Support > Help Guide

Overview

FileRestorePlus is a quick and effective way to retrieve deleted files, files removed from the Recycle Bin, in a DOS window, or from Windows Explorer with the SHIFT key held down. FileRestorePlus with its clean and simple interface, is a small, fast, useful, practical and powerful.

There's nothing quite like losing an important file you spent hours working on. However, just because you deleted a file, it doesn't mean it's gone for good. You can use recovery software to recover files that have been deleted. You might not always be successful, but most of the time you'll have your files back in no time.

FileRestorePlus works with the Windows XP - 11 Operating Systems. It supports all Windows filesystems for hard and floppy drives including FAT12/16/32, NTFS/NTFS5, and image recovery from CompactFlash, SmartMedia, MultiMedia and Secure Digital memory cards.

FileRestorePlus does the following:

More Features:

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System Requirements

FileRestorePlus requires Windows XP - 11. Both 32-Bit and 64-Bit Windows are supported.

Installation

1. Download the latest version of FileRestorePlus from the Download page
2. Run the installation by double-clicking on filerestoreplus_setup.exe.

3. Click the Run button in the popup window to start the Installation Wizard.

   

4. Click the Next button in the Installation Wizard.

   

5. Read the End User License Agreement, select the I accept the agreement radio button, and then click the Next button to continue with the installation.

   

6. Click the Next button to accept the local file location for FileRestorePlus.

   

7. Read the warning regarding deleted files and then click the Next button.

   

8. Select the Create a desktop icon checkbox to be able to access FileRestorePlus from your desktop. You can also choose whether you want a desktop icon created for all users or the current user only.

   

9. Click Install to begin the installation.

   

Uninstallation

Complete the following steps to remove FileRestorePlus from your system:

1. Go to Start > All Programs > WebMinds > FileRestorePlus > Uninstall FileRestorePlus

2. Click the Yes button to begin removing FileRestorePlus from your system.

   

3. Click the OK button after FileRestorePlus has been removed from your system.

   

Quick Start Guide

For more detailed information see the section titled "Working with FileRestorePlus".

The latest version of FileRestorePlus is available for download from Download Page, or by clicking the "Update" button within FileRestorePlus. If possible, avoid installing FileRestorePlus to the drive from which you are trying to recover your deleted files. For more information on installing FileRestorePlus, click here.

1. Select the Drive To Scan

   When you run FileRestorePlus the application opens and on the left side of the application window is the drive selection panel. From this panel select the drive to scan (hard drive, digital camera, flash drive, etc.) by selecting the checkbox next to the appropriate drive letter.

   

2. Scan the Drive

   • Click on the Start Scan button to scan the selected drives.

     

   • Click the Start Scan button to scan the selected drives.

   • Once the scan is started the progress bar displays the portion of the scan remaining.

     

3. Manage the Results

   • After the scan has completed FileRestorePlus displays the following information and options for you to utilize in order to find the files you want to recover:

   • Results Pane

     

     The "Folders" pane shows the folder structure of the deleted files for the drive(s) that you selected. In some situations a folder name is destroyed, in which case the name format is "Deleted XXXXX".

     Note: The sub folders usually retain their original name.

   • The Folders and File Types Panes

     

     Folders: Displays the folder(s) found by the scan.

     File Types: The files found by the scan are placed into categories by file type. Any files that are found that do not belong to a known file type are placed in the "Other Files" category. When a file type is selected, the files found in that category are displayed in the "Results Pane". You can sort the list of files in this pane by clicking on the column headings. When you click on a file name its contents are displayed in the Preview pane.

     To list all files found, click on "My Computer" in either the "File Types" or "Folders" pane.

   • Status and Preview

     

     Status: The "Status" pane contains overhead information.

     Preview: Displays a preview of the potentially recoverable content.

