Erased Files not Getting Saved in Recycle Bin? Here’s How to Fix?

We all know that deleted files usually end up in the Recycle Bin. One click on the ‘Restore’ button can recover all your files back to the original place. But in some cases, this might not be the case and deleted files may be deleted permanently and may not show up in the recycle bin at all. Let’s discuss this issue more in detail and also find out how to avoid this scenario.

What happens to deleted files?

Generally, when files are deleted from the user interface, they end up in the $Recycle.bin folder. For convenience, this folder is provided as a shortcut on the desktop. So, in case you need to recover deleted files, all you need to do is go to this folder and right click on the file you need. Then click ‘Restore’ to restore your files.

However, in some cases, you may not find deleted files in the Recycle bin. This usually happens when the size of the file exceeds a certain limit or if you have pressed the Shift key along with Delete and in a few other cases, which we will see in this blog post.

In these scenarios, although you don’t find the files in the Recycle Bin, it is not that they are nowhere on the computer. They are still present somewhere on your hard drive, but with a deleted tag on it, hence it will not be visible on the user interface. But don’t worry, these files can also be recovered using the right tools, which will also be covered in this article.

Precautions to avoid deleting files permanently

  1. Make sure you are not using the ‘Shift’ key

While deleting a file, using the Shift key along with Delete will permanently delete the file. In this case, the deleted file will bypass the Recycle bin, hence you won’t find it there. To avoid this possibility, always make sure you are not using the ‘Shift’ key while deleting a file.

  1. Check if you are deleting files from USB flash drive

Unlike your internal hard drives, USB flash drives don’t have the Recycle Bin. So, files deleted from the USB will have their files deleted permanently. If you’re wondering why your files are getting deleted permanently, well, it is probably because you are deleting files from the USB stick.

Hence, it is advisable that you make a backup before deleting files from your USB flash drive.

  1. Check if the files you are deleting is too large

For a deleted file to be stored in the recycle bin, it should be within the size limit of the Recycle Bin. If this is not the case, the file will be permanently deleted.

If you always work with large files and you wish that these files be stored in the Recycle Bin when deleted, it is possible to customize the size of allowance in the Recycle Bin. To change these settings:

  • Right click on the Recycle Bin folder and click Properties

right-click-recycle-bin-select-properties

  • Click on the Customize Size option and change the settings as required

customize-size-of-recycle-bin

  • Confirm that ‘Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin’ is not selected

If in the Recycle Bin properties, the option ‘Don’t move files to the recycle bin’ is selected, then Recycle Bin won’t save deleted files. In that case, you will obviously not find deleted files in the Recycle Bin.

To avoid this as a possibility, just uncheck the option ‘Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin’.

  • Right click on the Recycle Bin folder on your desktop and select Properties
  • Uncheck ‘Don’t move files to the recycle bin’ and click Apply

uncheck-dont-move-files-to-the-recycle-bin

These tips should help you avoid the problem of deleted files bypassing the Recycle Bin and getting deleted permanently. But in case, you are looking to recover files that have bypassed the Recycle Bin, we have a solution for that as well as explained in the next solution.

Solution 5: Use Hi5 Software

Hi5 Software is the best in class data recovery software to recover files that are deleted permanently or ones that have bypassed the Recycle Bin. It makes use of the principle that deleted files are never permanently deleted but stored somewhere on the hard drive. In order to find these files, the software performs a detailed scan of the hard drive and restores them.

Hi5 Software can be used even to recover files emptied from the Recycle Bin. Hi5 Software is a versatile software that can be used in a myriad of different data loss situations including accidental deletion, loss of data during copy-paste operations, deletion of files from the command prompt, etc.

How to Create APFS Containers On the Disk for Space Sharing

Understanding partitions, volumes, and containers

Before we begin the discussion about how to create APFS containers, let us understand the basic terms like partitions, volumes, and containers. The term ‘partition’ is defined as the logical division on the hard drive. These partitions need to be formatted and mounted before the OS can read/write data into it.

