How to Recover Deleted Files and Access Unsupported File Systems
Follow this step-by-step guide to recover deleted files with Hetman Uneraser, browse supported file systems even when your operating system cannot open them natively, and access logical volumes, pools, snapshots, and nested storage structures contained on a single physical disk.
Download and install the software and test it for free: scan the storage through its convenient graphical interface, browse the detected files and folders, and preview supported files before purchasing a license to verify that the data you need can be recovered.
Select the Storage Device or Volume
Before starting recovery, avoid writing new data to the storage device that contains the deleted files. Do not download or install Hetman Uneraser onto the affected disk, and do not save recovered files back to the same storage. New data may overwrite deleted file content and reduce the chances of successful recovery.
Launch Hetman Uneraser and select the physical disk, logical volume, USB drive, memory card, disk image, or supported storage structure that contains the deleted files. The software detects supported file systems directly, so you can browse volumes even when the operating system cannot open them natively.
Select a Disk, Volume, or Storage Device
Hetman Uneraser displays available physical disks, logical volumes, removable devices, and supported storage structures in the main window. Select the location where the deleted files were stored to begin working with it.
For an existing and readable file system, the program can use Fast Scan to analyze the current file-system metadata and locate both existing and deleted files and folders. Deleted items are marked in the interface so they can be distinguished from files that are still present on the volume.
USB Drives and Memory Cards
Connect a USB flash drive directly to the computer. For SD, microSD, CompactFlash, and other memory cards, use a built-in or external card reader. Once the device is recognized, Hetman Uneraser displays it together with the other available storage devices, and you can select it for analysis in the same way as a hard disk or logical volume.
Access Unsupported File Systems and Storage Structures
Hetman Uneraser reads supported file systems directly and does not depend on whether Windows, Linux, or macOS can mount them natively. This lets you access files on a disk created or used by another operating system without converting or modifying its file system.
The program can also navigate supported logical storage structures contained on a single physical disk, including LVM volumes, thick and thin pools, snapshots, and nested storage layouts. Once detected, these structures appear in the storage tree and can be opened like ordinary volumes.
If the required storage spans several physical disks, such as a multi-disk RAID, LVM, Btrfs, or ZFS configuration, use Hetman RAID Recovery instead. If the partition itself was deleted, formatted, became RAW, or its file system is seriously damaged, use Hetman Partition Recovery.
Work With a Disk Image
When possible, you can work with a disk image instead of repeatedly accessing the original storage device. A disk image stores a sector-by-sector copy of the source and lets you perform subsequent analysis without modifying the original data.
To create an image, select the required disk or volume and use “Service” – “Save disk”. Choose a destination on another storage device with enough free space and configure the available image options before starting the process.
To analyze an existing image, use “Service” – “Mount disk” and select the image file. Hetman Uneraser adds the mounted image to the storage tree, where you can browse and scan it in the same way as a physical disk or logical volume.
Find and Preview Recoverable Files
After selecting the storage, browse the results of the Fast Scan to find deleted files and folders. Use the built-in preview to check supported files before recovery, and run Content-Aware Analysis when the required files can no longer be found through the file-system metadata.
Browse Fast Scan Results
Hetman Uneraser uses Fast Scan to read the existing file-system metadata and reconstruct the available folder structure. Browse the detected folders just as you would in a file manager. Existing and deleted files are displayed together, while deleted items are marked in the interface so you can identify them quickly.
Check the “$Lost and Found” Folder
Some deleted files can still be found from file-system metadata even when their original folder or location can no longer be reconstructed reliably. Hetman Uneraser places such items in the “$Lost and Found” folder. If a file is missing from its original directory, check this folder before moving on to Content-Aware Analysis.
Search for Files by Their Signatures
If the required files are no longer referenced by the file system, open the “$Content-Aware Analysis” folder. Hetman Uneraser searches the storage content for characteristic signatures of supported file types instead of relying only on file-system records.
Signature-based recovery can find files whose metadata has been lost, but the original file name, folder path, timestamps, and other file-system information may no longer be available. Such files are therefore organized according to the information that can still be identified from their contents.
Preview Files Before Recovery
Select a detected file to view its contents in the built-in preview. Hetman Uneraser supports previewing many common file types, including photos, documents, spreadsheets, archives, audio, and video files, without requiring the applications that originally created them.
Previewing a file is one of the best ways to evaluate its condition before saving it. The preview is also available in the free evaluation version, so you can scan the storage and verify that the required files can be found and opened before purchasing a license.
Add Files From Different Folders to the Recovery List
You do not need to recover files one folder at a time. Add individual files or entire folders from different locations to the “Recovery List” by dragging and dropping them into the panel. After you have selected everything you need, click the “Recovery” button on the toolbar to proceed to saving the files.
Save the Scan Results and Continue Later
If you need to interrupt your work, save the current analysis information so that you do not have to scan the same storage again. Use “Save Analysis Information” and store the analysis data in a *.dai file on another disk.
To continue later, open Hetman Uneraser, choose “Load Analysis Information”, and select the saved *.dai file. The previously detected files and folders will become available again, and you can continue selecting and recovering data.
Search and Select Files to Recover
Use search, filters, and sorting to quickly locate the deleted files you need among the scan results. Search by file name and attributes, hide existing files when necessary, preview the results, and select individual files or folders for recovery.
When you have selected the required files and folders, click “Recovery” to continue to the saving wizard. You can scan the storage, search the results, and preview supported files in the free evaluation version. A license is required only to save the recovered data. If you purchase or change a license after scanning, simply enter the registration key and continue working with the existing results — there is no need to restart the program or analyze the storage again.
