Copyright: © 1998 Executive Software International, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
Citation: © 1998 Executive Software International, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.


Before the Installation

Windows NT Versions and Platforms Supported

Undelete is supported on version 4.0 of the Windows NT Server or Windows NT Workstation operating systems. Service Pack 3 for Windows NT is recommended due to known DCOM fixes in Service Pack 3.

Undelete runs on the following Windows NT computer platforms:

•	Intel x86 PC platform (or its equivalent)

•	Digital Alpha platform

File Systems Supported

Undelete supports the NTFS and 16-bit FAT file systems, but the 12-bit FAT file system is not supported.  (The 12-bit FAT file system is used on FAT partitions smaller than 16 megabytes in size, such as 1.4 MB floppy diskettes.)

Disks Supported

Undelete supports a wide range of SCSI and IDE disks, including:

•	Primary Partitions

•	Extended Partitions

•	Logical Drives

•	Volume Sets

•	Mirror Sets

•	RAID arrays

•	Removable disks (such as ZIP drives)

Resource Requirements

The disk space requirements for Undelete vary, depending on the computer platform upon which it is installed.  The table below lists the disk space requirements by platform.

Platform	Space Required
Intel x86	1 megabyte or less
Alpha	2 megabytes or less


Installation Overview

Undelete is installed by the SETUP.EXE program supplied on the Undelete CD-ROM.  The SETUP.EXE program:

•	confirms that you have Administrator privileges.

•	determines which version of Windows NT you are running.

•	checks for sufficient space on the disk for the installation.

•	recognizes and will install over previous versions of Undelete.

•	copies the Undelete files to the destination directories.

•	updates the Windows NT Registry.

•	creates a new Program Group for Undelete.

•	replaces the Windows NT Recycle Bin icon on your desktop with the Recovery Bin Icon.

•	initializes the Undelete service.

To complete the installation, it is necessary to re-start your computer.  This starts the Undelete driver, which intercepts file deletion requests and re-directs the deletion operation, causing "deleted" files to be placed in the Undelete Recovery Bin.


Installation Procedure

To install Undelete, follow these steps while logged on to an account that is a member of the Administrators Group:

1.	Insert the Undelete CD-ROM into the appropriate drive on your computer.

2.	The Windows NT 4.0 AutoPlay feature automatically determines the computer platform you are using and displays a dialog box listing several installation choices.  From this dialog box, you can install Undelete Server or Workstation version (depending on the version you have purchased), or you can also install Emergency Undelete. Click the appropriate button to install the product of your choice.  If you have disabled the AutoPlay feature, perform these steps:

a)	From the Windows NT Explorer, expand the directory folders on the Undelete CD-ROM.  You will see directory folders for these platforms:

X86 — for the Intel PC platform (or its equivalent)

Alpha — for the Digital Alpha platform

b)	Double click SETUP.EXE in the directory folder representing your computer platform.  This causes a dialog box to be displayed, listing the installation choices.

c)	Click the appropriate button to install the product of your choice.

3.	Click Next when the welcome message appears.

4.	The Undelete for Windows NT Software License Agreement is displayed.  Read the Agreement and click I Agree if you agree to the License Agreement.

5.	As an option, you can choose the destination location for the Undelete files.  By default, Undelete will be installed in the \ExecSoft\Undelete folder on your Windows NT system partition.  To choose another disk partition or directory, click Browse.  If you choose another partition or directory, click OK to accept the new destination location.  Any valid local disk drive and directory names are acceptable.  If the directory you specify does not exist, a new directory will be created by the Setup utility.

6.	After accepting or editing the path name, click Next.  The installation:

•	searches for previous installations of Undelete.

•	copies the Undelete files to the destination directory.

•	sets the appropriate Windows NT Registry values.

•	creates the Undelete Program Group.

•	initializes the Undelete service.

7.	Once these steps are complete, click Next.  You are given the opportunity to read the Undelete Readme file.  This file contains up-to-date information about Undelete.  Click Readme.txt to read the Readme file if you have not already.

8.	You are also given the choice to restart Windows NT upon finishing the installation procedure. You must reboot your computer before using Undelete, since it is necessary to start the Undelete Service and device driver.

9.	Click Finish to complete the installation.


After the Installation

Registering Undelete

After the Undelete installation is complete, you should register your Undelete purchase. You can register Undelete at the Executive Software Web site, or FAX the registration card included in the Undelete package to Executive Software.  Both methods provide a fast, efficient way to register your purchase.

The online Web-based registration option requires that you have a default Web browser or navigator installed on your computer.

Be sure to register your Undelete purchase to receive the free 90 days of telephone support included with Undelete.

A Note about Installing Service Packs

Since Undelete utilizes mechanisms built into Windows NT 4.0 that allow intercepting "deleted" files and also recovering deleted files directly from disk, there is no need to upgrade Undelete each time you apply a new Windows NT Service Pack.

However, we recommend uninstalling Undelete before you apply the Windows NT Service Pack.  This ensures that Undelete Registry values are not modified by the Service Pack upgrade.  See Uninstalling Undelete for more information about uninstalling Undelete.

A Note about Repairing Your Windows NT System

Performing an emergency repair of a Windows NT system can possibly change or disable certain system information or services.  For this reason, it may be necessary to reinstall Undelete after repairing your Windows NT system.

About the Undelete Service

Undelete is primarily designed as a "Set It and Forget It"® file recovery system.  In order to accomplish this goal, it creates a Windows NT service.  The service allows Undelete to run in the background while other applications are running.

After installation, the Undelete service starts automatically each time your Windows NT system is booted.  The Undelete service runs all the time, whether or not Undelete is in use.  This service consumes negligible system resources, and in most cases will never need to be disabled.


Installing Undelete for Windows NT using SMS
Installing Undelete using SMS

Undelete can be installed as a distributed installation using Microsoft’s System Management Server (SMS).

Follow these steps to install Undelete using SMS:

1.	Insert the Undelete distribution media into the appropriate drive on your computer.  Using the Windows NT Explorer, you will see these subdirectory folders:

X86 — for the Intel PC platform (or its equivalent)

Alpha — for the Digital Alpha platform

2.	Select the appropriate directory(s) for the platform(s) upon which you want to remotely install Undelete.

3.	Copy the selected Undelete files into a directory which can be accessed by all the servers which will be distributing the Undelete package.

4.	From the SMS Administrator, open the Packages window.  Press <Ctrl-N> to create a new package.

5.	Click Import and import the Product Definition File, NETUND.PDF, from the appropriate Undelete source directory.

6.	Click Workstations.

7.	Click the ellipsis (...) button next to the Source Directory window.

8.	Select the directory into which you copied the Undelete files and click OK.

9.	Click Close, then click OK to create the package.

10.	Drag the package to the target machine(s) in the Sites window of the SMS Administrator.

11.	In the Job Details window, select Install as the Workstation command.

12.	Click OK to close the Job Details window.

13.	As an option, enter any comments you want in the Comments dialog box.

14.	Click OK to send the package to the target machine(s).

Note:  When installed by SMS in this manner, Undelete will only install to \ExecSoft\Undelete on the Windows NT system partition.  You cannot install on a different drive or in a different directory folder with this version of Undelete.


