FIX FILE-MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS
Retrieve deleted files Paid-for option to avoid
Usually this is simply a case of dragging them out of the Recycle Bin and they’re good to go. But what if you’ve recently emptied your bin? You might think the files are gone for good, but that’s not necessarily the case.
You can use a data-recovery specialist, but they tend to be expensive (services local to us quoted between £60 and £150). Paid-for recovery software lets you try to retrieve the data yourself, but it’s not cheap. Acronis Revive 2019, for example, costs £35 ( www.snipca.com/30221).
Free fix
Wait until disaster strikes before doing anything, and it can be too late. Free software such as Recuva ( www.ccleaner. com/recuva) may be able to restore some of your deleted files, but there’s no guarantee. Even Recuva admits it “won’t work all the time” - success ultimately depends on whether the deleted data has been overwritten.
Instead, use Windows’ File History backup tool to protect yourself against accidental loss of files. First, connect an external hard drive to your PC, then go to Settings, click ‘Update & Security’, followed by Backup. Click ‘Add a drive’, select your external hard drive, then click ‘More options’. By default File History backs up your all your library folders (Documents, Pictures and Desktop folders), but you can add more by clicking ‘Add a folder’. Should you delete anything from your built-in hard drive, you can now retrieve it from your external hard drive.
Windows File History then checks for changes every hour and copies across anything new, which it stores indefinitely – or at least until the drive is full. You can change these defaults by clicking in the ‘More options’ section, as above.
Play old video and audio files that won’t open Paid-for option to avoid
It’s not uncommon to find old video or audio files no longer play on your PC. For example, when going back through archived emails you may come across some attached in old file formats, such as old songs or video clips from a family birthday party.
It’s not difficult to find someone who will convert them to a new format: check newsagents’ windows, supermarket notice boards, your local library or newspaper. What they do is relatively straightforward, but they often charge a premium. Similarly, there’s plenty of paid-for software that wants to do the job for you (such as AVS Video Converter, which costs £46 for a lifetime licence www.snipca.com/30276).
Free fix
Download VLC Media Player for free from www.snipca.com/30231, which plays almost anything. With support covering formats like Realvideo 1 (22 years old) and MOD (32 years old), the chances of it not being able to unlock your rediscovered home movie or audio file are slim.
Even better, VLC can play DVDS, so if your PC still has a DVD drive and you’re lamenting the removal of the DVD player from Windows 10, this could be just what you were looking for.
Delete stubborn files Paid-for option to avoid
So you’re trying to delete a file, but Windows is refusing to do so, insisting that it’s locked. Windows locks files if it thinks they’re in use - deleting them could cause programs using them to crash. However, if you switch off your PC without shutting Windows down, or a program closes unexpectedly, the files might never be marked as out of use, and therefore you’d be unable to delete them.
A PC technician will be able to reset the permissions on these files so that they can be deleted – and charge you for the pleasure (expect to pay at least £40 for a home visit from a repair company).
Free fix
Download and install the free Lockhunter ( www.lockhunter.com), then right-click the locked file and select ‘What is locking this file?’. Lockhunter will identify which program or process is using it and give you options to unlock it or delete it. For more advanced options click Other, then select an action, such as ‘Unlock & Rename’ (see screenshot below left). You can also choose to delete the file when you next restart your PC, which would avoid any problems caused by deleting it when it’s being used.
Transfer multiple files to a new PC Paid-for option to avoid
You’ve bought a new PC and have been putting off the tiresome task of transferring years of documents, photos, emails and more from your old PC. Microsoft used to provide Windows Easy Transfer to manage this, but now suggests you use Laplink Express ( www.snipca. com/30234), which costs £10.95.
Free fix
Iobit Pctransfer ( www.snipca.com/ 30235) simplifies the task of transferring your files between machines by allowing you to select them according to type – emails, videos, desktop files and so on – and copy them en masse to an external device, which can then be plugged in to your new machine.
Easeus Todo Pctrans ( www.snipca. com/30233) approaches the problem from a different angle: install it on both machines and it will transfer your data across your home network. It also migrates up to two programs to your new PC before you need to pay £40 for the Pro version.
Free space on your hard drive Paid-for option to avoid
A fit-to-burst hard drive not only means you’ve run out of space for programs and files – it also means Windows can’t work efficiently. We advise you keep at least 10 per cent of a computer’s primary drive free for Windows (and other programs) to use when creating temporary files. Removing (or moving) programs is one of the best ways to free up space.
Avast Cleanup (£40 from www.snipca. com/30228) and similar applications remove not only the program’s executable file, but also any associated files elsewhere on your drive that are frequently left behind when you just delete an app from the Program Files folder.