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When Good Data Goes Bad

You meant to back up those files before you started tinkering ... but now everything's gone. Or is it? When catastrophe strikes, you need expert help to resuscitate your data. We show you where to find it.

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People who use computers are not perfect. They accidentally delete data, format drives, and leave floppies on car seats in the blazing sun. They can also fall victim to chance. Even on a perfectly maintained system, a clever new virus can zap crucial files. No PC has total immunity from mishaps--from inadvertently erased documents to hard drives that expire seemingly without warning. Such calamities can befall any computer, anytime.

Restoring files from a backup may be the only sure way to get your data back. But even if you forgot to back up, all is not necessarily lost. A recovery utility could save the data. We looked at four such tools and found that all could recover at least some files presumed lost. Our saviors!

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