Once the partition is formatted with a file system, then it is referred to as a volume. When the OS recognizes the file system, it will be mounted, so data can be read and written. These 2 terms, you probably already understand even before reading this article, but what may new to you is the term ‘container’. The Container is a term introduced with the new APFS file system.

A container is a space on the hard disk that contains one or more volumes. It is created in such a way that the container space is shared among all the volumes it holds. The size of the volume is not fixed in APFS. Although, while creating a volume, you assign a minimum and maximum amount of space, however the actual amount of space a volume uses changes dynamically. So, the volume can expand or shrink without the need for repartitioning.

Containers-in-mac-hard-drive

Also, another thing to be noted is that the disk can be divided into one or multiple containers. And each container can have one or more volumes like said before.

Next, let us see how to create a container in APFS file system.

  • Go to Applications > Utilities folder and open Disk Utility
  • In the Disk Utility window, click View > Show All Devices

Now you will need to convert HFS to APFS file system. This conversion is automatic if using an SSD, otherwise, you will need to do it manually.

  • From the list of all devices, choose the HFS+ volume and click Convert to APFS

convert-to-apfs

  • Next, to format the drive to APFS, first choose the drive and click Erase
  • Assign a name and select the APFS file system format from the menu
  • Then click Erase to format the drive

Now Disk Utility will create one container and one volume within that APFS container. But you can always add more containers according to your preference. By doing so, you can have groups of volumes. That way, one group of volumes is separated from the other and prevents sharing of disk space.

How to add containers?

Before you begin with this process, please make a backup of all data on your drive.

  1. Go to Disk Utility and select the APFS drive from the left menu bar
  2. Then click on Partition in the top menu
  3. Next, you will be asked if you want to add a volume or a partition. Click on the Partition button
  4. In the Partition window, click the ‘+’ symbol
  5. Assign a name to the partition

how-to-add-containers

Similarly, you can add more partitions by clicking on the ‘+’ sign. If you want to alter the size of the partitions, you can use the pie chart or enter a value manually. Once the sizes are set, click Apply to save changes.

Please note that although Disk Utility is referring to these as partitions, it is, in reality, a container because this is an APFS formatted drive.

How to add volumes to a container?

Each container in the APFS drive can have one or more volumes. To add volumes to the container, you can make use of Disk Utility.

  1. Open Disk Utility and on the left menu bar, select the APFS container
  2. From the Edit menu, select Add APFS volume

add-volumes-to-containers

In the next window, assign a name to the volume and set the size options. There are 2 sizing options called ‘Reserve Size’ and ‘Quota Size’. Reserve size is the minimum size the volume cannot go below and Quota size is the maximum size the volume can take. These size limits are useful when you don’t want the volume to consume the entire space available in the container or when another volume shouldn’t take all the space from a volume that needs a minimum amount of space.

Once you have set these volume size limits, click Ok to save changes.

Data recovery using Hi5 Software

Using disk management tools like Disk Utility is extremely risky when you don’t have a backup. It is always suggested that you make a backup first and then proceed with disk related operations. However, in the event that you don’t have a backup and data is lost after partitioning or any other operations such as the one above, then you can use Hi5 data recovery software to your rescue.

It is designed for partition recovery in Mac systems. All your partitions are recovered in original form and hierarchy along with the file names. Once files are recovered, just save them to any desired location.

Fix Error “Volume header needs minor repair”

Errors while repairing a drive using Disk Utility

If you are having problems with a drive or if your computer is not booting properly, a general course of action to repair the drive is to run Disk Utility. So you run Disk Utility on the drive only to find an error ‘Volume header needs minor repair’. You are now stuck and not sure how to go about this error? Are there ways to resolve this? Let us find out in this article.

The main reasons for the error ‘Volume header needs minor repair’ are file system corruption, bad sectors on the drive or virus attacks on the system. This error in some cases may be an indication of a failing hard drive, so it is important that you have a backup of your data in case something like that happens.

