Aside from the two conditions previously mentioned, files could also get lost because of a virus or Trojan infection, software failure, or system shutdown. When any of these instances happen, computer users are faced with the dilemma of recovering files that may be important to them. Some computer users recreate their data, but this process may be time-consuming, arduous, and sometimes, futile. Others choose to use data recovery service. Aside from being costly, this option may also be disadvantageous for users since some of these companies do not use non-destructive methods.

Fortunately, various data recovery software applications are widely available online. Data recovery is defined as the process of extracting or obtaining data from failed, damaged, inaccessible, or corrupted primary storage media that could not be normally accessed. Data recovery is also a process that is used to retrieve and secure deleted information for forensic purposes or spying. Usually, data from such storage media formats like storage tapes, CDs, DVDs, hard disks, and other electronic formats, are most often salvaged during the data recovery process.

Data may become lost due to physical or logical damage. Physical damage to a storage data may result from mechanical failures like head crashes and failed motors or from a scratched dye layer or metallic substrate. Usually, physical damage cannot be repaired by computer end users simply because they do not have the technical expertise to do so. In such cases, the services of data recovery companies are consulted. Unfortunately, these consultations do not come cheap.

On the other hand, logical damage is mainly due to power outages which prevent or stop file system structures from being fully or completely written to the medium. Hardware and driver problems may also cause the same. Effects of logical damage may include system crashes, actual data loss, negative amounts of free spaces in hard drives, and inconsistent directories. To reduce incidence of logical damage, regular system maintenance should be done with a consistency checker to protect the file system software from bugs and to stop latent incompatibilities in the storage hardware design.

Multiple techniques may be used to recover data due to physically damaged hardware. Specialized disk imaging may be done to recover all readable bits from a storage media surface. Once the image is acquired, it still needs to be checked for logical damage. Logical data recovery, meanwhile, involves rebuilding of damaged files. Usually, physical damage repairs are subsequently subjected to logical reconstruction if some data are permanently lost. Various data recovery tools are available online. These share a common feature, which is their ability to recover data that may be lost either through physical or logical damage. These data recovery utilities may also have distinctive features, but it is up to the users to evaluate and choose which data recovery file search tool is the most ideal solution to his data loss dilemma.