Uninstalling Undelete for Windows NT
Uninstalling Undelete

Follow these steps to remove Undelete from your computer:

1.	From Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.

2.	Click the Install/Uninstall tab.

3.	Highlight Undelete.

4.	Click Add/Remove. This removes the Undelete service, files, Program Group, and registry entries from your computer.  In most cases, the Undelete installation directory will not be removed.

5.	The Uninstall program gives the option to reboot your computer.  Undelete will not be completely removed until you reboot.

6.	As a final step, manually delete the Undelete installation directory if it exists.


Overview of Undelete for Windows NT
Overview of Undelete

Undelete is available in two versions — the Workstation version and the Server version.  The Workstation version provides the features described below on a local Workstation or Server, while the Server version allows you to recover and undelete files and directory folders on your local machine as well as on remote computers on your network.

For simplicity, this help system will refer to both versions collectively as Undelete.  Any differences between the Workstation and Server versions will be clearly noted.

Undelete is made up of these three key components:

Recovery Bin

The Recovery Bin feature is similar to the Windows NT Recycle Bin.  Deleted files aren’t really deleted — they are simply moved to the bin and held there until the bin is “emptied” or purged.  This allows you to easily recover files after they have been deleted.  However, the Recovery Bin differs from the standard Windows NT Recycle Bin in several key ways:

•	It allows you to recover files “deleted” by any method, including the Windows NT File Manager and other applications — even files deleted from the Windows NT Command Prompt!  Note, however, that long filenames may be shortened to the DOS 8.3 file naming convention when files are deleted from the Command Prompt.

•	With the Server version of Undelete, you can see the contents of the Recovery Bins on remote computers, allowing you to recover "deleted" files across your network.

Click the button below for more information:

 — Recovery Bin

Undelete From Disk

The Undelete From Disk feature, as its name implies, allows you to recover files that have really been deleted, such as files purged from the Recovery Bin, or files that are deleted when the Recovery Bin was not enabled.  The Undelete From Disk feature can also be used to recover files from partitions or directory folders that have been excluded from Recovery Bin processing.

Click the button below for more information:

 — Undelete From Disk

Important Points about Undelete

Both the Recovery Bin and the Undelete From Disk feature can be controlled from either the Undelete graphical user interface, or from the Windows NT Command Prompt.

Here are several important points about using Undelete:

•	When you install Undelete, it will supersede any other file recovery utilities currently installed on your computer.  This includes the Windows NT Recycle Bin as well as other third-party products that perform similar functions.

•	Files that have been compressed using NTFS file compression can be recovered from the Recovery Bin, but they cannot be recovered with the Undelete From Disk feature after they have been really deleted.  Only non-compressed files can be undeleted.

Emergency Undelete

The CD-ROM versions of both the Workstation and Server versions of Undelete include Emergency Undelete, a unique feature used to recover accidentally-deleted files and directory folders before you've installed the full Undelete product.

Click the button below for more information:

 — Emergency Undelete


Welcome to Undelete for Windows NT!

The Only Name in Instant File Recovery™

The Undelete Server and Workstation versions are unique file recovery solutions for Windows NT®.  Both file recovery tools incorporate cutting-edge technology developed by Executive Software — the same folks who developed Diskeeper®, the world’s most popular defragmenter for Windows NT.

For simplicity, this help system will refer to both versions collectively as Undelete.  Any differences between the Workstation and Server versions will be clearly noted.

Undelete allows you to recover files that have been deleted — even after you’ve really deleted them by emptying your Recycle Bin, or by deleting files from the Windows NT File Manager or other applications, or even from the Windows NT Command Prompt.  (Note, however, that long filenames may be shortened to the DOS 8.3 file naming convention when files are deleted from the Command Prompt.)  Plus, the Server version can recover files that have been deleted from other computers on your network.

Click these buttons for more information:

 — Recovery Bin

 — Recovery Bin Exclusion List

 — Recovery Bin Properties

 — Undelete From Disk

 — Emergency Undelete


Toolbar Options

The Undelete toolbar has these buttons.  Click one of the buttons below for a description of what it does:

 — Recover

 — Delete

 — Empty Recovery Bin

 — Undelete From Disk

 — Recovery Bin Exclusion List

 — Recovery Bin Properties

 — Connect to Remote Machine (displayed with Undelete Server version only)

 — Help Topics


Menu Options

Undelete has these menu options:

 — File Menu

 — Connect Menu

 — View Menu

 — Recovery Bin Menu

 — Help Menu


File Menu

The File Menu has these options:

  — Recover

 — Delete

 — Empty Recovery Bin

 — Undelete From Disk

 — Close


Recovery Bin

With Undelete, deleted files aren’t really deleted — the deletion request is intercepted by Undelete and the deleted files are actually stored in another location, called the Recovery Bin — so recovering these “deleted” files is only a few mouse clicks away.

To view the contents of the Recovery Bin, double-click the Recovery Bin icon on your desktop.  Note: You must have adequate permissions and ownership of a file in order to recover it from the Recovery Bin.

The files shown in the Recovery Bin display are files that have been deleted by any of a variety of methods, including the Windows NT Explorer, File Manager, or any other application capable of deleting files.  It also includes files deleted via the Windows NT Command Prompt.  (Note, however, that long filenames may be shortened to the DOS 8.3 file naming convention when files are deleted from the Command Prompt.)

You can have more than one Recovery Bin on your computer.  By using the Recovery Bin Properties option, you can specify individual Recovery Bins for each disk partition, or choose a single location to where "deleted" files are moved (known as a “Common Recovery Bin”).

Note: Using a Common Recovery Bin on a network server will cause the deleted files on the server to be copied into a single location. If a large number of deletions take place on the network, this can add considerable I/O overhead.  This overhead is apparent not only on the disk where the Common Recovery Bin is located, but also on the disk from where the files are being copied.  For this reason, a Common Recovery Bin is not recommended on a busy server.  Instead, enable the Recovery Bin individually on each drive.

Click here for more information about using the Recovery Bin interface, but don't forget to read these important points about the Recovery Bin.


Important Points About the Recovery Bin

Here are some important points to remember about the Recovery Bin:

•	In keeping with Windows NT file security, you must have sufficient file permissions and ownership to recover a file from the Recovery Bin.

•	You can adjust the size of the Recovery Bin by using the Recovery Bin Properties option.  Click here for information about the Properties option.

•	By default, when the Recovery Bin reaches the size you have specified, it is automatically partially purged (to the point where it is only 80% full).  For this reason, files that were once stored in the Recovery Bin can become no longer available from the Recovery Bin.  (Although they still may be recoverable with the Undelete From Disk feature).  This default can be changed with the Recovery Bin Properties option, but changing this default can cause the Recovery Bin to fill completely, and additional file "deletions" will not be moved to the Recovery Bin.

•	If a file of the same name exists in the "deleted" file's previous location, the "deleted" file cannot be recovered.  Undelete will not overwrite an existing file while recovering a "deleted" file.  In such a case, recover the file to another directory folder, or rename the existing file.

•	You can set the Recovery Bin properties by right-clicking the Recovery Bin icon on your desktop.

