How To Windows File Recovery Software FAQ Frequently Asked Questions About File Recovery Software Share Pin Email Print © Dimitri Vervitsiotis/Photodisc/Getty Images Windows Guides & Tutorials System & Security Customizing File & Folder Management Users & Accounts Drivers & Hardware Drive Management Basics Installing & Upgrading Tips & Tricks Key Concepts by Tim Fisher Tim Fisher has 30+ years' professional technology support experience. He writes troubleshooting content and is the General Manager of Lifewire. Updated May 26, 2019 If the number of questions we get about file recovery are any gauge of an article's popularity then our free file recovery software list must be one of the more popular pieces on our site. In other words, the complicated and often misunderstood topic of recovering deleted files rightly generates a lot of confusion. Beyond that, to both shrink our ever-growing inbox and to settle the minds of those that decide not to take the time to ask a question, here are answers to some of the more common questions we get regarding these "undelete" programs and file recovery in general. Can I Undelete a File if I Don't Already Have a File Recovery Tool?Will a Data Recovery Program Undelete Anything Ever Deleted?How Long is Too Long Before a File is Unrecoverable?Can I Recover Files From SD Cards, Flash Drives, Etc.?Do File Recovery Tools Support Network Drives?Should I Use a File Recovery Tool's Portable or Installable Option?Why Are Some Deleted Files Not 100% Recoverable?Can I Recover Files From a Dead Hard Drive? Beyond those questions and answers, If you haven't yet, be sure to read through our complete tutorial on this topic, How to Recover Deleted Files. It will probably clear up any lingering questions. Continue Reading