Solutions to resolve the error ‘Volume header needs minor repair’

Solution 1: Run Verify Disk

Mac HDD

  • As a first solution, open Finder > Applications
  • Then click on Utilities > Disk Utility and select the disk you are trying to repair
  • Click First Aid > Verify Disk

This process repairs errors in the disk and you may have to run this multiple times until you see a ‘The drive appears to be Ok message’.

If the Verify Disk option is greyed out or this method didn’t work, you can also use a Mac OSX installation disc to access Disk Utility.

  1. Insert the installation disc and restart your Mac while pressing the Option key
  2. Select the Install Mac OSX disc and follow the on-screen instructions
  3. Then click on Utilities > Disk Utility
  4. Select the drive on the left-hand menu and click First Aid
  5. In the bottom of the window, check the SMART If it says ‘About to fail’, it is time you backup everything and replace the disk. If it reads ‘Verified’ or ‘Not Supported’, click on Repair Disk to repair errors in the disk.

Solution 2: Recover data and format the drive

If ‘Verify Disk’ doesn’t help resolve the error, it is an indication that your drive is severely corrupt. In that case, it is best to recover data and format the drive in question. In order to recover data from corrupted drives, you can make use of Hi5 partition recovery software for Mac. It is a comprehensive data recovery solution to recover data from corrupted or damaged drives. If the drive has bad sectors, Hi5 software skips them and creates disk images, using which data can be recovered.

It recovers all your data and partitions in its original form and structure, so you will not find any changes in the recovered data.

This software can also be used to recover data from formatted drives or partitioned drives, hence the name comprehensive data recovery solution. If you are experiencing data loss due to any these reasons, then you know the solution.

Format your drive

So, once you have recovered data using Hi5 Software go ahead and format the drive using the steps below. Formatting will clear all data on your drive and create a new file system for you to work with, hence resolving the inherent corruption issues.

  1. Click on Finder > Applications
  2. Then select Utilities > Disk Utility
  3. Select the corrupted hard drive on the left menu and click Erase
  4. Choose a name, format style and once again, click on the Erase button

Solved: Files on External Hard Drive Are Missing but Show a Certain File Size

Files missing on external HDD

There’s almost no need for an intro to external hard drives, considering that almost everyone uses it nowadays. External hard drives are wonderful portable, on the go storage devices which makes data available at your finger-tips. It can be used to store a variety of files like documents, images, videos, audio etc. in a way similar to your internal hard drives.

Although external hard drives make a reliable means of storing data, you can sometimes encounter issues with it. In this article, let us discuss an error that causes your files to go missing. The bizarre thing is that even if the files are missing, they show that they occupy a certain space. What is the reason for this? Are the files hidden or are they corrupt? Let us find out more in this article and also discuss some solutions to resolve this problem.

Solution 1: Enable ‘Show Hidden Files’

  1. In Windows, right click on the Start button and select Search
  2. Type ‘folder’ and from the results, click on Show Hidden Files and Folders
  3. In the Advanced Settings menu, select Show hidden files, Folders and drives and click Ok

Now that hidden files are enabled, see if you can find the files on your hard drive. If not, proceed to the next solution.

Solution 2: Take ownership

  1. Click on Start and select Windows Explorer
  2. Right click on the external hard drive and click Properties > Security > Advanced > Owner
  3. Under ‘Change Owner to’ section, select the desired user to change to owner
  4. Also check the box next to Replace owner on container and objects
  5. Then click Apply

Now that you’ve changed the owner and assigned all permissions, you should be able to see all the files on the external hard drives. However, if you still cannot see the files and the problems still persists, your drive could be corrupted and needs repair. Repairing the drive is described in the next section.

Solution 3: Run CHKDSK

If the external hard drive is corrupted, you may have trouble viewing files on it. In that case, CHKDSK is a wonderful tool to repair file system errors. To run CHKDSK,

  1. Go to the Command Prompt by clicking on Windows + X keys and selecting Command Prompt (Admin)
  2. Then type the following command

CHKDSK /R /X: (Here, please replace X with the corresponding drive letter)

This command will fix all file system errors and also check for bad sectors should there be any. Once this command is complete, all errors should be fixed and you should be able to view files on your drive. However, if the file is still missing, you may need to resort to data recovery tools like Hi5 Software.

