RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2

If you want to recover files from Floppy Disk with bad Boot sector

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can supply the Boot sector for a floppy disk of standard type if the appropriate switch is specified. Standard types include 360 KB, 720 KB, 1.2 MB and 1.44 MB floppies.

With the appropriate switch specified, RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 lets you view the contents of and recover files from the floppy disk with bad Boot sector as if it were a perfectly usable floppy disk with a good Boot sector. WINDOWS 95/98 users, however, will have to work from True DOS. WINDOWS 3.xx users will have to exit WINDOWS and DOS boot their computers to work on floppies with bad Boot sector.

If one of the File Allocation Tables on your HDD / Floppy was partially damaged or erased or corrupt and the HDD / Floppy had never been defragmented.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 has user specifiable switches for using FAT copy 1 or FAT copy 2. If the other FAT copy is intact you can simply use it to recover files whether or not your HDD or Floppy had been defragmented.

If both of the File Allocation Tables on your HDD / Floppy were partially damaged or erased or corrupt and the HDD / Floppy had never been defragmented.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 has user specifiable switches for using FAT copy 1 or FAT copy 2. If some FAT sectors in FAT copy 1 were damaged and some other sectors in FAT copy 2 were damaged you can make the program use both FAT copies at the same time and recover your files. When neither FAT copy 1 nor FAT copy 2 can really help locate file contents, user can only try his / her luck by making RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 ignore the FAT's and recover files. But it must be remembered that the file contents must be in contiguous sectors for the program to recover any files. If files were copied to the HDD / Floppy when they were empty, the chances for recovering those files is much higher.

If the disk was never defragmented then RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can only save you hours of sector level data recovery chore. And depending on the error conditions user may have to recover a number of files working at the sector level using some other tool. If the disk was defragmented before files were copied to it then the chances for full recovery of files is much higher.

Corrupt FAT's are a big problem. If using FAT copy 1 or FAT copy 2 or the optimized use of them only gets junk for the file content, the only quick solution is using the -I switch to ignore the File Allocation Tables. If that too gets some junk as file content then the file's contents have to be searched manually. These problems would not have been there if the drive / disk involved had been defragmented before the error in FAT occurred.

Users of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 may note that it is more capable as a safeguards and recovery utility than as a recovery utility after complex disk error conditions have developed. And users may note further that the program relies on files and directories' contents being contiguous. If you want superpower you need to defrag your disks and have RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 in your hands.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk reduces your sector level data recovery chores to those files and subdirectories which could not be recovered by the program because of their fragmentation and FAT error both happening at the same time.

The one and only way to guard against damage to or corruption of the File Allocation Table is regular defragmentation of at least the important drives (partitions or disks) and getting a copy of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 and backing up some directories.

RECOVERING FILES WHEN SAFEGUARDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE:

You need RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 immediately if you want to do the impossible thing in the world, that is, recovering most of the files in the following 4 cases:

If your Hard Disk / Floppy Disk was accidentally reformatted but it had recently been defragmented and its Root Folder (Root Directory) had been backed up before the reformat

In a reformat (accidental or deliberate) of a HDD / Floppy its File Allocation Table and Root Folder (Root Directory) are lost. The reformat must not have been made using switch /U of FORMAT.COM. Or it may be of the quick format type. If so the reformat would not have erased anything except the File Allocation Table and Root Folder (Root Directory); files and subdirectories would still be there where they were before the reformat.

If a good defragmenter had been run regularly, all file and folder (directory) contents would be in contiguous sectors.
Start off with the backed-up Root Folder (Root Directory) which is in the form of a file by supplying it to RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 on command line. A backed-up Root Folder (Root Directory) has a name like this, "AROOT.DIR", "BROOT.DIR" or "CROOT.DIR", depending on which drive / disk it came from.
You can recover all files folder after folder (directory after directory) if adequate disk space is available. Or you can recover folders (directories) in the most important folder (directory) path; when you reach your most important folder (subdirectory), you can recover the files in it. File Allocation Tables have to be ignored (by specifying switch -I) in each invocation of the program.

A recovered Subfolder (Subdirectory) is saved as a file called a DirEntriesFile for the apparent reason that it contains the directory entries for files and lower level subdirectories. A recovered subfolder is named after the original folder and can have a long folder name if the original subfolder on disk had such a name.

