Data recovery using the GetDataBack program. Recovering Deleted Files Using GetDataBack

Today I want to talk about the GetDataBack program, with the help of which I recently managed to recover important data from external USB drive Toshiba, which has stopped being detected by the system and opening.

When loading the OS (Windows 7), the system detected as logical drive given USB drive, but was unable to determine its file system and gain access. I just suggested formatting it. There was some important data on the disk, so I was not happy with the formatting. I decided, if possible, to first try to save the information. For these purposes (taking into account user reviews), I chose a data recovery program called GetDataBack for FAT/NTFS version 4.33.

I’ll tell you a little about the program itself (its capabilities) and how I worked with it.

GetDataBack program powerful tool to recover data (lost, deleted or damaged information) from various media. As the German developers of Runtime Software assure - "GetDataBack with high reliability and accuracy, will recover data even if the partition table and boot sector are damaged, folders and files are destroyed, as a result virus attack, accidental formatting, overwriting, deleting, etc. Even if low level formatting or if the system itself no longer sees the disk, GetDataBack will still return your data to you."

GetDataBack is intuitive clear interface(a typical turn-based "Master") and impressive performance. GetDataBack allows data recovery both on the computer on which the program is installed and on a remote one - for example, on any of the computers local network. A simple and absolutely safe for files, in read-copy-only mode, a three-step, individually customizable recovery system is used. Works like with long names, as well as with non-standard Unicode character sets, such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Greek, etc. GetDataBack returns data from hard drives(IDE, SCSI, SATA), dynamic disks, USB drives, floppy disks, disk images, partitions, Zip/Jaz disks, CF, Smart Media, SD flash cards, USB Flash Drive and iPod drives. This program exists in two versions - GetDataBack FAT and GetDataBack NTFS, each of which only works with the mentioned file system type.

GetDataBack for NTFS& FAT supports working with the following types carriers:

Bit depth: 32bit+64bit

Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)

System requirements:

  • Pentium Processor - 32 MB RAM
  • Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8

Now about how I worked with GetDataBack. I'll repeat it again. My ToshibaMK5055GSX USB drive USB Device stopped being detected and opened as a logical drive.

As can be seen from the picture in the OS Explorer, among the hard drives, this drive is - Local disk H, to which there is no access (it is not specified overall size, free space, etc.). When accessing the disk we get the following error:

"Location unavailable. Cannot access H. Parameter set incorrectly."

Launch GetDataBack. So, the main window of the program:

As you can see, everything is quite informative and simple. If you do not know how and under what circumstances the data loss occurred, then it is recommended to use the default settings and go to next step by clicking the "Next" button. There is also a good reference system, where it is written in sufficient detail - what, why and why.

The left side of the window displays lists of physical disks installed in the PC and logical drives. Select our problematic drive called H and click the “Next” button.

On the right side of this window there are a number of scanning settings.


We started searching the NTFS file system of our problem disk. We wait. As can be seen from the figure, the time until the end of the scanning process is approximately 4 hours 37 minutes.

The process is slow, so the advantages of the program include the ability to save intermediate results at any stage of recovery. But, for us, 4 hours is a long time, so we press “Stop”. The following warning window appears.

Select "Ignore" (although, as you can see - this operation not recommended) and we get to step 2 - “Selecting a file system”.

Everything is clear here. Found on the left side of the program window file system of our disk, on the right file system details. Let's move on (the "Next" button). The procedure for extracting the found data occurs:

and then Step 3 appears called "Recovery Tree":

Here we select required folders and files and then in top menu"Copy" button (F5). But, before saving the recovered data, it would be a good idea to select and specify a location to save it (Tools - Settings - Conditions - Default saving folder). GetDataBack allows data recovery both on the computer on which the program is installed and on a remote one - for example, on any computer on the local network.

Conclusion. I was pleased with the results of the GetDataBack program. All necessary data from the problematic Toshiba screw was completely restored without any errors or losses. Really, this product Deserves attention. On the one hand, everything is extremely clear and understandable, thanks to step by step mode And reference information. On the other hand, there are Extra options for advanced users. According to the developers, with the help of GetDataBack, millions of different disks have been recovered since 2001. On the official website www.runtime.org GetDataBack is sold for a purely symbolic price of 79 American rubles. But, for those who do not want to part with their hard-earned money, it is possible to download a free demo version of GetDataBack, which will be able to find all files, they can be viewed, but without the possibility of recovery before purchasing a license. By purchasing a license, you automatically subscribe to all subsequent updates, which Runtime Software will supply to you for free.