   • Filtering the Scan Results

     

     The filter option is accessed by clicking the "Filter" button at the top of FileRestorePlus. Determine how you want FileRestorePlus to filter the results then click the "Set Filter" button. To remove the filter click the "Clear" button.

     All or part of the file name:

     Type all or part of the file name here.

     Note: The filter will search for the characters you type anywhere in the file name, including the file extension.

     Example 1: .doc
     Typing the letters doc would display the following files in the "Results" pane if they were deleted:

     todolist.doc
     todolist.doc.old
     documentation.txt
     WomanDoctor.jpg
     MyResume.docx

     Example 2:.doc
     Typing .doc would display the following files in the "Results" pane if they were deleted:

     todolist.doc
     todolist.doc.old
     MyResume.docx

     When was it modified?
     Select this checkbox to filter the results based on the file creation date or the file modification date. Select a date type, Created or Modified from the dropdown menu, and then set an appropriate date range.

     What size is it?
     Select this checkbox to filter the results based on file size. Select "at least" or "at most" from the dropdown menu and then enter the approximate file size in the Kb field, or use the arrows to set the file size.

     Hide overwritten files
     Select this checkbox to filter out temporary files.

     Hide temporary files
     Select the checkbox to filter out temporary files.

4. Save the Recovered Files

   When FileRestorePlus saves a recovered file it reads the file's contents and then writes its contents to a new file with the same name. Remember to save the files that you are recovering to a different drive to avoid the risk of overwriting the other files that you want to recover. Later you can restore the recovered files to their original locations once you have recovered all the files you need.

   IMPORTANT! To minimize the chance of corrupting any remaining lost files, do not to save the recovered files back to the original drive until after completing all attempts to recover any lost files.

   Complete the following steps to recover a deleted file:

   1. In the "Results Pane" select the checkbox of the file or files to be recovered.

      

      To select all files, right click on Filename then click Select All Items from the menu.

   2. Click the Recover File button to recover the selected files.

      

   3. Click the Yes button in the "Possible Data Loss" popup box.

      

      Recovered files are copied to the folder specified in the Recover selected file(s) to: section.

      

Select the Drive to Scan

Complete the following steps to begin the process of recoving deleted files:

1. Open FileRestorePlus

2. In the Drives pane, select the drive that you want to scan. This can be a hard drive, digital camera, USB drive, or another item connected to your system.

   Note: To exclude a drive from the scan deselect the checkbox next to that drive.

   

3. Click the Start Scan button.

   

FileRestorePlus is able to detect if a new drive is connected to the computer after you started your initial scan. To scan the new drive click the Yes button in the popup window.

Scan the Drive

Click on the Start Scan button to scan the selected drives.

Once the scan is started the progress bar at the bottom of FileRestorePlus displays the portion of the scan remaining. To stop the scan click the Stop button next to the progress bar.

Note: If you stop the scan before it is done, FileRestorePlus will only display a list of files found up until the point at which the scan was stopped.

Manage the Results

After the scan has completed FileRestorePlus displays the following information and options for you to use to find the files you want to retrieve:

1. The Results Pane

   The Folders pane shows the folder structure of files that were recovered. In some situations a folder name is destroyed, in which case the name format is "Deleted XXXXX".

   Note: The sub folders usually retain their original name.

   

2. The Folders and File Types Panes

   

   Folders: Displays the folder(s) found by the scan.

   File Types: The files found by the scan are placed into categories by file type. Any files that are found that do not belong to a known file type are placed in the "Other Files" category. When a file type is selected, the files found in that category are displayed in the "Results" pane. You can sort the list of files in this pane by clicking on the column headings. When you click on a file name its contents are displayed in the "Preview" pane.

   To list all files found, click on "My Computer" in either the "File Types" or "Folders" pane.

3. Status and Preview

   

   Status: The "Status" pane contains overhead information.

   Preview: Displays a preview of the potentially recoverable content.

