Lost Files
We’ve all had that moment where you are looking for a file that mysteriously disappeared from a folder. Let’s dive into some possible solutions to the age-old problem of finding something you’ve lost.
Misplaced Files
The first thing to figure out is if you simply put the file in a different folder or if it is actually gone. If it is on your computer, you can simply go to your File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac and search for the file. Depending on what you named the file, you may get a lot of other files with similar names, but if you order by date or file type, you should be able to track it down with some work.
Truly Deleted Files
Once you’ve established that it is truly gone, first check your Recycle Bin (on Windows) or your Trash (on Mac). If the file is not there you may be able to find it from a backup. If you don’t have a backup, well you may not be fully out of luck. There is free recovery
software available that can search your memory for files that have been deleted from your recycling bin. Check out TechRadar’s list of free software here.
While not 100% reliable, you may be able to recover some of your old work…maybe.
Prevention
The biggest solution to losing files is to never lose them in the first place. And the best solution for that is a backup through some type of online or local backup system. This is one of the top reasons we suggest using online storage or virtual storage for all files. Most data servers have a regular backup and even a rollback feature so that you can see previous versions of files. So if you accidentally delete a few pages from a file and close it, you can still recover a previous version.
If your company doesn’t have an online storage or backup setup, give us a call and let us see what we can do to help. This capability is so important to us that we include backup in our standard plans.
You might be interested in our last article if your dealing with a slow computer.