Totally suitable for recovering information from modern hard disks, and the second - for various cards and flash memory drives and hard drives, which use file files to store information FAT. Here we will consider for work in NTFS.

The very first thing we do with the disk on which we want to recover information is to under no circumstances take any action with it. That is, do not write or install any programs on it, including GetDataBack. just install the program on HDD(flash drive, Live CD or computer). The fact is that any write operation to a disk can lead to information being written over existing information. This also applies to flash memory.

Quick Scan(sudden loss of a partition, unsuccessful partitioning) - the file system was damaged, for example, during the operation of FDisk.

File system losses, for example, disk formatting or partitioning.

Significant file system losses, for example, installing a new OS.

I want to recover deleted files.

“I want to recover deleted files” - select this particular scenario and click on the “Next” button.

The left side of the window displays a list of logical drives installed in the system.

In order to begin data recovery from a disk, you must select it. In addition to selecting logical drives, it provides additional features for file recovery. So, restoration should be carried out with physical device- to do this, just click on the “Physical Drives” link, which is located above the “Logical Drives” list.

If you want to recover deleted files, it is best to recover them from the logical drive from which they were deleted. But if you are trying to recover information from hard drive, which is processed FDisk utility(or from one that was formatted with the formatting command - say, with a new OS), it will only work with the physical disk. In addition, if the file on the hard drive is damaged, at the physical level is the only option.

In addition to hard drives connected to the computer, the program can also work with disk images (Image Files) and remote hard drives(Remote Physical Drives) - see the corresponding links on the left side of the program window. There is another link there - Virtual image(Arrangement Files), which allows you to work with a special format (usually text) describing the data that must be loaded from different images. With their help, “glue together” various data sources.

Here you can, firstly, enter the path to save the image, and secondly, indicate to the program whether it should be split into parts (Multi file checkbox). If you are trying to create image of a tough disk, which has tens (or even hundreds) of gigabytes, check this box.

Also remember that the hard drive on which you save the image must have enough space for this. When finished, click on the “Start” button - as a result, you will receive a disk image that will work with even without the source disk.

Once selected to scan, you can view Additional information about it and configure some additional parameters. The corresponding elements are located on the right side of the program window. them in general case carried out when you select a data recovery scenario.

For example, it makes sense to configure the parameters in the “Partial Scan” section when you know exactly which sectors should be scanned in search of deleted files. In most cases, do not change them at all, giving the program the ability to scan the entire drive.

Click on the “Next” button to go to the next “Select System” window. This window will first scan the drive. Depending on its size, this operation can take a long time. When the scan is completed, it will display the file systems it found on the left side of the window.

When the scan is completed, it will display the file systems it found on the left side of the window. If the Show Recommended switch is selected at the bottom of the window, the file system that you are using will be displayed there.

Whether you're a professional or a beginner, almost every PC user experiences data loss. Whether it is accidental deletion of files, the result of viruses or disk formatting. It's good if " unnecessary file", which you suddenly urgently need, can be restored from the trash. But what if it's not there?

I recommend using GetDataBack for Windows 7/8/10. This German program Works with almost any media: hard disks(IDE, SATA, SCSI), USB, Firewire drives, floppies, disk images, memory cards and iPod drives. Data can be recovered in almost any case:

  • after deleting files
  • random formatting
  • if damaged boot sector or partition tables when Windows “does not see” the disk
  • effects of viruses and other cases.

The only condition for successful file recovery is their physical safety on the disk. That is, physical sectors should not be overwritten by other information. This may happen if other files have already been written to the disk and operating system I wrote them down to the same place where the previously deleted files were.

Thus, if the file was large, for example a couple of hundred megabytes, then the chances that part of it will be lost increase. Therefore, the sooner you start the recovery process, the better. Oddly enough, if a partition is deleted or even formatted, it is restored more information, since there is some confidence that nothing else was written to the disk.

Scan the disk and recover data

The program is easy to use, the entire process takes place using a built-in wizard in Russian. First of all, I want to note that there are two versions of the program (they come together) - this is GetDataBack for the NTFS file system and the version for the FAT system. Before starting, you need to know what file system was (or is) on the disk with the lost data. If the disk is still visible to the system and can be accessed, then we can find out the type of file system by clicking right key mouse over the disk from “my computer” and look here:

Most likely it will be NTFS, because... FAT was used on older computers

After installing the program, you need to enter data into the registry using the register.reg file for your bitness from the Reg folder (or run both x86/x64). At the same time, the language will change from German to Russian. Without this action, copying data will not be available. For Russification, move the file from the rus folder to the program folder.

