• File recovery programs can ease the frustration of losing important data.frustrated business man image by Melking from Fotolia.com
  
  Computer files are critical and often irreplaceable to businesses and individuals. Files may contain pictures, contact lists, documents or business and other critical information. File loss may occur due to viruses, hardware failure or user error. Fortunately there are programs available to either backup important files before a failure occurs or restore them from the storage device where they were lost.
  
  

Carbonite

• The easiest way to recover lost data is to have a backup copy of it. Carbonite is a subscription service that uses software and online storage to backup computer data. Carbonite automatically backs up your documents, pictures, and other files for easy recovery. Carbonite allows the files to be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection.
  
  

File Recover 7.5 for Windows

• File Recover 7.5 for Windows is a product of the PC Tools Corporation. The program scans storage drives to recover files lost due to deletion, repartitioning or corrupted sectors. The software uses a rapid scan engine to quickly find deleted files. File Recover 7.5 supports most file system formats, including FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS. The software uses a non-destructive approach so that nothing is overwritten in the file recovery process.
  
  

WinUndelete

• WinUndelete is file recovery software that is compatible with Windows operating systems through Windows 7. The software was praised by the editors of CNET. The software recovers files from hard drives, external drives and removable media such as flash drives. The software is supports most file systems and uses an non-destructive approach to file recovery. WinUndelete is able to restore a file to its original condition or its last modified state.
  
  

TestDisk

• Test disk is open source free file recovery software that is compatible with by Windows operating systems, Linux, and Mac OS X. The software is able to locate and recover deleted files or files on deleted partitions. The software supports a variety of file systems including FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, Raid formats, and ReiserFS. If a user is unable to recover files, the software records information to assist in professional file recovery.
  
  

Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition 5.0.1

• Data Recovery Wizard is a product of the EaseUS Coporation. The software is free to use for up to the first gigabyte of data recovery. If more then a gigabyte of data needs to be recovered then the commercial version of the software is necessary. The software recovers deleted files or files from deleted or lost partitions. Data Recovery Wizard can recover information after a drive failure.