Getting started - couple questions

Recuva
1

I just installed the paid version of Recuva (the $24.95 one). I'm using the wizard to get going and have selected "Other" on the File Types page because I want to recover pictures, documents and compressed files. Am I doing it right to check "Other" ?

The next step is asking me if I want to create a drive image. I think I sort of understand the imaging thing (vaguely) but it's saying it will create an image of any non-system drive. Is the C drive a non-system drive?

It also says I need enough space on another drive to hold the entire drive I'm imaging. From the drop-down I have three choices -

Dell USB Portable (E:) (this is a 1T drive)

WINRETOOLS (W:)

PBR Image (X:)

If I select the E drive, the default path is X:\disk_image.vhd and I get this message:

Available disk space on a hard drive: 283 MB

Required disk space on a hard drive: 953,868 MB

If I select the W drive, the default path is the same and I get this message:

Available disk space on a hard drive: 283 MB

Required disk space on a hard drive: 501 MB

If I select the X drive, the default path is the same and I get this message:

Available disk space on a hard drive: 283 MB

Required disk space on a hard drive: 13,449 MB

The laptop I'm on is less than a week old (I know, crazy that I'm already having to fix my mistakes!) and has a 1T hard drive and the E drive is a portable 1T drive, so I"m confused and stuck.

Anyone have any ideas?

2

Where did you download Recuva from?

Unless something has changed in the last day, Recuva does not offer to make a system image for you.

What it does suggest is that any images your recover should be recovered to another drive than the one you are using. Could it be that you misunderstood that?

Have you had a read of the docs here?

http://www.piriform.com/docs/recuva

3

I downloaded from Piriform.I tried to post what the window looks like but the image wouldn't stick. I decided to get a little creative so here's a link to the image - I pinned it to Pinterest. http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/upload/220746819207213862_ogj4yuEM.jpg

Maybe it's a Win8 thing, because I Recuva and started running on Win7, also using the wizard, and didn't get the same screens. I read the docs but they don't appear to cover this part of the wizard.

4

I have not used Recuva on Win 8 yet.

I do have a Win 8 machine and have used the Windows built-in image maker on it.

It is sad that Piriform has not included any info about this.

I will see what I can find out.

5

JH, as you have a support contract with Piriform you should really be talking to them. We are not authorised to offer support to Piriform customers. In any event with Win8 I think we are scratching in the dark.

6

It mentions imaging in the release notes. I didn't see anything in the documentation about how and when to use this feature, or precisely what it does.

Release notes

v1.44.778 (22 Nov 2012)

- Improved recovery for files larger than 1 GB.

- Faster scrolling when >1 million files in the file list.

- Improved Outlook Express data file recovery.

- Added Recover menu option to the Recycle Bin.

- Added support for mini-SD cards.

- Added VHD drive image creation. (Pro Version)

- exFAT drive labels are now correctly detected.

- Improved support for files with Alternate Data Streams.

- Added support for USB drives mounted as the A: drive.

- Added Indonesian and Serbian Latin languages.

- Minor GUI improvements.

7

I think I'll try running without the imaging. Since it's a new machine, it's only a couple files I deleted by accident.

Thanks for all the help. :)