After launch, we see the wizard prompt to select a scan type

If you don’t know what happened, choose the first one, the program will find everything itself, click Next. In the first step, simply select the disk or partition to scan. I chose the 1st partition of 40GB in size on the VBOX HARDDISK hard drive.

Here you can download the results of the previous scan to continue the interrupted recovery process. In the second step you can already see the detected file system, click next

The scanning window appears, wait. The process can take from several minutes to several hours, depending on the disk size and the number of files. After a successful scan, the program opens the disk structure with all folders and files. Below in the window there is a legend, with the help of which it is clear which files are “live” and which ones have been found.

I need to restore the entire “Prism” folder, so I select it and click the “Copy” button from the menu or through the right mouse button, and select where to copy remote folder. You cannot simply restore it to the same place as from the recycle bin; you must copy it to another disk. I copy to the folder "F:\Temp"

In case of data recovery after formatting, the process will be the same, only you will need to select all the necessary folders and files. Read how data recovery from a FAT partition works.

Given software tool designed to recover information from serviceable media that was lost as a result of formatting, deletion, OS installation, failures in the file system and/or partition structure on a disk, flash drive or raid array. There are two types of the utility: for the FAT file system and for NTFS, which is reflected in its name. Those. you need to know what file system was or is on your media in order to use the desired version of the program for recovery.

GetDataBack example

Despite the fact that there are actually two programs, their management is almost identical. That's why this description will be universal for both FAT and NTFS versions.

And so is an example. Given a USB flash drive Transcend JetFlash 2GB, when you try to access it, Explorer issues a formatting request, and the disk properties display the file system as RAW.


Typically, flash drives contain file FAT system 16/32, exFAT is rarer and NTFS is very rare. This is due to the fact that flash drives have a limited number of memory write cycles, and file NTFS system When working with a disk, it makes many more calls to the flash drive than FAT file systems. Therefore, to increase the service life of flash drives, manufacturers recommend using the FAT file system on them. This flash drive definitely had FAT, so we run GetDataBack FAT.



First, it is proposed to more accurately adjust the data search algorithm to the type of damage. Options:
  • unknown what happened - use default settings
  • recovering information after formatting a disk/partition
  • recovering information after installing the operating system
  • recovery deleted files.
Leave the first item and click Next.



A list of physical (Physical drives) and logical (Logical drives) devices is displayed here. Our flash drive has the number HD131 in the list of physical devices and the designation Removable drive 1.88GB (H:) in the list of logical ones. Among the additional features, you can set the scanning area of ​​the device in the Search partitial drive field by specifying the starting and ending sector. We will scan the entire drive, leave Search entire drive. Additional operating parameters can be changed in the Tools menu, Optios item.



There are additional useful options. Let's look at the main ones.

Excessive search – more in-depth scanning.

Recovery lost files – recovery lost files known types (photos, documents, videos, etc.) without taking into account the file system.

Recovery deleted files – recovery of deleted files.

Now you are ready to start scanning the disk. Click Next.



Search process window. The selected device, the estimated number of identified directories and files, the current sector and the time remaining until the end of the scan is displayed.



After scanning, a list of found file systems will be displayed, in in this case there is only one option. To process it further, click Next.

After parsing the found file system, GetDataback will show the files found. The display principle is very similar to Explorer - directories on the left, files on the right. Clicking right click mouse on any file, you can open it in the built-in viewer or in a program associated with this file type.



The illustration shows the context menu.
  • Show info – shows the size, name, file attributes, date of creation and modification, location in the file system, etc.
  • View – call the built-in viewer.
  • Copy – copying the recovered file.
  • Open – open in a linked program.
  • Rename – rename.
  • Call diskexplorer – call the disk editor, if installed.
  • Search files – launches an advanced search form for files by name, size, creation date, etc.
Select View to check the recovery result.



As you can see, the result is good. Now you can save the found files to media prepared in advance for this purpose. To do this on root element file system, right-click and select Copy.

Everyone knows what a basket is. You delete a file, it is moved to the Recycle Bin, from which it can be restored, and when the file is deleted from the Recycle Bin, it can be restored using standard using Windows no longer possible. You can’t use standard ones, but if you look for a special one, it’s quite possible.


Let's consider a powerful tool for data recovery - the GetDataBack utility produced by Runtime Software. You can download the program from the website www.runtime.org. There are two versions of GetDataBack. One is for working with NTFS, the second is for working with FAT. The first is best suited for recovering information from modern hard drives, and the second is best suited for various cards and flash memory drives and hard drives that use the FAT file system to store information. Here we will consider the version for working in NTFS.