•	You can right-click selected files in the Recovery Bin to recover or delete them from the Recovery Bin.

•	You can also right-click individual files in the Recovery Bin to add them to the Recovery Bin Exclusion List.  You can add the file to the Exclusion List in one of three ways:

•	By filename — all the files on the system with that name and extension will be excluded.

•	By file type — all the files of that type on the system with that file extension will be excluded.

•	By directory — all the files in that directory folder on the partition will be excluded.


Undelete From Disk

Use the Undelete From Disk button [image] or the Undelete From Disk option in the File menu to recover files that have really been deleted.  Note: In keeping with Windows NT file security requirements, you must be a member of the Administrators group and have adequate permissions to access the file to undelete it directly from the disk.

Click here for an example of the Undelete display, but don't forget to read these important points:


Important Points about the Undelete From Disk Feature

Here are some important points about using the Undelete From Disk feature:

•	In keeping with Windows NT file security, you must be a member of the Administrators group and have sufficient file permissions and ownership to recover a file directly from the disk.

•	The Undelete From Disk feature can recover files that have been purged from the Recovery Bin (using the Empty Recovery Bin button or menu option), files deleted from directory folders that have been excluded from Recovery Bin processing (using the Recovery Bin Exclusion button or menu option), or files deleted from drives on which Recovery Bin processing is disabled (using the Recovery Bin Properties option).

•	The Undelete From Disk feature can even undelete files that were deleted before you installed Undelete for Windows NT!  Note, however, that simply installing an application (including Undelete for Windows NT) can overwrite the same files you want to recover.  For this reason, Emergency Undelete is the recommended tool for recovering files that have been accidentally deleted before you install Undelete for Windows NT.

•	For best results in recovering files that have really been deleted, use the Undelete From Disk feature as soon as possible after deleting the file.  This increases the chances that your file recovery will be successful.

•	Remember, once a file is really deleted, the space it occupied on the partition is marked as available free space, but the file data still remains on the partition until the space is used to store another file.  As a result, there are cases where the Undelete From Disk feature may not be able to recover the deleted file, or may only be able to recover a portion of the file.  As a general rule, the more disk activity that occurs after a file is deleted, the higher the chances are that the file information will be overwritten by new or modified files.

•	When a deleted file has been partially overwritten with new data, there is a possibility that the Undelete From Disk feature may report successfully undeleting the file, when in fact a portion of the file has been overwritten and is thus corrupt.

•	On NTFS partitions, only Small and Large file types are eligible for being undeleted directly from the disk

•	When undeleting fragmented files on FAT partitions, the Undelete From Disk feature may only be able to undelete the first contiguous portion of the file.  A partial recovery of a text file can be better than none, but the partial recovery of an executable file will not be of much help.  For this reason, it is important to keep your files defragmented (particularly files on FAT partitions).  Of course, Executive Software has the answer for file fragmentation — Diskeeper!

•	Files that have been removed from the Recovery Bin have a unique file identification number added to the beginning of the original filename.  (This prevents undeleted files of the same name from overwriting each other.)  For example, after a file named "MyDocument.doc" is removed from the Recovery Bin, it will appear in the Undelete From Disk file listing as something like "FrFd7CDB0D111D2D2C30003_MyDocument.doc".  For this reason, after undeleting a file that was previously removed from the Recovery Bin, it is recommended that you rename the file back to its original name, or any name that will be better understood.

•	Also, due to the unique file identification number assigned by the Recovery Bin, when attempting to use the Undelete From Disk feature to recover a file that has been removed from the Recovery Bin, use the asterisk (*) wildcard character in combination with the filename to narrow down the search.  For example, to recover "MyDocument.doc" after it has been removed from the Recovery Bin, precede the filename with the asterisk wildcard character in this manner:  *MyDocument.doc.

•	Files that have been removed from the Recovery Bin will be listed with the Recovery Bin location as their "Original Location", since that is where they resided before they were really deleted.  By default, this is a directory folder named \RecoveryBin\ on the partition(s) where you have specified Recovery Bins should reside on your system.  If you have specified a single, common Recovery Bin the folder will be named \CommonBin\ on the partition you specified.


Recover

Use the Recover button [image] or the Recover option on the File menu to recover one or more selected files from the Recovery Bin.  When you use this option, the selected files are written back to the location from where they were "deleted".  If the directory folder in which the selected files were stored has also been "deleted", the folder is also recovered.


Delete

Use the Delete button [image] or the Delete option on the File menu to really delete one or more selected file(s) from the Recovery Bin.  When you use this option, the disk space where the previously “deleted” files were stored is marked as available for storage of new or modified files.

Still, Undelete allows you to recover files that have been deleted from the Recovery Bin, by using the Undelete From Disk option.  Keep in mind, though, that once the space where a file is stored is marked as available, there is a possibility the space will be overwritten with new data as files are created or modified on the disk.


Empty Recovery Bin

Use the Empty Recovery Bin button [image] or the Empty Recovery Bin option in the File menu to really delete all the files that have been “deleted” by any of a variety of methods, including the Windows NT Explorer, File Manager, or any other application capable of deleting files.

After the Recovery Bin is emptied, the disk space where the “deleted” files were stored is marked as available for storage of new or modified files.  Still, Undelete allows you to recover files that have been purged from the Recovery Bin, by using the Undelete From Disk option.  Keep in mind, though, that once the space where a file is stored is marked as available, there is a possibility the space will be overwritten with new data as files are created or modified on the disk.


Close

Use the Close option on the File menu to close the interface and exit from Undelete.  However, even though you exit from Undelete, it still runs as a Windows NT service.  This means you don’t need to have the interface active for Undelete to do its job.


Connect Menu

Please Note:  This menu is only displayed in Undelete Server version.

The Connect Menu has this option:

 — Machine


Connect to Remote Machine

Please Note:  This option is only available with Undelete Server version.

Use the Connect button [image] or the Machine option in the Connect menu to recover files from the Recovery Bins on remote network computers.  You can also change the Recovery Bin properties on remote computers.

When this option is used, a dialog box is displayed listing the domains, workgroups, and computers detected on your network.  Double click a computer name to connect to that computer, or double click a domain or workgroup name to expand the list of computers within that group.  Once the list is expanded, double click the name of the individual computer on which you want to access the Recovery Bin.

After connecting to the remote computer, you can recover files from the Recovery Bin on the remote computer, as well as change the Recovery Bin properties.


View Menu

The View Menu has this option:

 — Refresh


Refresh Option

Use the Refresh option to update the list of files displayed in the Recovery Bin file listing.  This option causes Undelete to re-read the latest information about the files in the Recovery Bin.


Recovery Bin Menu

The Recovery Bin menu has these options:

 — Exclusion List

 — Properties


Recovery Bin Exclusion

Use the Recovery Bin Exclusion button [image] or the Exclusion List option in the Recovery Bin menu to create a list of files or directory folders that you want excluded from being processed by the Undelete Recovery Bin.  When a deleted file (or the folder where it is stored) is excluded from the Recovery Bin, it really is deleted from the disk — not moved to another location on the disk (as other files normally are) when Undelete is running. Click here for an example of the Exclusion List dialog box.