If you need to recover everything on the drive, and if no other partition is free or large enough, you can get ready a disk drive with adequate disk space, install it as master drive, boot through it and recover files by working from folder to folder creating the same folder (directory) path on the destination (master) drive just by specifying destination folder names on command line. The run-time folder creation feature of the program helps you do this. A destination folder name is none other than the name of folder from which you want to recover files. As recovered folders are saved in their original names, one doesn't have to worry about remembering their original names. By the time you have recovered all files from all folders you would have built an identical copy of the slave drive on the master drive with same file and folder (directory) paths.

If you have accidentally run DELTREE on your HDD / Floppy but your HDD / Floppy had recently been defragmented

If Deltree is run on a HDD / Floppy its File Allocation Table is filled with zero's. To work without the File Allocation Table the disk must have been defragmented recently. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can just ignore the FAT's and get you your files from contiguous disk sectors.

Start off with recovering the Root Folder (Root Directory) using RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2. File Allocation Tables are not needed to recover the Root Folder (Root Directory). But boot sector must be intact and readable so that DOS can see the HDD / partition. The Root Folder (Root Directory) recovered and saved as a file known as a DirEntriesFile must be edited using a Hex Editor. Change the first byte of every file's name appearing as "E5" (without the quotes), the deleted entry marker, into the exact or some assumed character which has to be the first character of file name.

Pass this file to RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 specifying switch -I as well to completely ignore the File Allocation Tables. The program recovers all files and subfolders (subdirectories). Subfolders have to be to work on. This might be a tedious job but there is no other go. Get to your important files first. Work your way from folder to folder (directory to directory) until the important subfolder (subdirectory) is reached. Remember to ignore the File Allocation Tables all through the way.

If the File Allocation Tables of your HDD / Floppy were completely damaged or erased or corrupt but the HDD / Floppy had recently been defragmented

Recover Root Folder (Root Directory) first using RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2. File Allocation Tables are not needed to recover the Root Folder (Root Directory). But boot sector must be intact and readable so that DOS can see the HDD / partition. The recovered Root Folder is saved as a file. Supply this file to the program specifying switch -I as well to completely ignore the File Allocation Tables. The formula for recovering files when File Allocation Tables are lost is to recover any parent folder first before recovering files and subfolders in it. This way you have to work from folder to folder (directory to directory). Either you recover files folder after folder or you recover folders only until an important subfolder (subdirectory) is recovered and then recover files in it. You can copy the whole drive / disk folder after folder (directory after directory) to the free drive / partition / disk as explained under "If your Hard Disk / Floppy Disk was accidentally reformatted ..." above. Remember to ignore the completely damaged, erased or corrupt FAT copies all through the way.

If you want to recover files from HDD / Floppy with damaged Root Folder (Root Directory) / Subfolder (Subdirectory)

Identifying the error:

Suppose that we are investigating a floppy in drive A:.
If "DIR A:\" command causes INT 24H handler to display the following error message

Data error reading drive A
Abort, Retry, Fail?

(or)

Read fault error reading drive A
Abort, Retry, Fail?

you must hit F to see whatever the DIR command can display.

*** After some entries were listed, INT 24H handler may visit again displaying the same error message.

You may hit F again but the listing may terminate with this message:

Data error reading drive A
Abort, Retry, Fail?F
Fail on INT 24

(or)

Read fault error reading drive A
Abort, Retry, Fail?F
Fail on INT 24

Now you know that the Root Folder (Root Directory) on A: is having at least one bad sector.

There might be some variations depending on which folder (directory) sector got damaged. If not even a single file / folder got listed, it means that the very first sector of Root Folder / Root Directory got damaged.

Damage to the Root Folder (Root Directory) or any Subfolder (Subdirectory) is the worst thing that can happen to any one, particularly the Home PC user and the lone software developer even with Internet connection and all. If the folder (directory) involved is available outside from backup etc., then it is as much as nothing has happened if the drive / disk was recently defragmented and the folder (directory) backup was made after that. If a folder (directory) backup is not available, the good file and subfolder (subdirectory) entries, including the ones DOS or WINDOWS refused access to, can be obtained by recovering the damaged folder (directory) structure to a file using RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2. This file can be passed to the program for recovering files and subfolders (subdirectories) that didn't get trapped in damaged sectors.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 reduces your sector level data recovery chores to those files trapped in the damaged sector(s). If the subfolders (subdirectories) whose entries got trapped in the damaged sector(s) can be found and recovered by using a Folder (Directory) Finder, the subfolders thus recovered can be the starting point for recovering files and lower level subfolders in each of those folder paths.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 provides for safeguarding against damage to or corruption of Root Folder (Root Directory) or any Subfolder (Subdirectory ) by helping the user save an identical copy of them for later use when these folders get damaged.