Search for Deleted Files
Use “Edit” – “Search” to find files among the detected data. You can search by file name and narrow the results using available attributes such as file size, creation date, modification date, and last access date. This is especially useful when the original folder contains a large number of files.
Filter Deleted and Existing Files
Hetman Uneraser may display both existing and deleted files found on the selected volume. Use “View” – “Filter” to control which items are shown. Hiding existing files can make it much easier to focus on deleted data when browsing a large directory or storage device.
Sort the Recovery Results
Files are arranged by name by default. To change the order, right-click in the file list and select the required sorting option. Sorting by available file properties can help you group similar items and locate the required files more quickly.
Select Files and Folders to Recover
Select individual files, multiple items, or entire folders that you want to restore. You can use the built-in preview again before adding a file to the recovery process to verify that it contains the data you need.
Files located in different folders can be collected in the “Recovery List”. When your selection is complete, click “Recovery” on the toolbar to proceed to the next step and choose where the recovered files should be saved.
Save Recovered Files to a Safe Location
Choose how and where to save the recovered files. For safe recovery, use a different physical storage device or a remote location so that saving the recovered data cannot overwrite deleted files that may still remain on the source disk.
For example, if you are recovering files from an internal HDD or SSD, save them to another physical disk, an external USB drive, a ZIP archive located on another device, or a remote FTP server. A different drive letter is not necessarily safe if both partitions are located on the same physical disk.
Save Files to Another Disk or Folder
Saving recovered files to a folder is the simplest option. Select a destination located on another physical disk, external drive, USB storage device, or other safe storage with enough free space for the recovered data.
Hetman Uneraser can preserve the original folder structure and available file-system metadata when saving recovered files. For NTFS volumes, the program can also preserve alternate data streams when this information is available. Additional options let you control how unknown characters in file names are replaced.
Save Recovered Files to a ZIP Archive
Hetman Uneraser can save the selected recovered files directly to a ZIP archive. Specify the archive file name and destination, and choose whether to restore the original folder structure and replace unsupported or unknown characters in file names.
Choose the required compression method: Store saves files without compression, while Fast, Normal, and Best provide different balances between compression speed and archive size.
For large recovery jobs, the archive can be split into multiple volumes of a specified size. You can also enable password protection to protect the recovered files stored inside the ZIP archive. Save the archive to a different physical storage device from the one being recovered.
Upload Recovered Files to an FTP Server
A remote FTP server can be used as the destination when you do not want to store recovered data on a local disk. Specify the server address, port, login credentials, and the required active or passive transfer mode. FTP proxy settings are also available when required.
As with local recovery, you can choose whether to preserve the original directory structure. Saving files to a remote server also avoids writing recovered data back to the affected storage device.
Quick Start
Watch this short video to see how Hetman Uneraser recovers files deleted from the Windows Recycle Bin or removed with Shift + Delete. The video demonstrates the basic recovery workflow: selecting the storage device, finding deleted files, previewing the results, and saving the required data to a safe location.
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Can I recover deleted files from a file system that my operating system cannot open?
Yes. Hetman Uneraser reads supported file systems directly and does not rely on the operating system to mount them.
This means you can access supported Windows, Linux, and macOS file systems even when the operating system you are currently using cannot open them natively. Select the detected volume in Hetman Uneraser and scan it for deleted files.
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What is the difference between Fast Scan and Content-Aware Analysis?
Fast Scan uses the existing file-system metadata to locate existing and deleted files and folders. When this metadata is still available, the program can preserve original file names, folder paths, timestamps, and other file-system information.
Content-Aware Analysis searches the storage for characteristic signatures of supported file types when the required files can no longer be found through file-system metadata.
Files found by their signatures may no longer have their original names, folder paths, timestamps, or other file-system metadata.
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Can Hetman Uneraser access LVM volumes, thin pools, snapshots, and nested storage structures?
Yes, when the required storage structures are contained on a single physical disk.
Hetman Uneraser can detect and navigate supported logical storage structures, including:
- LVM volumes;
- thick and thin pools;
- snapshots;
- nested storage structures.
Detected structures appear in the storage tree and can be opened and analyzed like ordinary volumes.
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What should I use if the storage spans several physical disks?
If the required storage configuration spans several physical disks, use Hetman RAID Recovery. This applies to multi-disk RAID arrays and multi-device LVM, Btrfs, ZFS, and other supported storage configurations.
Hetman Uneraser is intended for supported file systems and storage structures that can be accessed through a single physical disk.
If the partition itself was deleted or formatted, became RAW or inaccessible, or its file system is seriously damaged, use Hetman Partition Recovery instead.
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Can I check whether my deleted files are recoverable before purchasing a license?
Yes. You can download and test Hetman Uneraser for free before purchasing a license.
The evaluation version lets you:
- scan the storage device;
- browse detected files and folders;
- search and filter the recovery results;
- preview supported files before recovery.
The built-in preview helps you verify that the required files were found and evaluate their condition. A license is required to save the recovered files.
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Where should I save recovered files?
Always save recovered files to a different physical storage device or to a remote location.
Do not save recovered data back to the storage device you are recovering from. Writing new data to the source may overwrite deleted file content that has not yet been recovered.
A different drive letter is not necessarily safe. For example, drives C: and D: may be separate partitions located on the same physical disk.
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Can I recover deleted files from a disk image instead of the original drive?
Yes. Hetman Uneraser can mount a supported disk image and add it to the storage tree.
After mounting the image, you can browse and scan it in the same way as a physical disk or logical volume. This lets you search for deleted files and preview recoverable data without repeatedly accessing the original storage device.
Working with a disk image is especially useful when you want to perform further analysis on a copy of the source data.