To recover deleted files Windows XP computer owners as well as users that have Vista as their OS need to be aware that many data recovery programs are not compatible with their PCs. To begin with Mac OS X applications for data recovery are completely invalid for file recovery on a Windows based PC. Furthermore, earlier versions of Windows such as Windows 98 use a different file system than that which is used on XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Don’t be fooled by file recovery programs that claim to be universal in a sort of one size fits all manner. The directory structure of hard drives used on Windows and Macs is so different as to make this an impossibility. Also remember that many data recovery programs have narrow applications. A photo recovery program will probably not allow you to recover deleted document files. Very often one can find a quality general purpose file recovery program that can work in any Windows application and recover the majority of lost file types.