One example of files you would likely exclude from Recovery Bin processing are temporary files that you really do want to delete.  These are often files with a .tmp file extension, but many other extensions are also used, depending on the applications you are running.  A number of common temporary file types are excluded from Recovery Bin processing by default.

Typically, when you install an application, a number of temporary files are created, then eventually deleted by the installation program.  Also, compilers and Web browsers often create a large number of temporary files.  There is little chance you will ever need to recover these temporary files, so by excluding them from being processed by the Recovery Bin, the program really will delete them, and they don’t take up Recovery Bin space unnecessarily.

The Recovery Bin Exclusion List supports wildcard file specifications (like *.tmp), making it easy to specify a particular type of file to exclude.  Note, however, that to exclude entire partitions from Recovery Bin processing, you must use the Recovery Bin Properties option.  Click here for more information about setting the Recovery Bin properties.


Exclusion List Dialog Box

Click on the different controls shown in the example shown below for information about using that control.


Drives

Use this section of the Exclusion List dialog box to choose the disk partition from which you want to exclude files or directory folders.


Path

Use this section of the Exclusion List dialog box to choose specific directory folders to be excluded from Recovery Bin processing.

Select a directory by highlighting it, then click Add Folder to add the directory to the exclusion list.

When a directory folder is added to the exclusion list, select the Include Subfolder check box to exclude files in any subdirectories below the highlighted directory.


Files

Use this section of the Exclusion List dialog box to choose specific files (by name) to be excluded from Recovery Bin processing.  Choose the name of the file to be excluded, then click Add Files to add the file to the exclusion list.


Save

Click Save to close the Exclusion List dialog box and save any changes you have made.


Cancel

Click Cancel to close the Exclusion List dialog box without saving any changes you have made.


Help

Click Help to view information about using the Undelete Exclusion List.


Add Folder

Click Add Folder to add the selected directory path to the Exclusion List.


Add Files

Click Add Files to add the selected file(s) to the Exclusion List.


Include Subfolder

Select the Include Subfolder check box to exclude files in any subdirectories below the highlighted directory in the Path display from Recovery Bin processing.

Clear this check box to allow files in subdirectories below the highlighted directory in the Path display to be processed by the Recovery Bin.


Apply Selection to All Drives

When this option is enabled, any directory path or file specification added to the Exclusion list will be excluded from Recovery Bin processing, regardless of the disk partition where it is found.

For example, by enabling this option when a file named "MyDocument.doc" is specified to be added to the Exclusion List, each occurrence of this file name will be excluded from Recovery Bin processing.  This would include C:\MyDocument.doc, as well as E:\User Files\Cassandra\MyDocument.doc.

The same can be done for directory folder paths — enabling this option when the directory folder path "C:\Dump" is specified to be added to the Exclusion List will also cause D:\Dump, E:\Dump, and any other \Dump folder on your system to be excluded from Recovery Bin processing.


Exclusion List Box

This dialog box shows the files and directories that will be excluded from Recovery Bin processing.


Remove

Click Remove to remove specific files or directory folders from the Exclusion List.  To remove an item from the list, highlight the item by clicking on it in the Exclusion List Box and click Remove.


Recovery Bin Properties

Use the Properties button [image] or the Properties option on the Recovery Bin menu to establish rules for where the Recovery Bin files are stored on your disk(s) and the percentage of disk space they will be allowed to use.  You can also right-click the Recovery Bin icon on your desktop to open the Recovery Bin Properties dialog box.

You can either set "global" rules for all the disk partitions detected on your computer, or set different rules for each of your partitions.

Click here for an example of the Recovery Bin Properties dialog box.


Properties Dialog Box

Click on the different controls shown in the example below for information about using that control.


Property Box Tabs

Click the Property Box Tabs to select individual drives for which you want to set Undelete Recovery Bin properties.

Use the Global tab to set properties for all the drives on your system, and the individual drive letter tabs to set properties for individual drives.

Note that, depending on which other options have been set in the Global tab display, options shown within the individual drive letter tabs may or may not be available.


Enable Recovery Bin on All Drives

When this option is enabled, the Recovery Bin is activated on all the drives on your system. When the Recovery Bin is enabled for all drives, files that are moved to the Recovery Bin are stored in directory folders named \RecoveryBin\ on each of the drives.

If you have also selected the Each drive has a Recovery Bin location option, use the drive letter tabs in the Recovery Bin Properties display to specify the size of the Recovery Bin for each enabled drive.


Enable Recovery Bin Individually on Each Drive

When this option is enabled, you can activate the Recovery Bin on individual drives.  This option is useful in cases where you do not want all of your disk partitions to be enabled for Recovery Bin processing.

After setting this option, use the individual drive letter tabs in the Recovery Bin Properties display to enable and disable Recovery Bin processing on each drive and to specify the size of the Recovery Bin for each enabled drive.


Do Not Move Files to the Recovery Bin

When this option is enabled, deleted files are not moved into the Recovery Bin.  Instead, they are fully deleted.  (Of course, depending on the disk activity after they are deleted, you may be able to recover even fully-deleted files with the Undelete From Disk feature.)


Each Drive Has a Recovery Bin Location

When this option is enabled, each drive on which the Recovery Bin is activated has a location specified where the Recovery Bin files reside.  This location is a directory folder named \RecoveryBin\ on each drive.

If the Enable Recovery Bin on ALL drives option has been set, the Recovery Bin for each disk partition is located on the corresponding partition.

If the One Recovery Bin location for all drives option has been set, the Recovery Bin location and size are specified from within the Global tab display.


One Recovery Bin Location for All Drives

When this option is enabled, all files placed in the Recovery Bin are located in a single, common directory folder.  By default, this directory folder is named \CommonBin\ and it is located on your Windows NT system partition.  You can specify the location and name of this folder from within the Global tab display.

Note that when you specify a single, common Recovery Bin for all your partitions, files that have previously been moved to the local Recovery Bins (the folders named \RecoveryBin\) will not be automatically moved to the common Recovery Bin in the \CommonBin\ folder.

Note: Using a Common Recovery Bin on a network server will cause the deleted files on the server to be copied into a single location. If a large number of deletions take place on the network, this can add considerable I/O overhead.  This overhead is apparent not only on the disk where the Common Recovery Bin is located, but also on the disk from where the files are being copied.  For this reason, a Common Recovery Bin is not recommended on a busy server.  Instead, enable the Recovery Bin individually on each drive.


Recovery Bin Size

This section of the Recovery Bin Properties dialog box shows the size of the Recovery Bin, in megabytes.  The size of the Recovery Bin is changed with the slider control.


Maximum Size of Recovery Bin

Use the slider control to specify the maximum size of the Recovery Bin, based on a percentage of the total disk space.

Depending on the other Recovery Bin Properties options you choose, one of several things will happen when the Recovery Bin reaches the size set with this option.

•	If you have selected the Disable Recovery Bin when Max Size is reached option, any file "deletions" done after the Recovery Bin becomes full will not move files into the Recovery Bin — instead, the files will truly be deleted.  (They can, however, still often be recovered with the Undelete From Disk feature.)