You need RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 immediately if you think guarding against the following problems will be doing the impossible if what was backed up could not be restored because of surface damage to disk:

If you want to guard against accidental reformat of HDD or Floppy

To guard against accidental reformat of a HDD or a partition thereon or a Floppy you must do the following:

Defrag your HDD / partition you have valuable data in. Defrag the Floppy as well. You know, you have to defrag the Floppy if you store the Root Folder (Root Directory) of the Hard Disk on it.
Back up the Root Folder (Root Directory) and keep the backup in a safe place. Backing up any folder (directory), as for as RECOVER Fixed/Floopy Disk is concerned, means the copying of the raw file / folder entries in the folder (directory) and saving them as a file.

In an accidental reformat of a HDD / Floppy its File Allocation Table and Root Folder (Root Directory) are lost. The reformat had to be a simple one without using switch /U of FORMAT.COM. Or it must be of the quick format variety. If so the reformat would not have erased any file and files and subfolders (subdirectories) will still be available.

How RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk can help one in these circumstances?

Three things are necessary to help one recover all files after his / her disk was reformatted.

Contents of files and folders (directories) must be available in contiguous disk sectors. This would be so if the disk was recently defragmented.
Root Folder (Root Directory) must have been backed up before the reformat happened and must be available in the form of a file.
User must have the experience and patience to work from Root Folder (Root Directory) to subfolder (subdirectory) to lower level subfolders (subdirectories) until important files are reached.

To achieve the first, user must have regularly used a disk defragmenter and ensured that the contents of his / her files and folders (directories) are stored in contiguous disk sectors.

To make the Root Folder (Root Directory) available always, even if one on disk gets damaged, user should have used RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 or any other utility and saved or backed up an identical copy of the Root Folder (Root Directory). RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk helps the user save or backup an identical copy of the Root Folder or any subfolder as a file called a DirEntriesFile.

To get the experience to recover files / folders even long before the actual need arises, the user can run RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 on a good Hard Disk Drive or a Floppy Disk long before it develops even a single bad sector and get enough experience to face real disk error conditions.

Getting adequate training is as simple as this:

Regularly defrag.
Backup the root directory.
Run trial recovery of files and subfolders using backed up Root Folder (Root Directory). Working at individual folder (directory) level, get the experience to gain your way to the important subfolder (subdirectory) to recover the files in it. The benefit is, if you have regularly defragmented your drives, you can recover your files as last updated instead of getting it from a backup that is a week old. Programmers cannot afford to lose any part of their source code and so even getting their files from a backup made last evening would never satisfy them.

If you want to guard against loss of or damage to the File Allocation Table

If you don't want to depend on the File Allocation Table to locate and recover your files and folders (directories) you can do the following.

Regularly defrag.
Get RECOVERFixed/Floppy Disk v2.2. Run trial recovery of files and folders (directories) without using information in the File Allocation Tables, simply by specifying a switch. Working at individual folder (directory) level, get the experience to gain your way to other important lower level subfolders (subdirectories), ignoring FAT (without using FAT) all through the way, to recover the files in them.

If you want to guard against loss of or damage to the Root Directory

If you don't want to depend on the safety and availability of the Root Folder (Root Directory) you can do the following.

Backup the ROOT Folder. If you do it with RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2, you don't have to write it back to disk to recover anything. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 foresees a disk error condition where backed up Root Folder cannot be written to disk because of disk surface damage.
Regularly defragment your disks if you have the slightest doubt that the File Allocation Tables may not help one day.
Run trial recovery of files and directories using the backed up Root Folder. Working at individual folder level, get the experience to gain your way to the important subfolder to recover files in it. Or just recover everything folder after folder until the whole disk content is recovered.

