PC Tools File Recover 8 is a fast and effective undelete tool that will help you quickly locate and restore accidentally deleted files (though please note, this demo version allows you to preview deleted files only, not recover them).
The program is easy to use. Just tell it where to look for your deleted files, if you know where they were stored, and choose your file type. (There's support for many more formats in this latest version: video, music and graphic file types, databases, email containers, archives, and a host of documents.)
You can also filter by file size and name, which helps keep the final list of matches down to a manageable size. Then one click on the Scan button, and File Recover goes to work, scouring your hard drive for deleted files.
PC Tools say this version is significantly faster than its predecessors, and sure enough we didn't have long to wait before the program returned with its report.
This splits the recovered files into their various file types, so if you're looking for digital photos, say, just click the "JPG Image" section and scroll the list of files. They're sorted into alphabetical order, and have thumbnail previews available, which makes it easy to find the ones you need.
And once you've purchased a licence for the program, you're able to click Recover and bring back your selected files from the dead. Until then, you can only confirm they're still available and probably recoverable, unfortunately: clicking the Recover button on the trial version will only demand that you "Register now".
