file recovery

Retrieval of a deleted or damaged computer file. Modern operating systems do not automatically eradicate a deleted file but prompt for the user's confirmation. Files so deleted may still be recoverable by some utility programs if the space occupied by the deleted file has not been occupied (overwritten) by another file. A damaged file can only be recovered if its data is not corrupted beyond a minimal degree. Recovery of data where the media itself has been damaged requires highly specialized equipment and techniques offered exclusively by data recovery service firms. File recovery is different from file restoration where a backup file stored in a compressed (encoded) form is restored to its usable (decoded) form.