Microsoft has launched in the Store ‘Windows File Recovery‘, an unexpected free (and surprisingly, Win32) application that allows recover deleted files in Windows 10.
This is an important launch, because normally, when files are lost by mistake, you have to resort to paid applications. The fact that Microsoft launches it so that anyone can use it without paying can help millions of users return important lost files to their hard drive or SSD.
How Windows File Recovery, a command line application, works
—
Windows File Recovery has only one drawback, which can be an advantage for advanced users. ** To use it, we will have to do it through the command line **, since it is an application without a graphical interface. This can make many users look for easier options in appearance and function.
The first thing to do is install it, something you can only do if you are on the latest version of Windows 10, the Windows 10 May 2020 Update or version 2004. Once installed, you must give it administrator permissions, and a screen will appear indicating some instructions in English. As indicated by Microsoft itself from a page support website, Windows File Recovery has three modes.
-
Default– This is the mode they recommend using for files recently filed on disks with an NTFS file system. Use the Master File Table (MFT). Microsoft mentions that it works well when there are file segments (FRS) present.
-
Segment: This mode is recommended in NTFS to recover files deleted some time ago, after formatting or with a corrupted disk, and does not require MFT but the segments do, which according to Microsoft are file indexes such as date, size, type, etc. Microsoft recommends trying Segment first, then Signature.
-
Signature– For FAT, exFAT, or ReFS file systems, Microsoft recommends Signature mode, which requires data to be present on the disk, but allows this to be an external drive, such as a hard drive or USB stick. It does not work with small files.
—
Microsoft explains how Windows File Recovery works. Always use the command “winfr”, and if for example we want to recover in Default mode a specific C: file and copy it to a folder on disk E :, we would have to do this, with ‘Antonio’ being the name of the user folder, and ‘Genbeta.docx ‘the searched file name:
winfr C: E: /n UsersAntonioDocumentsGenbeta.docx
If we wanted to search C: by file type (PNG and JPEG in this case) in Default mode, and we wanted to paste in E :, we would have to execute this on the command line:
winfr C: E: /n UsersAntonioPictures*.JPEG /n UsersAntonioPictures*.PNG
To search C: PDF and Word files in Segment mode, and copy them to E, enter (/ r) in the action, and it would look like this:
winfr C: E: /r /n *.pdf /n *.docx
With Signature, it would be similar, using (/ x) in the syntax:
winfr C: E: /x /y:JPEG,PNG
Although it is not currently in Spanish, the most complete is microsoft support website, where they also indicate tricks like using “winfr /!” to access all the syntax of more advanced actions.
Track | The Verge
–
