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Freeware file recovery applications

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Originally posted by: Linflas
Originally posted by: deepinya
I dont understand how these programs work. Where do these deleted files reside? I must have deleted 10 gigs of stuff off my d: drive and Im wondering where it goes since my c: drive is the same size its always been (~ 9 gigs)
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Simplistic explanation is that when you delete a file you are actually deleting the pointer in the File Allocation Table that points to the first sector the file data resides in. The sectors that actually contain the data are now marked as being open and can be used when a new file is created. All the recycle bin does is prevent the second part from happening until you say delete them for good.
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Bah... who uses FAT anymore? 😛 Try Master File Table 😉

I use some other programs that's commercially available, for forensics.
 
just tried it and it successfully recovered a file I deleted at the command prompt (shell). Cool. Using XP and NTFS.
 
Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Originally posted by: STotaro
No like I said in my post, it has to have all 0s then all 1s repeatedly to be truly gone.

NISPOM2006

Standard DoD 5220.22-M

US Department of Defense in the clearing and sanitizing standard DoD 5220.22-M recommends the approach "Overwrite all addressable locations with a character, its complement, then a random character and verify" (see table with comments) for clearing and sanitizing information on a writable media.

US Department of Defense 5220.22-M Clearing and Sanitization Matrix

a. Degauss with a Type I degausser

b. Degauss with a Type II degausser.

c. Overwrite all addressable locations with a single character.

d. Overwrite all addressable locations with a character, its complement, then a random character and verify. THIS METHOD IS NOT APPROVED FOR SANITIZING MEDIA THAT CONTAINS TOP SECRET INFORMATION.

e. Overwrite all addressable locations with a character, its complement, then a random character.

f. Each overwrite must reside in memory for a period longer than the classified data resided.

g. Remove all power to include battery power.

h. Overwrite all locations with a random pattern, all locations with binary zeros, all locations with binary ones.

i. Perform a full chip erase as per manufacturer's data sheets.

j. Perform i above, then c above, a total of three times.

k. Perform an ultraviolet erase according to manufacturer's recommendation.

l. Perform k above, but increase time by a factor of three.

m. Destroy - Disintegrate, incinerate, pulverize, shred, or melt.

n. Destruction required only if classified information is contained.

o. Run five pages of unclassified text (font test acceptable).

p. Ribbons must be destroyed. Platens must be cleaned.

q. Inspect and/or test screen surface for evidence of burned-in information. If present, the cathode ray tube must be destroyed.

For more information regarding clearing and sanitizing security standard DoD 5220.22-M see US Defence Security Service Web Site (Chapter 8).
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Sounds effective, but not really time efficient for when the FBI comes a knockin.
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see *m* above^

m. Destroy - Disintegrate, incinerate, pulverize, shred, or melt.
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keep you flame thrower handy .. RPGs work fine also for *deleting* sensitive data.😛
--or you could just pack thermite around your HD

😀

thanks op!

.. . and an interesting discussion

i have a few new bookmarks 😉

EDIT: it's been done already! ...
The Screen Savers! - Thermite PC - Google Video
Have your PC self destruct to distroy all data!.
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i just searched ... and my connection is SO SLOW i haven't even see it yet. 😱

but here you go:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4147847319296070400
 
OMG you have *got* to see the thermite method of deleting data
:Q

really!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4147847319296070400


cheap, easy to get materials - high school chemistry - and guaranteed *100% effective*
NO ONE will interfere with the reaction once it gets started 😛

RotFL

:laugh:

sorry ... it took me THAT long to actually view it

the neighbors called the cops also - on me - i *was* a kid in HS when i tried it ... with Magnesium thermite ... lit about 2 square blocks up late at night ... brighter than day ... but i knew what to expect and had welders shades available 😛

basically the magnesium oxide reacts at extreme heat with the Al to create elemental magnesium and that in turn burns white hot ... much better 'n fireworks.

and nothing was *harmed* in my old experiment ... except perhaps my neighbors' sanity who might have thought the aliens had landed

fortunately it is dead silent [except for a *hiss*] and the smoke blew away before they figured out *who* did it 🙂

[statute of limitation expired a LONG time ago]

 
thermite is nasty stuff. put some on the hood of a car, light it with magnesium ribbon and watch it eat through the hood, the engine block and possibly the ground below the car.
 