•	If you have selected the Auto Purge when Bin becomes full option, the Recovery Bin will be purged to 80% of its total capacity each time the Recovery Bin reaches its maximum size.  Files are purged on a first-in, first-out basis.  The files that have been in the Recovery Bin for the longest time will be the first files purged from it


Recovery Bin Location

Use this section of the Recovery Bin Properties display to specify the drive and directory folder where you want the Recovery Bin located.  Note that this option is only available when the One Recovery Bin Location for All Drives option has been enabled.

By default, when a single, common Recovery Bin has been specified, files moved into the Recovery Bin are located in a directory folder named \CommonBin\ located on your Windows NT system partition.  By using this option, you can change this location and folder name.


Disable Recovery Bin when Max Size is Reached

When this option is enabled, files are no longer moved to the Recovery Bin after it reaches the maximum size you have specified.  Any additional file "deletions" will not move files into the Recovery Bin — instead, the files will truly be deleted.  (They can, however, still often be recovered with the Undelete From Disk feature.)


Auto Purge when Bin becomes Full

When this option is enabled, the Recovery Bin is partially purged automatically whenever it fills to the size you have specified as its maximum.

When a file "deletion" causes the Recovery Bin to fill to 100% of its maximum size, files will be purged from the Recovery Bin until it is only 80% full.  Files are purged from the Recovery Bin on a first-in, first-out basis.  The files that have been in the Recovery Bin for the longest time will be the first files purged from it.


Display Recovery Bin Full Warnings

When this option is enabled, a message is displayed prompting you to empty the Recovery Bin when it reaches the size you have specified.  When the warning message is displayed, you should remove files from the Recovery Bin by either selecting files to remove or by emptying the Recovery Bin.

When this option is disabled, no message is displayed when the Recovery Bin reaches the specified size.

This option is only available when you have also enabled the Disable Recovery Bin when Max Size is Reached option.  When the Recovery Bin is disabled in this way, any additional file "deletions" will not move files into the Recovery Bin — instead, the files will truly be deleted.  (They can, however, still often be recovered with the Undelete From Disk feature.)


Display Delete Confirmation Dialog

When this option is enabled, a message is displayed each time you request that one or more files be deleted from the Recovery Bin.


Do Not Save Zero-Length Files

When this option is enabled, zero-length files are not moved to the Recovery Bin when they are "deleted".  A zero-length file is actually a file record which contains no data, so there is little chance you would need to recover it.  Also, the filenames of zero-length files can needlessly clutter up the Recovery Bin file listing.

When this option is disabled, zero-length files are moved to the Recovery Bin.


OK

Click OK to accept any changes you have made to the Recovery Bin properties and to close the dialog box.


Cancel

Click Cancel to close the Recovery Bin Properties dialog box without making any changes.


Apply

Click Apply to cause any changes you have made to the Recovery Bin properties to take effect, without closing the Properties dialog box.


Help Menu

The Help Menu has these options:

 — Help Topics

 — About Undelete


Help Topics

Use the Help Topics button [image] or the Help Topics option in the Help menu to display the Undelete Help system.


About Undelete for Windows NT
About Undelete

This option shows information about Undelete, including the version and build numbers.


Using the Undelete for Windows NT Command Line Interface
Using the Undelete Command Line Interface

In addition to its Graphical User Interface (GUI), Undelete supports commands from the Windows NT Command Prompt.  Both the Recovery Bin and the Undelete From Disk feature can be controlled from the Command Prompt.

Two commands are available from the Command Prompt, reclaim and undelete.  Both commands support several optional command qualifiers.

To use either command, follow these steps:

1.	Open the Windows NT Command Prompt window.

2.	Type either reclaim or undelete at the Command Prompt, followed by any of the optional command parameters.

Click below for more information about the reclaim and undelete commands.

  — reclaim command

 — reclaim examples

 — undelete command

 — undelete examples


The RECLAIM Command

The reclaim command manages files in the Undelete Recovery Bin.  Use the command in this form:

reclaim [Search_Pattern] [/i] [/r] [/d] [/?]

Parameters

 [Search_Pattern]

Specifies a search pattern of files to search for in the Recovery Bin.  This pattern can include the following:

[Drive Letter]

[Pathname]

[Filename]

If no Search_Pattern is specified, all files in the Recovery Bin will be listed.  Wildcard characters (* and ?) are permitted in the filename.

/i(nclude)

Causes the files which match the other specified search pattern criteria in all underlying subdirectories to be listed.

/r(ecover)

Causes the listed files to be recovered from the Recovery Bin.  When /r is used, you will be prompted to confirm the recovery of the files.

/d(elete)

Causes the listed files to be removed from the Recovery Bin.  When /d is used, you will be prompted to confirm the removal of the files.

 /?

Displays the Command Prompt Help text.

 — reclaim examples


reclaim

Examples

reclaim

Lists all the files in the Recovery Bin, from all partitions.

reclaim C: /i

Lists all the Recovery Bin files from drive C: and all its underlying subfolders.

reclaim C: \Christina\Doc\Report.doc /i

Lists all the Recovery Bin files named Report.doc in the C:\Christina\Doc folder, and any other underlying subfolders.

reclaim C: \Ann\ /i

Lists all the Recovery Bin files in the C:\Ann folder and any other underlying subfolders.

reclaim \Julie\*.doc /i

Lists all the Recovery Bin files with the .doc file extension in the \Julie folder and any other underlying subfolders on all partitions.

reclaim \Julie \*.doc /i  /r

Similar to the command above, but after the Recovery Bin files are listed, you are given the option to recover the listed files from the Recovery Bin.

reclaim \Julie\*.doc /i /d

Again similar to the command above, but after the Recovery Bin files are listed, you are given the option to remove (delete) the listed files from the Recovery Bin.


The UNDELETE Command

The undelete command lists and recovers deleted files directly from the disk.  Use the command in this form:

undelete  Search_Pattern [/d=destination_path] [/i] [/?]

Parameters

Search_Pattern

Specifies which drive letter, and optionally the path and filename to search for deleted files.  The search pattern is a required parameter.  Wildcard characters (* and ?) are permitted in the filename.

/d(estination)

Specifies the destination of the files to be undeleted.  If this parameter is not used, the files matching the search pattern that are candidates to be undeleted will be listed, but not recovered.  To recover the files, you must specify a valid drive letter and directory folder for the destination.

/i(nclude)

Causes the files which match the other specified search pattern criteria in all underlying subdirectories to be listed.

/?

Displays the Command Prompt Help text.

 — undelete examples


undelete

Examples

undelete C:

Lists all deleted files on the C: drive.

undelete C:\Sabrina\

Lists all deleted files in the C:\Sabrina folder and all underlying subfolders.

undelete C:\*.doc /i

Lists all deleted *.doc files on the C: drive.

undelete C:\*.doc /d=C:\TEMP /i

Lists all deleted *.doc files on the C: drive and prompts you to undelete any candidate files found to the C:\TEMP folder.


About Executive Software

Executive Software, founded by its Chairman and CEO Craig Jensen, was incorporated in 1981.  In 1986, Executive Software's flagship product, Diskeeper for VAX/VMS was introduced, establishing Executive Software as the leader in defragmentation products for the corporate marketplace.  Since then, the company has become established as a leader in OpenVMS and Windows NT performance and system management solutions.