Restore missing files using Hi5 Software

Hi5 data recovery software is the ultimate tool to recover missing data from corrupted external hard drives. It retrieves data using a read-only mechanism, so you will not find the recovered data any different from the original. All your partitions in the drive along with original structure are recovered using Hi5 Ssoftware.

Not just external hard drives, Hi5 software can also be used to recover data from other storage devices like USB’s, SD cards and from your systems. If you are experiencing data loss, download a trial and give it a try today!

How to Resolve Error ‘Can’t find the specified file’ When Renaming/Moving Folders

Fix Error while renaming folders

In this article, let us discuss the error ‘Can’t find the specified file’ and possible solutions to resolve the same. First, let us first understand when does this error occur? This error normally occurs when you try to rename a folder or you try to copy the folder to another location.

This error can be particularly annoying because you will not be able to access the contents of the folder you are trying to rename or copy. In order to solve this problem, first, make sure you are logged in to the correct account. Sometimes the account you are logged in to may not contain the file/folder you are looking for. Else, you can also login to the admin account to avoid this problem entirely.

Then check if the error still persists and if it does, please proceed to the solutions below.

Solution 1: Search for the file/folder

This solution works only if the file/folder is moved to a different location on your hard drive. It won’t work if the file is lost or missing. To search for the file, follow the steps below.

  1. Right click on the Start button and click Search
  2. In the Search bar, type the ‘name’ of the file/folder you are trying to find
  3. If you find any file with the same name, open the folder and copy the contents to its original location

Again, like said before, this method works only if the file/folder is misplaced. However, if this doesn’t work, please proceed to the next step.

Solution 2: Remove the following registry keys

Note: Please be careful with this step as even the slightest error can cause severe damage to your computer and may require OS reinstallation.

Go to the path:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\

Then remove the following 5 registry keys:

{2112AB0A-C86A-4ffe-A368-0DE96E47012E}

{491E992F-5643-4af4-A7EB-4E7A138D8174}

{7b0db17d-9cd2-4a93-9733-46cc89022e7c}

{A302545D-DEFF-464b-ABE8-61C8648D939B}

{A990AE9F-A03B-4e80-94BC-9912D75041104}

Solution 3: Restore missing/lost files and perform System Restore

If the above solutions don’t help you resolve the ‘Can’t find the specified file error’, you can restore missing files using data recovery software like Hi5 file recovery software and then perform a system restore.

To recover missing or lost files, Hi5 file recovery software is a wonderful choice. It is designed to recover all types of files like Word and Excel documents, PDF’s, PPT’s, notes etc. It can be used to recover permanently deleted files or lost files from your computer and other external storage devices like pen drives, external hard drives etc.

Using Hi5 file recovery software is as simple as it can get. All you need to do is click on Recover files and then on Recover Lost files. Then select a drive to recover files from and the software takes care of recovering files for you. It’s that simple!

Once you have your files recovered, go ahead and perform a system restore. This will undo you major changes you made recently that may be causing the error. To perform a system restore, follow the steps below.

  1. Click on Windows + X and select Control Panel
  2. Click on System & Security > System
  3. Click on System Protection
  4. In the System Properties window, click on System Restore button

Then choose a restore point that you want to get back to and wait till the system restore process is complete. This should help you resolve the error ‘Can’t find the specified file’ error.

Restore Data from a Damaged GUID Partition Table on Mac

guid partition

GUID is a new type of partition table that is slowly replacing the good old MBR. It is called a GUID partition table because every partition on your drive has a unique identifier called GUID, short for Global Unique Iidentifier. The advantages of using GUID partition tables are that they can grow very large in size and the partitions are extremely well structured compared to MBR.

