There are times when we come across files that cannot be opened as they are unknown file types that our system does not recognize. Our system does not recognize such files as it lacks the program or application that is associated with that particular file or a corrupt registry may cause the file type to go unrecognized. When the appropriate program is in our system; the file is read as its code is deciphered by the software making it readable and executable. Without the right program it is impossible to open unknown file types.

Opening Unknown File Types

One factor that most people consider when dealing with an unknown file type is considering if the file is actually a virus. You need to be sure about the source of the file or the person who sent you the file perhaps in an email. If you are unsure about it you can try and look up information about what kind of file it is by researching online about its extension.

You can learn what kind of file it is by opening Windows Explorer, Tool, folder options, and then by unclicking the “Hide extensions for known file types” box.

When you try opening the file you may get a message that it is an unknown file type and you may get a list of programs that you can try opening the file with. There is an option available that says “always use the selected program to open this kind of file” which you need to unclick as you are not sure which program is the right one for that particular file. Windows also offers more information about the file by going online and making a search. This option helps sometimes but there are times when this may not help you find the right solution either.

To avert virus attacks by opening unknown file extensions that come your way as they have been sent by people you do not know or end up on your system somehow, you need to learn all you can about the file type and the software used to open such files.

What most users do not know is that corrupt registry associations may be the reason that certain genuine files are being listed as unknown file types. You just need to install a registry cleaning software that can detect errors and repair them easily. The software that you use must have the undo feature to ensure that the system’s original settings can be restored should there be a need for it. If that does not solve you problem with the unknown file type you need to look up information online.

When you make a search online for software required to open a particular file extension, you get a list of the software that can possibly open the file. Some of the software is available for free while you may have to purchase some others. If you are absolutely certain it is a genuine file sent from a reliable party you can go ahead and download or purchase the appropriate software.

There is some software available that can archive file extensions and provide you with details about the particular file extensions that you are looking up. You get details about the software used to open the files and those who created such extensions. This can save the time taken to research about the file extensions online. There are also websites that can give you detailed information about the kind of files you are trying to open.

The user has to open the file at his discretion as some files may appear to be genuine and could be sent by a contact’s email ID, however, it could be a virus sent without the contact’s knowledge. If you are unsure about it, and if you feel it’s not important you can always delete it and forget about it.

So you have a file on your hard drive which you can’t identify? There are various tactics that you can use to figure out what kind of file something is and what the right program to open it is. First of all, think about where you got the file from. It may be that you already know what general type of data the file has - whether it is a text file of some kind, a word processing file, a graphic file, an audio file, a video file or so on. If you know this then you should look at the info on popular media players online and possibly search for the file extension and the word “player” to see if there is a free program to read your file.

Researching an unknown file type online is a good way to identify what it might be. There are sites on the world wide web where you can get details on hundreds and hundreds of file types. They are usually organized by the file type extension, so by reading the name of the file and looking up the extension online you can find out what the file is and what opens it.

It may be that you already have the right software to open the file, but the file has not yet been associated correctly with the proper program. When you identify a program that can open the file, the next step is to make the association in Windows so that you can click on the file to open it using that program. To do this you right click on the file in question, click “open with”, select the program that you want to use from the list, and make sure that the “Always Use ____ to Open this File” box is checked.

With that, the program that is used to open the file should be identified by Windows. Once you make the association the icon for the mystery file in your Windows Explorer should change. Before it was a blank page but now it should have the icon of the program which is being used to open it (or an icon which stands for the general type of media file it is). You should be able to double click on the file now to open it with the program that you selected.

If you want to make a change to the way that the file type is opened (i.e. start opening it with a different program) there are two ways. Often when a new media program is installed and run you will have the option at some point to associate files that it can open with it. If the new program does not give you this option you can always change the association manually. This involves right clicking on an example of the kind of file you have in mind and clicking on “open with” again, then making the new association. With these tips, you should be able to both identify and handle unknown file types!

The feeling that you get when you accidentally loose an important file is not one that most of us want to experience. No matter if you are the culprit, or your hard drive crashes or nasty spyware takes over your computer, the result is the same. You’ve lost your file and you desperately need to get it back. Whether you’re on a deadline or you just don’t want to lose that important file, quick action is essential to restoring it.