A fundamental aspect of the company’s corporate purpose has been to help Data Center Managers solve performance and system management problems.  Superior technical capability coupled with meticulous market research fueled rapid growth for Executive Software, and resulted in a high degree of customer satisfaction.

Executive Software has grown from five people in 1986 to more than a hundred today, with headquarters in California and a worldwide distribution network.  The expansion of the company and the popularity of its products demonstrate a successful implementation of the company’s purpose and the degree of technical and administrative capability that backs it up.

Click here to visit the Executive Software Web site:

  —  www.execsoft.com

Note:  It is necessary for you to have a default Web browser or navigator defined on your computer before clicking the button.


Software License Information

Copyright

This Software is owned by Executive Software International, Inc. and is protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions.  Therefore, you must treat the Software like any other copyrighted material (e.g. a book or musical recording) except that you may either (a) make one copy of the Software solely for backup or archival purposes, or (b) transfer the Software to a single hard disk provided you keep the original solely for backup or archival purposes.  You may not copy the user documentation provided with the Software, except for your own authorized use.

U. S. Government Restricted Rights

The software and documentation are provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS.  Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software -- Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19 as applicable.  Manufacturer is Executive Software International, Inc., 701 North Brand Boulevard, 6th Floor, Glendale, California 91203-1242


Using the Recovery Bin Interface

The Recovery Bin interface contains pull-down menus and a toolbar.  Many of the functions offered are the same on the menus and toolbar.  It also displays a listing of the files stored in the Recovery Bin.

Click on the different areas of the Recovery Bin display shown below for information about that section of the interface.


Name

This section of the display shows the original filename and extension of the detected files.

In the case of the Recovery Bin, this section shows the names of the files stored in the various \RecoveryBin\ or \CommonBin\ directory folders on your computer.  Right-click the filename as a shortcut to Recover or Delete the selected file(s).

In the case of the Undelete From Disk feature, this section shows the names of the really deleted files detected on your disk partition.

Click on the title bar in this section to sort the files by name in forward or reverse alphabetical order.


Original Location

This section of the display shows the disk partition and directory folder where a file was originally located.  When you recover a file, it will be placed in its original location.

Click on the title bar in this section to sort the files by original location in forward or reverse alphabetical order.

In the case of the Recovery Bin, this section shows the location where the "deleted" file was originally located before being moved to the Recovery Bin.

In the case of the Undelete From Disk feature, this section shows the location where the really deleted file was located before being deleted.

Remember, files that have been removed from the Recovery Bin will be listed in the Undelete From Disk feature display with the Recovery Bin location as their "Original Location", since that is where they resided before they were really deleted.  By default, this is either one or more directory folders named \RecoveryBin\ on the partition(s) where you have specified Recovery Bins should reside on your system, or a single folder named \CommonBin\ on the partition you specified for your common Recovery Bin.


Date Deleted

This section of the Recovery Bin display shows the date a file was "deleted" and moved to the Recovery Bin.

Click on the title bar in this section to sort the files by the date they were deleted in forward or reverse date order.


Size

This section of the display shows the size of the files either stored in the Recovery Bin or detected by the Undelete From Disk feature.

Click on the title bar in this section to sort the files by size in forward or reverse order.


Recovery Bin File ID

This section of the Recovery Bin display shows a unique file identification given to each file moved to the Recovery Bin.

Click on the title bar in this section to sort the files by file identification order in forward or reverse alphabetical order.


Status Bar

This section of the Recovery Bin display shows information about the Recovery Bin.

When no files are selected, the Status Bar shows the number of files in the Recovery Bin, their total size, and the percentage of the Recovery Bin size used.  Note that the percentage of the Recovery Bin in use figure indicates the total Recovery Bin space, which can include more than one Recovery Bin if you have specified Recovery Bins on more than one disk partition.  For this reason, there is a possibility that a small Recovery Bin on one partition could be full while a large Recovery Bin on another partition could be nearly empty, and the percentage of the total Recovery Bin size used could be as low as 1 or 2 percent.

When one or more files are selected, the Status Bar shows the number of files selected and their total size.


Using the Undelete From Disk Interface

Follow these steps to recover a file with the Undelete From Disk feature:

1.	Enter the name of the file you want to undelete in the Named: field of the Undelete From Disk display.  You can use wildcard characters (such as *.doc or *.*) if you don't recall the name of the file.

2.	Enter the letter of the drive you want to search in the Look in: field of the Undelete From Disk display.  You can optionally enter a directory folder name (such as D:\My Documents).  Use the Browse button to see the drives and folders on your computer.

3.	Click Find Deleted Files.  This starts the search for deleted files.

4.	Once the search is complete, highlight the name of the file (or files) you want to undelete.

5.	Click Undelete File(s).  This causes a new dialog box to be displayed.

6.	Enter the drive letter and directory folder name of the location where you want the undeleted file to be written in the Undelete file(s) to path: field.  If you have more than one disk partition, be sure to specify a partition other than the one where the file was originally located.  This prevents the new, recovered file from overwriting portions of the old, deleted file.

7.	Click OK.  The file(s) you have selected will be recovered if possible, and written to the location you have specified.

The interface for the Undelete From Disk feature offers a limited set of the Recovery Bin menu options, and all of the toolbar buttons are disabled.  After you specify a filename and disk partition location to search for, it also displays a listing of the files matching the search criteria that have been really deleted from your disk partition.

Click on the different areas of the Undelete From Disk feature display shown below for information about that section of the interface.


Named

Use this section of the Undelete From Disk feature display to specify the name of the file you want to undelete.  You can use wildcard characters (* and ?) in this section of the display.

You must provide a filename or wildcard sequence (such as *.doc) as a search pattern to use for finding files to undelete.

Note that if you are undeleting a file that has been purged from the Recovery Bin, the filename of the deleted file will be preceded by the unique file identification number given to it when it was moved to the Recovery Bin.  For this reason, when recovering a file that has been removed from the Recovery Bin, start the search pattern with an asterisk (*) wildcard followed by the filename (or a portion of the filename).

For example, when a file named "MyDocument.doc" is "deleted" and moved to the Recovery Bin, it is given a unique file identification, and is named something like "FrFd7CDB0D111D2D2C30003_MyDocument.doc".  So, when you purge "MyDocument.doc" from the Recovery Bin and later want to undelete it directly from the disk, use "*MyDocument.doc" as the search pattern (without the quotation marks, but with the asterisk).


Look In

Use this section of the Undelete From Disk feature display to specify the disk partition and directory folder of the file you want to undelete.

You can use the Browse button to speed up your search for the correct path.

Note that with Undelete Server version, you can also specify disk partitions and folders on remote computers!  However, you must first map the drives from which you want to recover or undelete files.  Use the Map Network Drive option in the Tools menu of Windows NT Explorer to map the desired remote drives before connecting to the remote computer.


Browse

Click this button to search for the path of the disk partition and directory folder where the file you want to undelete resided immediately before it was deleted.

