finaldata

FAQ

Q. Can FinalData recover a hard disk that the computer does not recognize?

A. First, check if the hard disk is physically damaged. If the hard disk is not recognized in CMOS
Setup or FDISK, it is physically damaged and you have to have the hard disk repaired by the
manufacturer. In case the hard disk is not bootable or MBR and FAT are damaged, you can
recover the hard disk as follows. Connect the problem hard drive with the data that you want to
recover as a slave to a computer with Windows and FinalData installed. Run FinalData. Click Open
from the File menu and select Physical drive. The original partition will be found and the data will
be recovered. If the original partition is not found, select Find Format and the original format will
be found and recovered.

Q. Can FinalData recover the data of a formatted hard disk?

A. Yes, it can. FinalData can recover data deleted by formatting with the exception of low level
formats. While general formatting and quick formatting deletes only the data information, low
level formatting deletes all data areas and causes the same result as an overwrite. In the past,
when the technology for hard disk storage was not as developed and the surface of the disk was
easily worn away. The hard disk users performed low level formatting for frequent reading errors.
But low level formatting shortened the life of the hard disk by physically drawing a line on the
disk surface. Current hard disks rarely require such low level formatting. Now a special utility
must be used in order to do a low level format. (Floppy disks can be recovered only after a
quick format).

Q. Can FinalData recover files from a hard disk infected by the Worm Virus?

A. Yes. All FinalData versions except the Standard Basic and Standard Version can recover data destroyed by the Worm Virus, which is notorious for its destructive power, as well as data
destroyed by the CIH Virus. The category called Lost files performs this function. The Worm Virus destroys all directory information such as the FAT, the file information, extension, and the file
size. The only thing left is the actual data. FinalData has researched and developed a method in
order to recover lost data caused by Worm, CIH or the Explorer.Zip Virus (which everyone else
gave up on). The next best solution is a program that runs in DOS, which takes a considerable
amount of time to complete and cures for the Worm virus alone...and it sells for $399.

Q. I deleted a file and cleared the Recycle Bin. Do I have to search the disk with FinalData?

A. No. FinalData has two excellent functions: Undelete and Data Recovery. If you just clear the
Recycle Bin, which corresponds to Undelete, FAT information still remains and you don't have to
scan the data area. As soon as you select the drive where the file exists, cancel the disk scan.
The file will be recovered in the directory where you deleted the file. For your safety, save the file
in a different drive, and you will be able to use the file immediately.

Q. Should I buy FinalData only after my hard disk has problems?

A. No. You should install FinalData when the hard drive is running properly before any accidents happen. This way FinalData can be utilized to recover damaged files caused by clearing the
Recycle Bin. If you install FinalData after files are destroyed, the lost files are often overwritten.
That is why it is beneficial to install FinalData in advance. The boot diskette for Windows only
provides assistance for booting a system...it recovers nothing. If your computer is not bootable,
boot it by using the hard drive with FinalData and Windows installed as a Master and attach the
unbootable hard drive as a Slave.

Q. I deleted an Excel file by mistake. Can I recover it?

A. FinalData can recover most Microsoft files (Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word). All Microsoft
products have the same file format. Perform the disk scan with FinalData Enterprise Version and
look for lost file items with the .doc directory. The extensions of the files in the directory are
all .doc. First save the files and select Properties for each file in Windows Explorer in order to
check if it is an Excel file or PowerPoint file. Change the file extensions appropriately
(.xls or .ppt, .doc) and open the file. If the file is opened but broken, use Microsoft viewer.

Q. Can FinalData recover an unrecognizable floppy disk?

A. When you run FinalData and access a floppy disk, if you get a message, "Sector 0 is not
read", the floppy disk is physically damaged and you have to contact the manufacturer for further
assistance. If you get a message, "Sector 2880 is not read", you have to update the file. Old
versions of FinalData give this message and all you have to do is replace FinalData.exe. Please
inquire with FinalData Inc.

If you do a general format on a floppy disk and the disk cannot be recovered, that is because
the format type is different, depending on each format program. Generally, the basic format
program in DOS or Windows (used in the USA and Korea) does not delete the actual data. But
the Japanese version of the Windows formatting program or other formatting programs can
delete the actual data in a general format and the data cannot be recovered. For your reference,
beginners tend to save files in the root directory. But if you make a new directory and save the
files in that directory, the rate of recovery increases when there are critical problems.

Q. Does FinalData support a hard disk with large capacity (More than 8.4 GB)?

A. Yes. It takes about 25 minutes to scan a 8 GB hard drive. If it takes more time, the hard drive
is not recognized in the CMOS Setup and is set up for Automatic recognition. FinalData can
operate in Automatic recognition, but it is recommended to recognize the disk manually to save
time.

Q. How long will it take to recover data in Windows environment?

A. It depends on the capacity of the disk, the CPU of the computer where FinalData in installed
and the quality and quantity of the recoverable contents. But usually the required time is similar.

- Data recovery for clearing the Recycle Bin: Only a few seconds (If you remember where the file
was, the file can be recovered immediately.)

- Data recovery after FAT initialization by quick format (For AMD-K6-2 300MHz as CPU)

- Floppy Disk (1.44MB): About one minute

- Hard Disk (1GB / about 10% of the empty capacity): About five minutes

Q. The recovered files sometimes have # as the first letter of their names. Why?

The file name recording system is a bit complex in the Windows environment. First if the file
name has more than 8 letters or or if letter case are mixed (upper and lower case), Windows
saves two types of information. One is a short file name for DOS and the other is a long file
name for Windows. If the file name has less than 8 letters and comprises only of one letter case
(upper or lower case), Windows only saves the short file name information for DOS. In the first
situation, the first letter of the file name can be recovered, but in the latter situation, there is no
information on the first letter of the file name and # is given to the file name as the first letter.