If you want to guard against loss of or damage to any Subdirectory

If you don't want to depend on the safety and availability of a particular Subfolder (Subdirectory) you can do the following.

Backup the particular subfolder.
Regularly defrag your disks if you have the slightest doubt that the File Allocation Tables may not help one day.
Every time you defrag, back up the subdirectory again.
Run trial recovery of files and folders using the backed up subfolder. Working at individual folder level, get the experience to gain your way to important lower level subfolders in that path to recover files in them.

What RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 needs to run?

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is a DOS program. It requires the following to run.

MS-DOS 3.1 to MS-DOS 7.x, WINDOWS 3.xx, WINDOWS 95, WINDOWS 95-OSR2, WINDOWS 98 or WINDOWS 98SE.
16-bit or 12-bit FAT file system (FAT16 or FAT12). WINDOWS 95-OSR2 / WINDOWS 98 / WINDOWS 98SE users who have only FAT32 partitions can use this disk utility on floppies including floppies with bad Boot sector. Upto WINDOWS 95 it is always a FAT16 or FAT12 file system. It is still possible and easy to create a FAT16 file system on the HDD on WINDOWS 95-OSR2 / WINDOWS 98 / WINDOWS 98SE computers.
The boot sector of the affected Hard Disk Drive must be safe and DOS must be able to access the affected Hard Disk.
The Partition Tables must allow DOS to log into the particular partition.
If Root Folder (Root Directory) or a subfolder (subdirectory) on disk was completely lost, it must be available in the form of a file for RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 to look for file and folder entries in the file rather than on disk.

It must be noted that RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 requires, at the minimum, MS-DOS version 3.1 or its equivalent. Users of other operating systems like, DR-DOS, PC-DOS, and other DOS clones must first test if RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk 1.4 runs on their OS. Only if it runs well on their OS they may buy a copy of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2. Please test the FREEWARE version on your Operating System before buying your copy.

The current FREEWARE version of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk is v1.4 and it is available on Simtel (reachable through program's page).

What RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can do?

Capabilities of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2

Can help user recover files / folders (directories) ignoring FAT if user is certain that file / directory contents are contiguous.
Can supply Boot sector for floppy disks with bad Boot sector and recover files.
Can recover a file having up to 1000 fragments (the existence of more than a few fragments means the defragmenter was never run).
Can work under the assumption that nothing on disk got fragmented. This capability helps users to work on accidentally reformatted disks and to ignore corrupt FAT while recovering files which the user thinks were not fragmented. This feature works wonders for those who regularly defragment their file system.
Can automatically select for use the FAT copy with the least number of read errors to recover as many wholesome files as possible.
Can use FAT copy 1 or FAT copy 2 as user selects. This capability helps one force the use of a particular FAT copy depending on circumstances.
Can mix FAT copy 1 and FAT copy 2. The mix order is user specifiable. User can specify any FAT copy as the primary FAT copy for use and can specify the other FAT copy as the supplementary FAT copy. This capability helps users avoid working at the file level selecting different FAT copy for recovering different files. Once a combination of FAT switches that reduces the number of files listed with errors (when both FAT copies have bad sectors) is found, user can work at the files level and recover many files in one go.
Can help user recover or back up the Root Folder (Root Directory) as a file. The recovered Root Folder is named AROOT.DIR, BROOT.DIR, or CROOT.DIR depending on which drive you work on.
Can help user recover or back up any Subfolder (Subdirectory) as a file. A recovered subfolder is saved as a file in its own name. Long File Name format is used.
Can report how much each file / subfolder (subdirectory) in a folder (directory) is fragmented. File / folder location detail at the sector level can be obtained for upto 1000 fragments for each file / folder. (Folders never have so many fragments). Program can list linear starting and ending sector of each fragment for each file / subfolder in a folder.
Can help user recover only files with damaged FAT entry chains by specifying switch -R.
Can help user, in some cases of FAT corruption, recover only files having corrupt FAT entry chains by specifying switch -R. Detecting FAT corruption is the responsibility of user. But program works wonders if FAT has been erased completely with all entries zeroed out.
Can use folder (directory) entries supplied in the form of a file. These files called DirEntriesFiles might have been created by any program. A DirEntriesFile is a raw identical representation of the folder (directory) it represents. A DirEntriesFile created by RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 or an earlier version of it is recommended.
From RECOVER Fixe/Floppy Disk v2.2 (FREE to buyers of v2.0a), a file having damaged data sector(s) can also be recovered. That is, even if a file has some damaged data sectors, whatever can be recovered will be recovered (including damaged content which can be repaired later by using appropriate utilities).
Deleted files can be recovered if these files' contents are available and user saves their parent directory as a file, edits it using a hex editor and passes it to RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 to recover the files.
Can selectively recover a set of files whether or not program looks for files on disk or in a DirEntriesFile.

What RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 cannot do?

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2

Will not recover files if affected HDD or an affected partition thereon could not be seen by DOS because of damaged Boot sector or partition table. But recovering files from floppies with a bad (damaged) Boot sector is not a problem because a special switch (command line option) can make the program supply a good Boot Record to DOS making it think that the floppy is ok.
Will not recover original file content from disks with corrupt FAT unless file contents could be found in contiguous sectors and the superpower -I switch is specified. The superpower -I switch saves a lot of trouble to those who cared to defragment their file system; it works wonders for them.
Will not save or restore Boot Sector, Partition Tables. In other words, RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is very safe to use as it never does direct disk writes though it does direct disk reads.
Will not run on FAT32 (32-bit FAT) file systems. Please wait for the FAT32 version.
Will not save or restore the File Allocation Table. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 foresees a situation where backed up File Allocation Table could not be restored to disk because of physical damage to sector(s) reserved for FAT.
Will not write to or modify the File Allocation Table. Others cannot use this program to damage the File Allocation Table on your HDD / Floppy.
Will not write to folders (directories), that is, it will not modify the Root Folder (Root Directory) or any subfolder (subdirectory). Because RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 foresees a situation where backed up Root Folder (Root Directory) / Subfolder (Subdirectory) could not be restored to disk because of physical damage to sector(s) reserved for the folder. That is, a directory structure backed up using RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 or a raw directory structure extracted from any backup can be used for recovering files without ever having to write (restore) it (the directory structure) back to disk.
Unless file / folder contents could be found in 1 fragment involving a single series of sectors, program cannot recover the exact contents of file / folder when FAT is ignored or when FAT has errors. Ironically this is the main strength of the program; 100% recovery is ensured if each file's / folder's contents could be found in 1 fragment even when FAT copies could not be used because of their corruption or destruction. To ensure 100% recovery, the drive / disk must be one that was defragmented regularly.
To recover files and subfolders (subdirectories) trapped in damaged folder (directory) sector(s) (that is, damaged part of directory), the backed-up parent folder (directory) has to be supplied as a file on command line. If that is not available, with respect to subfolders (subdirectories), they must be searched, found and saved as files by using a Folder (Directory) Finder utility. Once this is done, by using these files, each file in each lost folder (directory) path can be recovered. With respect to files lost because of damage to parent directory sectors, the parent directory backup has to be compulsorily available to recover these files.
No one on earth can recover anything after HDD / partition / disk was formatted with FORMAT.COM using its /U switch or some other format utility in a like manner. "FORMAT.COM /U" erases all data on disk in addition to creating a new blank Root Folder and two copies of new blank File Allocation Table.
Will not recover file content from damaged data sector(s); but the file concerned will be recovered anyway; data recovered from damaged data sectors need to be repaired using approprate utility.

Purpose of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is mainly targeted at programmers who consider rewriting code starting with a backup created last night as hell of a job involving waste of time originally meant for writing more and more source code. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 explores the ways to recover lost files just as they were at the last minute before the error occurred. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 increases the possibility for recovering files to as high as 100% if adequate safeguards viz., inter alia, disk surface testing and defragmentation of files are made.

Users should not view this program as one for those who defragment their file systems regularly. If you regularly defragment your file systems and back up the Root Folder using RECOVER Fixe/Floppy Disk 2.2, you are in an enviable position to recover all files irrespective of file types (txt, bin, database, encrypted database, or anything) and irrespective of filename extensions. If you use a sector level data recovery utility, you will have to determine which data belongs to which file. But if you defragment your file system, which data belongs to which file is well determined already. And RECOVER Fixe/Floppy Disk 2.2 recovers your files even if File Allocation Tables get erased completely.

