuilding the partition entry can restore access to everything at once — often the cleanest outcome available. See the lost partition walkthrough.

Preview is the step people skip

A file appearing in a scan result list is not proof that it is intact. Preview a representative sample before you commit to anything: open a few photos, page through a document, scrub a video. If previews render correctly, the data is there. If they come back blank or corrupted, more scanning will not fix it and you should be considering whether the drive itself needs imaging.

Previewing early also answers the licensing question honestly. You will know what the free edition can find before deciding whether to pay to write it out.

A recovery sequence that works

1. Stop using the affected drive. Power the machine down if that drive is the system disk.
2. Attach the drive to a healthy computer, or boot from separate media, so nothing writes to it.
3. If the drive shows physical symptoms, create a sector-level image and work on the copy.
4. Run the quick deleted-file scan and preview a sample of results.
5. Escalate to a full scan or a lost partition search only if the quick pass was insufficient.
6. Write recovered data to a completely separate disk, then verify the files open before you declare victory.

Knowing when to stop

Software recovery works on drives that still read. If a disk is failing mechanically, every additional scan risks turning a partial recovery into no recovery. For irreplaceable data on a dying drive, a professional lab with hardware imaging tools is the better spend — and no honest guide should tell you otherwise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can DiskGenius recover files after a format?

A quick format leaves most data in place, so results are often good. A full format that writes zeros across the volume is a different matter and generally not recoverable.

Why do recovered files have random names?

Signature-based scanning finds file content without directory records, so names and folders cannot be restored. Sort by type and use preview to identify what matters.

Can I recover data from an SSD?

Sometimes, but TRIM shortens the window dramatically. Disconnect the drive and start immediately rather than researching for an hour first.

Is recovery possible from a RAW partition?

Frequently, yes — RAW usually means damaged file system metadata rather than lost content. Scan and recover the files before attempting any repair that writes to the volume.