4. Filtering the Scan Results

   

   The filter option is accessed by clicking the "Filter" button at the top of FileRestorePlus. Determine how you want FileRestorePlus to filter the results then click the "Set Filter" button. To remove the filter click the "Clear" button.

   All or part of the file name:

   Type all or part of the file name here.

   Note: The filter will search for the characters you type anywhere in the file name, including the file extension.

   Example 1: doc
   Typing the letters doc would display the following files in the "Results" pane if they were deleted:

   todolist.doc
   todolist.doc.old
   documentation.txt
   WomanDoctor.jpg
   MyResume.docx

   Example 2: .doc
   Typing .doc would display the following files in the "Results" pane if they were deleted:

   todolist.doc
   todolist.doc.old
   MyResume.docx

   When was it modified?
   Select this checkbox to filter the results based on the file creation date or the file modification date. Select a date type, Created or Modified from the dropdown menu, and then set an appropriate date range.

   What size is it?
   Select this checkbox to filter the results based on file size. Select "at least" or "at most" from the dropdown menu and then enter the approximate file size in the Kb field, or use the arrows to set the file size.

   Hide overwritten files
   Select this checkbox to filter out overwritten files.

   Hide temporary files
   Select this checkbox to filter out temporary files.

Save the Recovered Files

When FileRestorePlus saves a recoverd file it reads the file's contents and then writes its contents to a new file with the same name. Remember to save the files that you are recovering to a different drive to avoid the risk of overwriting the other files that you want to recover. Later you can restore the recovered files to their original locations once you have recovered all the files you need.

IMPORTANT! To minimize the chance of corrupting any remaining lost files, do not to save the recovered files back to the original drive until after completing all attempts to recover any lost files.

Complete the following steps to recover a deleted file:

1. In the "Results Pane" select the checkbox of the file or files to be recovered.

   

   To select all files, right click on Filename then click Select All Items from the menu.

2. Click the Recover File button to recover the selected files.

   

3. Click the Yes button in the "Possible Data Loss" popup box.

   

   Recovered files are copied to the folder specified in the Recover selected file(s) to: section.

   

Settings

The "Settings" window provides access to FileRestorePlus' configuration. Although the default FileRestorePlus configuration has been set to optimize your recovery experience, there may be times where you may want to fine tune this configuration. Each of FileRestorePlus' settings are described below.

1. Check for update

   Allows FileRestorePlus to check for updates when the program is launched. FileRestorePlus will check for updates weekly, every two weeks, or monthly.

2. Send bug reports to WebMinds

   Help us make our products better. Let us know the problems you are experiencing so we can fix them for the next version.

3. Disable scan popup on program exit

   Select this option if you do not want to be reminded about FileRestorePlus' advanced scan technologies when exiting FileRestorePlus.

4. Keep folder structure

   Restores files within their original folder tree to the Drive path specified. This is very useful when restoring files from several different directories, as it allows you to see what folders the recovered files originally came from.

5. Restore original timestamps

   Restores files with the original Created and Modified dates. Unselect this option if you want to set the Created and Modified date and time to the date and time of the recovery.

6. Enable FAT optimization

   Helps to optimize and speed up the recovery process.

7. Check file Type/Header information (takes a long time)

   Ensures that the content of the file matches the file type. If not, this indicates that the file has been overwritten and will be omitted from the scan results.

8. Enable SmartScan

   The SmartScan will analyze your drive sector by sector looking for the file types you have selected. The SmartScan does not depend on the filesystem, thus making the SmartScan particularly useful after a drive has been formatted, or after an unrecoverable filesystem error has occurred. Note: This scan will be longer than the default scan and can take a few hours to complete depending on your drive size.

9. Enable DeepScan

   The DeepScan will analyze your drive cluster by cluster looking for files after the driver has been formatted. Note: This scan will take longer than the default scan and can take a few hours to complete depending on the size of your drive.