Remember, with Undelete Server version, you can also specify disk partitions and folders on remote computers!  However, you must first map the drives from which you want to recover or undelete files.  Use the Map Network Drive option in the Tools menu of Windows NT Explorer to map the desired remote drives before connecting to the remote computer.

Note that if you are undeleting a file that has been purged from the Recovery Bin, the disk partition and directory folder will be the location you have specified for the Recovery Bin to reside.  By default, this is one or more folders named \RecoveryBin\ on the individual partitions where you have enabled Recovery Bin processing, or in a folder named \CommonBin\ if you have specified a single, common Recovery Bin.


Include Subfolders

When this option is enabled, any subfolders below the specified directory folder will be searched for files that match the specified search pattern.


Find Deleted Files

Click this button to start the search for the specified files.  All detected files matching the search criteria will be displayed in the file listing.


Undelete Files

Click this button to undelete any files whose names have been highlighted in the Name column of the Undelete display.  You can select more than one file at a time to undelete.  To select more than one file to undelete, hold the <Ctrl> key while clicking on the filenames listed in the Name section that you want to undelete.  Or, you can hold the <Shift> key to select a continuous list of files in the Name section.

When you use the Undelete button, a dialog box is displayed, prompting you to specify a disk partition and directory folder into which the selected files should be undeleted.

Note:  If at all possible, you should undelete files to a partition other than where they originally resided.  Writing a file (which includes recovering it with the Undelete From Disk feature) to the same disk partition where it originally resided can potentially overwrite the very file you are trying to undelete.

Some other points to consider when undeleting files that have been previously purged from the Recovery Bin:

•	When you undelete a file that has been purged from the Recovery Bin, its "new" filename is the unique file identification given to each file moved to the Recovery Bin.  You can still see the original filename in the Undelete display, but after it is undeleted, its name will be changed to match the Recovery Bin file identification — something like "FrFd7CDB0D111D2D2C30003_MyDocument.doc".  After undeleting a file that has been purged from the Recovery Bin, rename it to a more useful name.

•	Regardless of where a file was originally "deleted" from (and moved into the Recovery Bin), a file that has been purged from the Recovery Bin will be listed in the Undelete display as having the \RecoveryBin\ or \CommonBin\ folder as its Original Location.  This is because the \RecoveryBin\ or \CommonBin\ folder was the location from where it was truly deleted.


Stop

Click this button to stop an ongoing Undelete From Disk activity, such as searching the disk partition for deleted files.


Close

Click this button to close the Undelete From Disk feature display and return to the Recovery Bin display.


Date Modified

This section of the Undelete From Disk feature display shows the date a deleted file was last modified.


Undelete From Disk File ID

This section of the Undelete From Disk feature display shows the unique file identification used internally by the Undelete From Disk feature to speed the recovery of a deleted file from the disk.


Diskeeper

Diskeeper is Executive Software's market-leading defragmenter for Windows NT.  Running under the Windows NT operating system, Diskeeper finds files that are not stored on the partition in a single location, but instead are scattered in pieces all over the partition.  Files in such a condition are referred to as fragmented files.  As Diskeeper finds such files, it safely moves the pieces of each file, so each file is in a single, contiguous space on the partition.

Diskeeper can do this automatically in the background, while users are actively accessing data on the same partition.  Or, for those times when you want to defragment a partition now, Diskeeper provides a manual, higher-priority defragmentation option.

See the Executive Software Web site for more information about Diskeeper.

  —  www.execsoft.com

Note:  It is necessary for you to have a default Web browser or navigator defined on your computer before clicking on the button.


Frequently Asked Questions

Executive Software maintains an up-to-date list of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Undelete on their Web site.  This list is updated as often as necessary to ensure most common questions are answered.  Quite often, you can find answers to your questions and solutions to any problems you may have regarding Undelete by checking the Executive Software Web site.

Click this button to access the Undelete FAQs Web site:

  —  www.execsoft.com/undelete

Note:  It is necessary for you to have a default Web browser or navigator defined on your computer before clicking on the button.


U.S. Technical Support

Registered users are entitled to 90 days of free telephone support, as well as special upgrade pricing, from Executive Software.  Our free U.S. technical support is available Monday through Friday during the first 90 days from 7:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Pacific time.  If you have not yet registered your Undelete purchase, use the registration card in your Undelete for Windows NT box and do so now.  Or, register your purchase on-line via our Web site at:

http://www.execsoft.com

Click here to visit the Executive Software Web site:

   —  www.execsoft.com

Note:  It is necessary for you to have a default Web browser or navigator defined on your computer before clicking on the button.

Most technical support questions can be answered from the Technical Support section of our Web site at the address shown above.

You may also contact our technical support team via the Internet at:

tech_support@executive.com

or via FAX at:

818-545-9241

Executive Software also makes available unlimited technical support assistance via its support forum on CompuServe.  GO EXECSOFT to access this forum.

If you are within your 90 day free support period, or have purchased telephone support, you can call:

818-547-2050

When your 90 day free support period has expired, you may purchase the support plan which best suits your needs.  Executive Software offers 24-hour, 7-day support plans.  Contact Executive Software to find out which support options are best for you.

Executive Software's address is:

Executive Software

701 North Brand Blvd., 6th Floor

Glendale, California, USA   91203-1242


European Technical Support

Registered users are entitled to 90 days of free telephone support, as well as special upgrade pricing, from Executive Software.  Our free European technical support is available Monday through Friday during the first 90 days from 8:30 to 17:30 GMT.  If you have not yet registered your Undelete purchase, use the registration card in your Undelete for Windows NT box and do so now.  Or, register your purchase on-line via our Web site at:

http://www.execsoft.co.uk

Click here to visit the Executive Software Europe Web site:

   —  www.execsoft.co.uk

Note:  It is necessary for you to have a default Web browser or navigator defined on your computer before clicking on the button.

Most technical support questions can be answered from the Technical Support section of our Web site at the address shown above.

You may also contact our technical support team via the Internet at:

tech.support@execsoft.co.uk

or via FAX at:

+44 (0) 1342 327390

Executive Software also makes available unlimited technical support assistance via its support forum on CompuServe.  GO EXECSOFT to access this forum.

If you are within your 90 day free support period, or have purchased telephone support, you can call:

+44 (0) 1342 327477

When your 90 day free support period has expired, you may purchase the support plan which best suits your needs.  Executive Software offers 24-hour, 7-day support plans.  Contact Executive Software to find out which support options are best for you.

Executive Software's address is:

Executive Software

King's House, Cantelupe Road

East Grinstead, West Sussex  RH19 3BE

England


NTFS File Types

In the NTFS file system, four file types exist.  Small files are contained entirely within a single record in the Master File Table (MFT).  Large files are stored elsewhere on the disk, but the index information pertaining to the file, including the locations of the various fragments of the file, is contained within a single record in the MFT.  Huge files are similar to Large files, but they have enough additional file record information (such as additional file security information, or a large number of file fragment locations) to require two or more file records within the MFT.  Extremely Huge files are files that contain so much additional file information (again, either file security information or the locations of a very large number of file fragments) that more than two file records are necessary within the MFT, plus space on the disk outside the MFT is used for storing additional file record information.