You can format, partition or erase hard disks with GUID just like you do with MBR’s. Now consider a situation where you partition or format a wrong disk on your Mac. For example, you have run a ‘diskutil partitionDisk’ command on a wrong disk such as the main system drive. Considering these are command line tools, these things do happen sometimes. Consequently, the GUID partition table is damaged and turned inaccessible. Now, is it possible to recover data on this drive? Yes, it is possible with the help of the right tools. Please read this article to find out how it is possible and methods for recovery.

Data recovery from damaged GUID partition table

In some cases, it is possible to recover data from damaged or trashed GUID partition table using ‘testdisk’ command. However, in cases, where the damage is severe, you can make use of tools like Hi5 Software to recover data.

Hi5 Software is designed to recover lost or damaged partitions in a quick and easy manner. This partition recovery software works in a unique read-only way, so none of the original files are altered. Using this tool, all your partitions and data are recovered safe and sound along with the original structure.

About Hi5 data recovery tool

In addition to recovering data from damaged or corrupted GUID partition table, Hi5 Software can also be used to other situations such as

  • To recover data when partition table is deleted
  • When bad sectors are present in the area where partition tables are stored
  • Virus attacks on the system
  • Damage to partition table due to third-party disk management utilities

The advantage of Hi5 Software is that it is multi-device friendly, meaning it can be used to recover data not only from internal hard drives but also from external hard drives, flash drives, and SD cards.

Moreover, all file systems like HFS, HFS+, HFSX, FAT16, FAT32, and exFAT are supported by the software. As far as operating systems are concerned, Mac OS High Sierra, Sierra, Yosemite, Snow Leopard, Leopard, Lion etc. are all supported.

Once you have recovered data from the GUID partition table using Hi5 Software, you can go ahead and create a new one using Disk Utility. To do so, follow the steps below.

  1. Press and hold Command + R keys while your Mac restarts
  2. The recovery console opens, from here select Disk Utility
  3. Choose the disk from the left menu and click Erase
  4. Follow the on-screen format instructions and select the required file system
  5. Finally, click on Erase

Conclusion

GUID overcomes size limit issues and also provides a better structure for your partition tables, compared to MBR. However, like MBR’s, GUID’s also experience corruption and damage issues at times. In such cases, Hi5 Software is your best bet for data recovery as data will be recovered in original condition quickly and easily.

How to Solve Outlook Error ‘Could not create the work file’

 

Solve Outlook error ‘Could not create the work file’

Imagine starting Outlook one day and being greeted with an error ‘Could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable’. It can be pretty annoying right? Don’t worry, in this article, we are going to guide you through how you can go about solving this error.

First of all, it is important to understand that this error usually occurs due to incorrect registry settings. And hence the solution requires you to modify some registry values. But please be very careful while doing so as even a minor mistake may cause serious damage to your system and may require reinstalling of the OS in worse cases.

How to solve ‘Outlook could not create the work file’?

  1. Close Outlook if you have it open
  2. Open the Registry Editor.
  • If you’re using Windows 10 or 8, click on Windows + R keys to open Run Then type ‘regedit.exe’ and hit Ok
  • If you’re using Windows 7 or earlier, click on the Start button and in the search box, type ‘exe’ and hit Enter
  1. Go to the following path

‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders’

  1. Right click on Cache and select Modify

Please refer the section below to note the cache values depending on the Windows version you have.

For Windows 10 and 8.1,

DWORD: Cache

Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ

Data: %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\NetCache

For Windows 8, 7 and Vista

DWORD: Cache

Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ

Data: %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files

For Windows XP

DWORD: Cache

Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ

Data: %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

  1. Exit the registry editor and restart Outlook

This time when you restart Outlook, you should be able to log in without any issues. The above solution should have fixed ‘Outlook could not create the work file’ error.

Resolve other Outlook issues using Hi5 PST repair software

The error ‘Outlook could not create the work file’ is one thing, but there are other Outlook errors that are more common. For instance, errors like ‘PST not found’, ‘Unknown messaging interface’ etc. are extremely common errors that occur mainly due to corruption in the PST file.