10. DeepScan Engine Tuning:

    • Quality vs. Speed

      If you have just recently deleted a file or files, setting the DeepScan to the highest Speed setting will most likely find and recover your file(s) in a very short amount of time. If you deleted the file(s) some time ago, or if the highest Speed setting does not recover your file(s) try using a slower/higher Quality scan setting. (Note: The highest Quality setting may take some time depending on the age or your PC and the size of your hard drive.

    • Ignore current filesystem (RAW-scan)

      Scan the selected drive(s) sector by sector and ignores any current filesystem data structure. This is especially useful in the following scenarios:

      • The filesystem data structure has become corrupt or overwritten and some or all of the lost files cannot be found using the Standard Scan or Default DeepScan setting.
      • It has been too long since the lost files were deleted that they cannot be identified due to overwritten filesystem data structures.
      • Recently deleted files are not recovered with standard scan due to severe fragmentation that is common on FAT formatted drives.

11. Detect existing files

    Searches for nondeleted files on deleted partitions with undamaged filesystems.

12. Recover .UND files

    Attempts to recover .UND files.

13. Detect zero-sized files

    Includes files with no byte count in the list of potentially recoverable files.

14. Enable EFS restore feature

    Recover files and/or folders that were encrypted using EFS prior to deletion. EFS encrypted files/folders can only be restored using the same user account that was used for the encryption of the file(s) or folder(s).

Frequently Asked Questions

The License Key that I received isn't working. What should I do?

The file(s) restored by FileRestorePlus are corrupt or not useable. What can I do to increase the likelihood of recovering useable data?

FileRestorePlus did not find my deleted files. Is there anything else I can do?

I have not received my License Key, what do I do?

Will FileRestorePlus help me recover email from my web-based email account like Yahoo or Hotmail?

What scan settings should I use?

I have utilized FileRestorePlus' advanced scan technologies but the files recovered still seem to be overwritten or corrupt. Is there anything else I can do to potentially recover some of my original data that may be stored in the files recovered by FileRestorePlus?

I am trying to recover files from my camera, however, the camera is not showing up in FileRestorePlus. What can I do?

Why is recovery to the same drive not recommended?

What should I do immediately after accidental erasure to ensure that I can recover those files?

Can I do something in advance to increase my chances of file recovery?

Can FileRestorePlus recover files from a CD or DVD?

Is there a version of FileRestorePlus that supports 32bit versions of Windows?

License Support

FileRestorePlus is licensed under the terms of the End User License Agreement.

Refund Policy

WebMinds, Inc. offers FileRestorePlus for trial evaluation to allow customers to scan their PC and evaluate the benefits offered by FileRestorePlus prior to purchase. The trial evaluation version of FileRestorePlus can be used to identify deleted files, but the trial version does not perform file recovery. A purchased license to FileRestorePlus is required in order to access the full file recovery functionality of FileRestorePlus. Due to the complex nature of data recovery, it is not always possible to recover certain deleted files because of hardware constraints, overwriting, crosslinking or other technical reasons, and in certain situations a deleted file found and recovered by FileRestorePlus may not be a usable file. This is not considered a product defect. We recommend that you download and try the evaluation version before purchase. By purchasing a license, you acknowledge that you are aware of this opportunity to “try before you buy” and have either taken advantage of the opportunity to evaluate FileRestorePlus for free or decided not to do so. In light of this, WebMinds, Inc. will not be able to offer any refunds for purchases of FileRestorePlus licenses except in cases of product defects.

Contact Us

For self help please go to the top of this page. For additional technical support please open a Support Ticket here.

FileRestorePlus is under constant development and we need your help to improve it. Let us know of any features you would like to see within FileRestorePlus. We want to hear from you and we will always answer your emails. Of course, feel free to write us to give us your opinion.

Send an e-mail to our Technical Support staff.

Our contact information is as follows:
950 N Collier Blvd. Suite 400
Marco Island FL 34145