Emergency Undelete

Undelete for Windows NT includes Emergency Undelete, a unique feature you can use to recover accidentally-deleted files and directory folders before you've installed the full Undelete product.  Since the installation of any software can overwrite accidentally-deleted files, Emergency Undelete runs directly off your CD-ROM drive, installing only a minimum of files onto your disk drive.

More Information:

  Important Tips

  Installing Emergency Undelete

  Uninstalling Emergency Undelete

  Getting Started

  Known Restrictions and Limitations


Important Tips for Using Emergency Undelete

Once a file is deleted, the chances of fully recovering that file decrease considerably when other activity occurs on the same disk partition.  To improve the possibility of a complete recovery of a file that has been accidentally deleted, Executive Software recommends the following steps:

1.	Stop all activity on the disk partition where the accidentally-deleted file resided.  Do not save any files that are currently open, since this causes a write operation on the disk.

2.	If the computer is on a network, disconnect the network cable if possible.  This prevents disk activity caused by remote users from writing over the file you want to recover.

3.	If Emergency Undelete is not currently installed, then do so now.

4.	Reconnect the network cable (if you disconnected it in the earlier step) if you want to recover the file to a disk partition on a remote computer.

5.	Once the file is located by Emergency Undelete, recover the file to a local or remote disk partition other than the partition from where the file was recovered.  This prevents the deleted file from accidentally being written over by the write operation of the recovery process.


Before the Installation

Platforms and Operating Systems Supported

This version of Emergency Undelete is supported on Intel x86 platforms running Windows NT 4.0 builds 1381 and higher.

Known Restrictions and Limitations

1.	When you undelete a file, you must first specify the filename and directory path before finding the deleted files.  Wildcard statements (such as * and ?) are supported for specifying the filename.

2.	On NTFS partitions, only Small and Large file types are eligible for being undeleted directly from the disk.

Required Privileges

You must be a member of the Administrators group to install and operate Emergency Undelete.  This is necessary in order to conform to Windows NT file security.


Platforms and Operating Systems Supported

This version of Emergency Undelete is supported on Intel x86 platforms running Windows NT 4.0 builds 1381 and higher.


Known Restrictions and Limitations

1.	When you undelete a file, you must first specify the filename and directory path before finding the deleted files.  Wildcard statements (such as * and ?) are supported for specifying the filename.

2.	On NTFS partitions, only Small and Large file types are eligible for being undeleted directly from the disk.


Required Privileges

You must be a member of the Administrators group to install and operate Emergency Undelete.  This is necessary in order to conform to Windows NT file security.


Installing Emergency Undelete

The Emergency Undelete installation procedure creates a program group for Emergency Undelete and makes additions to the system registry.  The procedure writes a minimum amount of information (fewer than 8 KB) to the hard drive on your computer.   This lessens the chances that information written to the disk during the installation will overwrite the file or files you want to recover, and improves the chances for full recovery of accidentally-deleted files.

To install Emergency Undelete, follow these steps while logged on to an account that is a member of the Administrators Group:

1.	Insert the Undelete CD-ROM into the appropriate drive on your computer.

2.	The Windows NT 4.0 AutoPlay feature automatically determines the computer platform you are using and displays a dialog box listing several installation choices.  From this dialog box, you can install Emergency Undelete, or you can also install the Undelete Server or Workstation version (depending on the version you have purchased).  Click the appropriate button to install Emergency Undelete.  If you have disabled the AutoPlay feature, perform these steps:

a)	From the Windows NT Explorer, expand the directory folders on the Undelete CD-ROM.  You will see directory folders for these platforms:

X86 — for the Intel PC platform (or its equivalent)

Alpha — for the Digital Alpha platform

b)	Double click SETUP.EXE in the directory folder representing your computer platform.  This causes a dialog box to be displayed, listing the installation choices.

c)	Click the appropriate button to install the product of your choice.

3.	Read the information displayed in the installation dialog boxes and click Next as appropriate.

4.	After a short period of configuring the local machine, the installation is complete.


Running Emergency Undelete

The operation of Emergency Undelete is essentially the same as running the Undelete From Disk feature from either the Undelete Server or Workstation version.  Of course, you must have the Undelete CD-ROM in the appropriate drive on your computer while running Emergency Undelete.

This example shows the typical Undelete feature interface.  Click on the different areas of the display shown below for information about that section of the interface.


Uninstalling Emergency Undelete

Follow these steps to remove Emergency Undelete from your computer:

1.	From Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.

2.	Click the Install/Uninstall tab.

3.	Highlight "Emergency Undelete".

4.	Click Add/Remove.  This removes the Emergency Undelete program group and registry entries from your computer.


Getting Started

Follow these steps to recover a file with Emergency Undelete:

1.	Enter the name of the file you want to undelete in the Named: field of the Emergency Undelete display.  You can use wildcard characters (such as *.doc or *.*) if you don't recall the name of the file.

2.	Enter the letter of the drive you want to search in the Look in: field of the Undelete display.  You can optionally enter a directory folder name (such as D:\My Documents).  Use the Browse button to see the drives and folders on your computer.

3.	Click Find Deleted Files.  This starts the search for deleted files.

4.	Once the search is complete, highlight the name of the file (or files) you want to undelete.

5.	Click Undelete File(s).  This causes a new dialog box to be displayed.

6.	Enter the drive letter and directory folder name of the location where you want the undeleted file to be written in the Undelete file(s) to path: field.  If you have more than one disk partition, be sure to specify a partition other than the one where the file was originally located.  This prevents the new, recovered file from overwriting portions of the old, deleted file.

7.	Click OK.  The file(s) you have selected will be recovered if possible, and written to the location you have specified.


Where Do I Go From Here?

After you have recovered a file with the Emergency Undelete feature, you will see the benefits of being able to save an otherwise lost file.  You've saved yourself time, effort, money, and quite possibly your job!

This is a great time to install Undelete for Windows NT, Executive Software's complete file recovery system.  It's The Only Name in Instant File Recovery™.  This leading-edge solution provides a two-layer file recovery "safety net" unlike any other.

Click here for more information about Undelete for Windows NT.


Frequently Asked Questions about Emergency Undelete

Executive Software maintains an up-to-date list of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) on their Web site.  This list is updated as often as necessary to ensure most common questions are answered.  Quite often, you can find answers to your questions and solutions to any problems you may have regarding Emergency Undelete by checking the Executive Software Web site.

Click this button to access the Undelete FAQs Web site, which includes information about Emergency Undelete:

  —  www.execsoft.com/undelete

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NTFS File Types

In the NTFS file system, four file types exist.  Small files are contained entirely within a single record in the Master File Table (MFT).  Large files are stored elsewhere on the disk, but the index information pertaining to the file, including the locations of the various fragments of the file, is contained within a single record in the MFT.  Huge files are similar to Large files, but they have enough additional file record information (such as additional file security information, or a large number of file fragment locations) to require two or more file records within the MFT.  Extremely Huge files are files that contain so much additional file information (again, either file security information or the locations of a very large number of file fragments) that more than two file records are necessary within the MFT, plus space on the disk outside the MFT is used for storing additional file record information.