The purpose of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is to provide the user fail-safe access to his / her files provided adequate safeguards are made and other required data like Boot record and Partition Table(s) (for HDD only) are available and usable by DOS. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk gives the user power to access his / her files even if FAT and Root Folder (Root Directory) becomes unavailable or unusable.

Uniqueness of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is a Data Safeguards, Data Recovery Training and Data Recovery utility.

Using RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 one can learn to safeguard his / her files and folders (directories), train himself / herself to recover lost files / folders (directories) using good working Hard Disk Drive / Floppy Disk.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is a unique program in the sense that it allows the user to know where his / her files and subfolders (subdirectories) are located. Knowing the precise location of one's files may make one feel like a superpower.

In addition to being a data recovery utility after errors occur in FAT or folder (directory), RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 helps one safeguard his / her files against a number of disk error conditions.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 helps one train himself to face complex disk error conditions. Error-free HDD's and Floppies can also be used to acquire a particular level of experience to recover lost files in future.

While RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can handle files with up to 1000 fragments, it can also ignore the File Allocation Table altogether and recover files assuming that none of the files / subfolders (subdirectories) are fragmented. This helps one recover files / folders (directories) from accidentally reformatted disks if the Root Folder (Root Directory) was backed up as a file.

Responsibility of user of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2

User can easily train himself on recovering files, etc. The Program Documentation file for RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 provides command line examples for handling a number of disk error conditions. These should be more than adequate.
WINDOWS 95-OSR2 and WINDOWS 98 users may download the currently available FREEWARE version of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk and find out if the file system is FAT16. Users in DOS to WINDOWS 95 world always have FAT16 file systems (FAT12 if partition size is too small or if disk is a floppy). RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk will not run on FAT32 file systems.
When the affected folder (directory) had not been backed up as a file, user has to deal with subfolders (subdirectories) trapped in unreadable folder (directory) sector(s) by finding and saving them as files by using a Folder (Directory) Finder utility so that RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can be used to recover files in that path. If file entries were caught in a bad folder (directory) sector, these files have to be recovered by searching for unique strings that can identify these files and by recovering them at the sector level.

How to train oneself now to use RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 later?

Users can train themselves in a lot of ways. Here is an example:

First thing, download the latest FREEWARE version of RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk.
Get a floppy disk which is in good working condition.
Backup the files in it if you need them.
The file system on the floppy disk may or may not have been defragmented.
Find or create a temp folder (directory) on any drive. You can use a RAM drive if you don't want to touch anything on the HDD. Log to that drive/folder and work from that folder.
Backup a subfolder (subdirectory) on the floppy which has lots of lower level subfolders (subdirectories) by specifying subfolder (subdirectory) name, switch -D and switch -X. This folder will be saved in its own name in your working folder.
Working from this subfolder (subdirectory) on, recover lower level subfolders (subdirectories). To do this pass the subfolder (subdirectory) backed up in the previous step by specifying its name in switch -L and specify switch -D and switch -X as well. This recovers all the subfolders (subdirectories) in the specified parent folder (directory) in addition to all files. Note that a parent folder is specified by passing to program (via switch -L) a file containing the parent folder.
Repeat the last step again and again each time passing a recovered subfolder in switch -L until you recover the last subfolder in that path. Note that the FREEWARE version requires a single folder name to end with *.* like "dir1*.*". When the last subfolder is passed to the program again through switch -L, expect the program to recover all the files in that last subfolder.
If all that above doesn't sound like recovering anything, erase the backed up subfolder (subdirectory) on disk after completing step 6. And proceed with steps 7 and 8.

Working from the Root Folder (Root Directory) on to lower level subfolders (subdirectories) using version 2.2 is not much different from working from a subfolder (subdirectory) to lower level subfolders (subdirectories) using the FREEWARE version. But RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can recover folders excluding files which the FREEWARE version cannot do. The FREEWARE version fails sometimes when recovering a number of subfolders.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 at US$15.00 is a great offer. To benefit students and all, its price has been fixed at a fraction of its real worth.
Grab this opportunity NOW!
Buy RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 NOW! from BMT Micro, RegSoft (or) RegNow

Buy online from BMT Micro. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is hosted on BMT Micro servers.

Buy online from RegSoft. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is hosted on RegSoft servers too.

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