8813 Mac OS X File Recovery's new Data Recovery Guru 1.0 for OS X is a utility application for recovering files that have been accidentally deleted due to user error or hardware malfunction. As you probably are aware, files that have been emptied from the Trash appear gone in the computer's graphical user interface, but the data they contained actually remains intact on the disk until it is overwritten by new data. What happens upon erasing a file, is that the operating system's disk file directory is instructed to regard the location of the file as now being "free space," that can be used to store new data. However until the space is actually overwritten, the original file data remains unaltered,

Data Recovery Guru lets you locate and "unerase" these seemingly deleted files, and is claimed to distinguish itself among data recovery apps in being able to find and save files that other apps cannot, generate preview thumbnails of recoverable files, and recover files at the same time it is scanning for lost files. However by employing proprietary algorithms, the app's friendly GUI makes data recovery completely "non-technical."

Every Mac user, experienced or veteran, will almost certainly have on occasion deleted a file by accident or due to absent-mindedness. This can be an extremely frustrating and possibly costly, experience, at least in time lost, and perhaps monetarily as well, what with many of us relying on our Macs for managing so much of our work and personal lives. It is at minimum a heart-sinking feeling to have spent substantial amounts of time and effort on a project and then inadvertently send it down the proverbial flusher.

Disk recovery apps address such contretemps by performing two related tasks. First, they scan the disk looking for intact files that the file directory has been instructed to regard as gone, but which may not be, especially if little time has elapsed and few subsequent files written. Secondly, they allow the user to select for recovery any missing file that can be identified in the scan. When successfully recovered, the file again appears in the Finder and is as "good as new," ready to be used as if it had never been deleted.

Data Recovery Guru 1.0 for OS X is touted as being part of a "new breed" of disk recovery apps thanks to three attributes:

First, Data Recovery Guru features a user-friendly interface designed to be uncomplicated and easy to use. The user is not required to make any choices about which of several available scanning modes to use, and there are no Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced data recovery methods - just one simple default mode. Unlike some competing products, Data Recovery Guru does not use esoteric and complex control panels or display windows. Instead, the user sees the sort of familiar Finder window they're accustomed to using the OS X user interface. From the sidebar, the user selects the volume or drive to be scanned. In the window's first column are listed folders showing the different types of files that have been located, while in the next column is a list of individual files contained in the folder selected. Finally, in the last column is the single file chosen for recovery - ergo data recovery for grandparents, newbies and the tech-averse - unpretentious and intuitive.

A second reason Data Recovery Guru purports to represent a new kind of data recovery app is that its scan will find deleted files (even some files on failing hard drives, it is claimed) that other apps may miss. Additionally, it can scan and recover files from an wide variety of media devices, including: Macintosh disks, Windows disks, Linux disks, Unix disks, digital cameras, mobile phones, CDs and DVDs, USB pen drives, Memory Cards for cameras and portable devices, MP3 Players, PlayStations, X-Boxes, Wii's, and Palm devices - pretty much any device that can mount as a drive on your Mac. The device doesn't even have to be visible in the Finder, since the Recovery Guru line can see and scan devices that the OS X Finder doesn't show. To see if your device is usable, open Recovery Guru and click on the “Drives” tab on the main window. It will where everything that can be seen by the Recovery Guru will show up.

Thirdly, Data Recovery Guru doesn't force the user to wait until the disk scan is complete before he or she can recover a file. Users can browse through deleted files that are found during the scanning process, while the app continues to scan. Selected files appear as text or graphic previews, displaying the file's content even before it is recovered. The larger the number of files on the disk, the longer the scan time. Data Recovery Guru features a thorough, high-speed scan, but allows users to recover their file the moment it appears in the scan window.

Should additional files need to be recovered, hitting the "Recover" button won't interrupt the ongoing scan.

Files are recovered in two processes: The Scan phase, and the Recovery Phase. First of all the files are scanned for, and then the desired files or file types are selected and recovered. The Scan Phase is not affected by the number of file types being searched for, and the Scan Phase will occur as rapidly as the device being scanned can deliver the data. After the lists of files are present, it is possible to only select the specific files, or more commonly specific filetypes that are desired. This will only recover those files, allowing the recovery process to be as fast as possible.

Filenames are not stored as part of the file, they are stored in a complex part of the filesystem. After a file is deleted the Recovery Guru product searches for the content of the file itself, which the developers say is the most reliable method of recovering any file or remnant of the file that exists. It is not generally feasible to search for the filename of a deleted file, because that is stored in the HFS Filesystem innards at the beginning of the disk. To compensate for this the Recovery Guru product shows live file previews that you can browse through, allowing rapid identification of the desired files to be recovered.

"The main benefit of Data Recovery Guru is its ease of use and tight integration with OS X; it looks like a Finder window, but it allows you to view deleted files rather than regular files," says CEO Ben Slaney of Mac OS X File Recovery. "In the past, data recovery software had an appreciable learning curve, but Data Recovery Guru just works as soon as it's launched."

I found that Data Recovery Guru works as effortlessly and elegantly as claimed, and that there is only the most minimal learning curve involved. Using it is simple and intuitive. It does indeed "just work." The only downside I am able to determine is that $100 seems a bit steep for what is essentially a one-trick-pony utility, regardless of how well the trick is executed. You'll have to be the ultimate judge of that.

Feature Highlights:
(*) Undelete files in Mac OS X
(*) User-friendly Finder window interface
(*) File thumbnail previews'
(*) Scan for deleted files and recover files at the same time
(*) Finds lost files other disk recovery apps miss
(*) Identifies bad sectors
(*) Recovers files from failing hard drives
(*) Free demo version available for download

System Requirements
(*) Mac OS X 10.6 or later
(*) 2 MB HD Space
(*) 2 GB RAM

Data Recovery Guru 1.0 sells for $99.00 (USD) and is available worldwide directly from the Mac OS X File Recovery website. A free demo version is available for download.

Data Recovery Guru:
http://bit.ly/vstLGK

Purchase and Download:
http://bit.ly/trf4kt

Data Recovery FAQ:
http://www.macosxfilerecovery.com/faq/

Facebook Profile:
http://on.fb.me/teaPFa

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