If you are embarking on serious data recovery, it makes sense to follow the advice given by the program developers. So, if you have a hard drive from which you want to recover information, do not under any circumstances take any action with it. That is, do not write any files to it and do not install programs, including GetDataBack. It is best to install the program on another hard drive (in particular, on another computer) and, connecting your hard drive to this computer, process it using the GetDataBack program.
The fact is that any operation of writing files to disk can lead to new information will be written over the existing one. This also applies to flash memory.
Since the program initially comes with a German interface, I Russified it, and further we will talk about the Russian version of this program.

So, the first step of a user who decides to recover data is to select a typical program operation scenario that will optimize its data recovery efforts.

let's consider possible scenarios data recovery:

I don't know and will use the settings by.
Quick scan (sudden loss of a partition, unsuccessful partitioning) - the file system was damaged, for example, during the operation of the FDisk utility.
File system losses, for example, after formatting or partitioning a disk.
Significant file system losses, for example, after installing a new OS.
I want to recover deleted files.

“I want to recover deleted files” - select this particular scenario and click on the “Next” button.

The left side of the window displays a list of logical drives installed in the system.
In order to begin data recovery from a disk, you must select it. In addition to selecting logical drives, the program provides additional options for file recovery. So, recovery can be carried out from a physical device - to do this, just click on the “Physical Drives” link, which is located above the “Logical Drives” list.

If you want to recover deleted files, it is best to recover them from the logical drive from which they were deleted. But if you are trying to recover information from a hard drive that was processed by the FDisk utility (or from one that was formatted with the command quick formatting- say, when installing a new OS), it will work best with a physical disk. In addition, if the file system on the hard drive is damaged, operation will be fine. physical disk- the only possibility.
In addition to hard drives connected to the computer, the program can also work with disk images (Image Files) and remote hard drives (Remote Physical Drives) - the corresponding links can be seen on the left side of the program window. There is another link there - Virtual Image (Arrangement Files), which allows you to work with files of a special format (usually text) that describe the data that must be downloaded from various files images With their help, you can “glue together” various data sources.
Restoring data from a disk image is not a bad idea. For example, you can create a disk image and work with it quietly, while your disk will be used for other purposes. Or, for example, by creating an image of a flash drive, you can work with this drive in normal mode, and restore the data from the image.
In order to create a disk image, you must select the disk you are interested in in the Select Drive window and select the “Create Image File” command from the “Tools” menu. After this, a window will appear that serves to configure the process of creating a disk image.

Here you can, firstly, enter the path to save the image, and secondly, indicate to the program whether the image file should be split into parts (Multi file checkbox). If you are trying to create a hard disk image that is several tens (or even hundreds) of gigabytes in size, it is better to check this box.
Also remember that the hard drive on which you save the image must have enough space for this. After completing the setup, you can click on the “Start” button - as a result, you will receive a disk image that you can work with even without the source disk.
After selecting a drive to scan, you can view additional information about it and configure some advanced settings. The corresponding controls are located on the right side of the program window. In general, their configuration is carried out when you select a data recovery scenario.

For example, it makes sense to configure the settings in the “Partial Scan” section when you know exactly which disk sectors should be scanned in search of deleted files. In most cases, it is best not to change them, allowing the program to scan the entire drive.
Click on the “Next” button to go to the next window “Select file system” (Select File System). In this window, the program will first scan the drive. Depending on its size, this operation can take a long time. When the scan is completed, the program will display the file systems it found on the left side of the window.

When the scan is completed, the program will display the file systems it found on the left side of the window. If the Show Recommended switch is selected at the bottom of the window, the file system that the program considers preferable for file recovery will be displayed there.
In most cases, it makes sense to agree with the program. There may be multiple file systems in the list - this could be a result of scanning a large hard drive that is partitioned and formatted for different file systems.
When the file system is selected, you can click on the “Next” button, the program will begin searching for deleted files and display the folder tree of the scanned file system.

On the left side of the window you can see a folder tree - it looks very much like folders Windows Explorer. The contents of the selected pane are displayed on the right side. Files and folders here have special markings, by which you can determine their type; the corresponding legend is given at the bottom of the window:
■ Read-Only - read-only file;
■ Hidden - hidden file;
■System - system file;
■ Compressed - compressed file;
■ DeLeted - deleted file
Deleted files and punks are crossed out.

In order to check the quality of file recovery, you can select the file and click Enter key- the file will be opened in the editor with which it is associated. To view the contents of a file, just select it and press the F3 key. After this, the file will be opened in the built-in viewer. For example, in my case, I was able to see what the BAT file contains.

In general, the utility is not bad. More than once it helped me out when accidentally deleting files or when physical damage disks. Most of the files could still be read and rewritten to other media.