PST files can get corrupted due to various reasons such as PST file size issues, storing the PST file on a server or corruption in the storage space where the PST file is stored. And these corrupt PST files can interfere with the regular functioning of Outlook. Hence, in order to resolve these errors, one needs to repair the PST file using reliable tools such as Hi5 PST Repair Software.

It is a specialized PST repair tool that can resolve all kinds of corruption issues from minor to major. Once the PST file is repaired, just import it to Outlook and resume operations. Yes, it’s that simple.

The advantage of using this software is that it can be used with all versions of Outlook including Outlook 2016 and all versions of Windows like Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista and XP. Take advantage of the free trial version and repair your PST file for free!

How to Fix USB Error Code: 43 Without Data Loss

Fix Error Code 43

USB flash drives are one of the most useful and compact data storage devices. The low prices at which they are now available has made them all the more attractive and useful.

Like all hardware devices, USB devices also experience issues occasionally due to which you may lose data. In this article, we discuss one such error called ‘Error code 43’. It is one of the most common types of Device Manager error codes. This error 43 can be pretty confusing as it can either indicate a problem as simple as a corrupted driver or something as complex as a failed USB.

Hence, in order to resolve this error easily, we’ve compiled a list of troubleshooting steps starting from the simplest. So, let’s jump right in.

Solutions to resolve error code 43 on USB drives

Solution 1: Restart your computer

This may sound extremely basic, but restarting your systems is found to resolve many issues including error code 43. So try restarting your system and check if the error is resolved. If not, proceed to the next step.

Solution 2: Install Windows service packs

If you don’t have Windows updates installed, please update using the latest Windows updates available for your version of Windows.

Solution 3: Restore to an earlier point

A recent update or any related software change may have caused the error 43 on your USB drive. In order to undo this change, you can restore to an earlier point using the System Restore feature. To do so, please follow the steps below.

  1. Open Control Panel and click on System & Security in Control Panel
  2. Click on System > System Protection link
  3. Then click on the System Restore button and hit Next
  4. Choose a restore point to undo any changes you think caused the error to occur

Solution 4: Update/Reinstall the drivers

Out-dated drivers can cause a variety of issues including the error 43 on USB drives. This issue can be resolved by updating the drivers as explained below.

  1. Click on Windows + X and open Device Manager
  2. Expand the section and identify your device
  3. Once you have found your device, right click on it and select Update Drivers
  4. Then click on Search Automatically for driver software

If for some reason, you are unable to update the drivers, you can also reinstall them by right-clicking on the device and selecting Uninstall. Then restart your computer for the system to automatically reinstall drivers for you.

Solution 5: Recover data and replace the USB

If none of these methods help you resolve the ‘error 43’, there may be a problem with your USB hardware itself. In which case, you can replace the hardware. But before you do that, it is advisable to recover data from the drive using Hi5 Software. Using this tool, you can recover data from inaccessible or corrupt USB’s. Even if the USB is producing errors such as error 43 or similar, data can be recovered using this tool.

Not just USB’s, but data can be recovered from other storage devices like external hard drives, SD cards etc. Just use the partition recovery option in the tool and have all your data recovered in minutes.

If files are deleted or lost accidentally from your USB’s, Hi5 also provides a USB file recovery version to help recover these files. Both the hard drive version as well as file recovery version is available for free! Download a trial and recover your data!

Solved: Unable to Boot PC Using USB With Windows Installer

Boot PC using USB

When you’re troubleshooting your PC or installing a new OS, you may need to boot from a disc or USB that has Windows installer on it. What this means is that your computer will boot from the USB or disc instead of booting from the internal hard drive.

To create a bootable USB is really easy nowadays with the Windows creation tool readily available. It has been a savior for most users considering how easy it is to create a bootable OS instead of having to wait for an expert or wait for Microsoft to send you another copy.

But even with these advantages, you may still have problems when booting from the USB created using the Windows creation tool. In this article, let us discuss how to go about this problem and be able to boot from USB successfully.

