What we don’t realize until after it is too late is that the process of formatting digital media results in deletion of all stored files on that card or drive. We then find ourselves desperately seeking a means to recover deleted files after formatting. The process of data recovery after reformatting is somewhat simple. Bear in mind that reformatting is a form of file deletion and any time we delete a file the information held in the location of that file is still available for rescue.

Generally speaking, when recovering digital photos, the best route to take is to scan the memory card itself. However, as we are discussing how to recover deleted files from Windows XP, we are mostly concerned with file recovery from the PC hard drive. As long as the failed hard drive has not suffered a cyclic redundancy error, any file stored on that hard drive should be recoverable. This includes any recently deleted files. To facilitate this process, you will need to purchase a quality third party data recovery software program. These programs can scan your entire hard drive in just a few minutes and reconstruct the original file name structure. Should you forget to recover data from your hard drive before reloading Windows this type of data recover program will allow you to recover lost files after you reinstall Windows XP.