If you want a safe format and destruction of data, use DBAN. Using DOD 5220.22-M or equivalent is usually good enough.
 
Originally posted by: apoppin
OMG you have *got* to see the thermite method of deleting data
:Q

really!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4147847319296070400


cheap, easy to get materials - high school chemistry - and guaranteed *100% effective*
NO ONE will interfere with the reaction once it gets started 😛

RotFL

:laugh:

sorry ... it took me THAT long to actually view it

the neighbors called the cops also - on me - i *was* a kid in HS when i tried it ... with Magnesium thermite ... lit about 2 square blocks up late at night ... brighter than day ... but i knew what to expect and had welders shades available 😛

basically the magnesium oxide reacts at extreme heat with the Al to create elemental magnesium and that in turn burns white hot ... much better 'n fireworks.

and nothing was *harmed* in my old experiment ... except perhaps my neighbors' sanity who might have thought the aliens had landed

fortunately it is dead silent [except for a *hiss*] and the smoke blew away before they figured out *who* did it 🙂

[statute of limitation expired a LONG time ago]
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Hahaha, sounds like stuff I did in middle school and high school 😉

Now I limit myself to more... ehrmm, safe activities. 😱
 
Got a chance to play around with avira's recovery software, seems to work better than Recuva, but Recuva has many more features and seems to be faster.
 
Originally posted by: apoppin
Originally posted by: Spartan Niner

Hahaha, sounds like stuff I did in middle school and high school 😉

Now I limit myself to more... ehrmm, safe activities. 😱
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so as not to *clog* Hot Deals ... the OP's thread is about File Recovery,

i made a thread in OT:

Deleting Sensitive Data OFF your HD ... *permanently*!*

as i said ... the 'statute of limitations' ran out ... MANY years ago 😉

Link Fixed

not that there was any damage 😛

😀
Click to expand...


lol....funny😛
 
Nobody has given a very simple explanation of how it all works so I will do it.

You have a book. There is a table of contents. You erase a section in the table of contents. The pages aren't deleted, just the section in the table of contents.

That is a really basic explanation.
 
THANK YOU, thank you, Evadman for mentioning Freeundelete!

I was moving about 90 gigs of archive security camera files from one drive to another, and guess what ? I deleted the wrong drive! I realized it as I touched the key, but 1/10 second too late. 8700 files, and about 500 directories. Gone. ( Drinking and "driving" don't mix, I guess, even when it is ginger ale 'n hard drives. )

I tried Recuva and Unerase. Recuva listed the file parent directory , but only recovered the file itself. It also, always crashed part way through. Unerase ignored any file structure completely, but recovered 1000+ file batches. After a few hours I had recovered a "pile of files". But, these files are usless if they are not back in a directory structure the s/w app can use. I would rather write War And Peace than have to manually re-create the exact directory structure needed. ( Create a directory, type in its long name, then drag and drop the right 1 to 24 files into the directory until all 8700+ files are where they belong.) Forget it!

Well, as I type, Freeundelete is doing it all, directories, everything. Everthing will be back together shortly. I can't believe it. I think I'll pop a can of Bud and .... I think I'll wait 'till I'm done.
 
To sum up the previous post, Freeundelete was a VERY hot deal for this data recovery. And fast. It should go to the head of the line
 
That's what I am here for highwire 😛 Now if only I could take credit for writing it 🙂
 
Originally posted by: highwire
To sum up the previous post, Freeundelete was a VERY hot deal for this data recovery. And fast. It should go to the head of the line
Click to expand...

added, thanks Evadman
 
I have had very good success using NTFS Reader for DOS which is freeware. I was able to recover files for a coworker off of a malfunctioning HD using this utility. The only downside is that the copied files lose their long filename association when copied over.

NTFS Reader for DOS
 
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