File recovery for all needs
It's something that's happened to everyone. In a brief lapse we've responded to yet another Windows question and sent important files into oblivion. At other times, it's simply not our fault. Software crashes, hardware fails and some CDs/DVDs can have lives shorter than a housefly. It is possible to recover files from these diasters, but you have to act quickly. For hard drives and memory cards, don't write any more files to the media until you can run a recovery program.

If the problem is with a CD or DVD, keep it in a cool, dark place since heat and sunlight can accelerate data loss. Some times a CD can work in another drive without problem, or a gentle clean with a proper CD cleaning kit may dislodge dirty and grit. Also try the local video store - many have CD/DVD polishing systems that can bring back life to a scratched disc.

To get back your lost files, you'll need a recovery tool. These three programs are free and will work for most types of media:

CDCheck 3 (CDs and DVDs)

File Recovery 3 (Hard drives and some types of removable devices/drives)

Smart Recovery 4.5 (most Memory cards, USB drives/keys and removeable media).

All three programs are free for personal use and the links above have more details about each. Keep them handy for when disaster strikes.