Solution 1: Change Boot priority

The boot priority is by default the internal hard drive first followed by other external drives. So by changing this order, you can get your system to boot from the USB.

  1. Restart your system keeping the F2 key pressed. This should help you enter the BIOS screen. If this method doesn’t work, click on the Start button
  2. Then select Power, hold the Shift key and click Restart
  3. You will now enter the UEFI/BIOS settings screen
  4. In this screen only the keyboard works, so use the arrow keys and move the USB media to the top
  5. Then restart your system (with the USB connected) to be able to boot from the USB installer

Solution 2: Disable fast boot

Having fast startup turned ON may prevent you from booting from your USB. Hence, disabling fast startup has been proven to be helpful in some cases. To disable fast startup, follow the steps below.

  1. Right click on the Start button
  2. Search for Control Panel and open it
  3. Select Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do
  4. Then select Change settings that are currently unavailable
  5. Uncheck Turn ON fast startup

Solution 3: Format the USB drive and create a new Windows installer

You may have trouble booting from the USB if the Windows installer is not properly created or is corrupt. In that case, format the USB drive and create a fresh copy of Windows installer. Then try to boot from the USB and use it to repair or reinstall your PC.

Data recovery using Hi5 Software

If your system is not booting or if you have other problems where data on it is inaccessible, you can make use of data recovery tools such as Hi5 Software.

It is an all-in-one hard drive recovery tool that can be used in multiple situations such as when your system is not booting, drives are inaccessible or when your system has crashed. Even if you have formatted your system without backing up data and looking for recovery options, this tool is a perfect choice.

For more information about the software or about the recovery process, refer the link Hi5 data recovery software. To see how the software works and how you can recover data, download a trial for free!

File Formats and Codecs You Need to Know When Working with Videos

Understanding codecs and containers

A container is what is often referred to as a file format. This container file can have different types of codecs within it and is represented by a file extension. Example containers are .AVI, .MOV, .MPG, .MKV etc.

On the other hand, codecs are algorithms that compress your audio and video data to make the resulting file lighter so it occupies comparatively less storage and can be transmitted faster. There are hundreds of codecs available, each of them supported by a particular container format. Discussed below are some of the most common containers used today.

AVI: AVI, short for Audio Video Interleave is a container format developed by Microsoft. AVI files can comprise of a variety of different codecs and the most common ones used are DivX and XviD. These files are typically less compressed than other formats and hence offer a better quality. They can be played on Windows Media Player, VLC Player, ALLPlayer and DivX player to name a few.

MOV: MOV is a container developed by Apple for their native QuickTime Player. Although it was originally designed to support only Mac systems, it is now compatible with Windows as well. Windows Media Player, VLC player, Quick Time Player are some of the media players that support MOV files. And MOV files typically use the MPEG-4 codecs for compression.

MP4: Whenever you download a file from the internet or use a DVD ripping tool, you will find the video in MP4 format. MP4 contains the MPEG-4 codec and is one of the most versatile formats supported by many video programs and devices.

WMV: WMV stands for Windows Media Video. It is basically a container developed by Microsoft that contains codecs developed by Microsoft. WMV can be played on Windows Media Player, Quick Time Pro, Cyberlink PowerDVD etc.

Common issues when playing video files

Now that we’ve covered the basics of codecs and containers, let us understand some common issues you can encounter while playing video files. Errors like ‘Cannot play the file’, ‘The codec used in the file is not supported by the media player’ are some of the most common ones. These problems usually occur when the codec used in the file is not supported by the media player you’re trying to play the video file with. In order to resolve this problem, download the necessary codec packs available and try to play the file.

If this doesn’t help and you still have issues playing, it could be probably because of corruption in the video file. In such cases, the file can be repaired using tools like Hi5 MOV repair software. It can repair all kinds of issues in MOV and MP4 files. It can be used in cases when the file is infected by virus or damage to the video file is caused by converting file formats or playing the file using incompatible media players.

The software works with all versions of Mac and Windows OS. Just download a trial and check out the software for free!