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HP Recommended

How do you recover files after factory reset on HP laptop?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

A factory reset does a REFORMAT of the drive and while that hides the files from Windows, it does not actually remove them.  Problem is, though, that it marks the filespace as all reusable, so the files will get overwritten over time.

 

You need a Data Recovery application that knows how to read hidden folder and file names.  The best I have used is GetDataBack from Runtime Software.  It used to cost around $50, but I bought it long ago and don't know what it costs now.

 

You have to retrieve the files and write them to some other drive, like a large capacity USB stick, as the recovery app can't write to the same drive from which it is doing the recovery.



I am a volunteer and I do not work for, nor represent, HP

View solution in original post

2 REPLIES 2
HP Recommended

A factory reset does a REFORMAT of the drive and while that hides the files from Windows, it does not actually remove them.  Problem is, though, that it marks the filespace as all reusable, so the files will get overwritten over time.

 

You need a Data Recovery application that knows how to read hidden folder and file names.  The best I have used is GetDataBack from Runtime Software.  It used to cost around $50, but I bought it long ago and don't know what it costs now.

 

You have to retrieve the files and write them to some other drive, like a large capacity USB stick, as the recovery app can't write to the same drive from which it is doing the recovery.



I am a volunteer and I do not work for, nor represent, HP
HP Recommended

Thank you very much for your response.

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