In the hours directly following an accidental deletion, the odds are very high that you will be able to restore the file. The longer you wait, the worse your chances get of ever finding it again. While all of us know how important it is to make backups, it can be easy to forget or you may not have time. No matter what your situation is, data recovery software can make it much easier to get your file back.

You can use most file recovery programs on a CD, DVD or even a USB drive. This is very helpful if you also lost a back up, or deleted a file that had not yet been transferred to your computer. This type of software can really be a life saver in this situation.

Although you can purchase data recovery software after the fact, it makes a lot more sense to have one on hand. This will help your chances at finding the file and make it easier to restore it completely. Once you have your data recovery software in place, it will begin searching for your lost file.

The File Recovery Process

The first place it will look is the recycle bin on your computer. If you just hit the delete key, the odds are pretty high that the file can be found in here. If you’re missing a Word file, the backup that Word automatically creates may also be found in this folder. After it has scanned the bin, it will move on to other likely locations.

The tool will then begin scanning your hard drive to see if it can find your data. Most software packages will allow you to view the process, which is a lot better than biting your nails and wondering. You’ll be able to watch the scan in real time as it looks for your file.

At this stage, if the file can be found, you’ll be able to access it. Keep in mind that only a partial copy may be able to be restored, but this is better than losing the entire file. Once you have the file found, immediately make a back up of it. Then, you can easily get back to work.

Data recovery software is a vital tool for any computer owner. We all make mistakes, and as spyware becomes more prevalent, it can be really easy to lose your important data. Don’t wait for a disaster to occur before you start thinking about it. Find a data recovery software tool today while you have the luxury of seeing which one will be best suited for your needs.

While ideally, all data files would be backed up on a different disk whenever they are created, this is not exactly a practical method for using a computer. Backing up data is still extremely essential, however, since that’s the only way that you’ll guarantee a complete recovery of the files that you had in case the hard drive dies, or the files are lost in other ways. If the hard drive of the computer completely dies on you, there is no way at all to save all your files except to have backed them up beforehand-thus, it is very important to back up all important files, and all files that you will need in the future.

However, in the case that it was not hard drive failure that caused your files to disappear (for instance, if you accidentally deleted it in a manner that it bypassed the Recycle Bin), then you may need a piece of data recovery software in order to recover your data. However, data recovery software has its pros and cons. The good thing is that this software will be able to locate all of the files still remaining in your unused hard disk space; the bad thing is that unless you have an experienced computer technician helping you (or you are an experienced computer technician), then it’s possible for your to make the problem even worse.

How is this possible? Well, there are certain times when you should never attempt to use a data recovery software. This includes instances where the hard drive has been physically affected to damaged; in that case, you will want to take the computer to a technician to see if anything can be done. Also, do not attempt to use data recovery software in the case that the hard disk is making clicking sounds when it reads the drive-this means that damage is likely being done to your hard disk. Moreover, if the hard disk is making strange noises or getting very hot, do NOT attempt to install recovery software-take it to a professional. If the computer hangs when you’re reading the hard disk drive, then there is a problem with the hard disk and running data recovery software is not recommended. These instances are in cases that the hard disk is damaged, corrupted, or being damaged-in case of such physical issues, do not attempt to install new software.

Also, when you do install data recovery software, do not install it on the same hard disk from which you’re trying to recover files, as the installed software might overwrite the files you’re trying to recover. Instead, install the software on a hard disk connected by USB, or onto a CD-something other than the hard disk you’re using! Data recovery software is recommended if you have a clone of your hard disk drive, or when you’ve deleted files or had a virus that damaged files. It can also be used after your drive has been formatted. However, again, be sure not to install or use data recovery software when your hard drive has been physically damaged.

Whenever you surf the Internet, your web browser (Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, and most other decent browsers) will keep a record of which sites you’ve frequented (known as browser history), which addresses have been typed in, and what words you entered in the small textboxes on search engines and elsewhere. This information is then used to make the browsing experience faster for you (not to violate your privacy! This information is not shared voluntarily with any third party unless spyware gets onto your computer to seek it out) and make it easier to type in addresses, complete search phrases, and find that website whose URL you can’t remember, but which you’d like to visit again. There also exist tracking cookies (your browser will create one of these each time you visit a new website) and they are there to ensure quicker loading of any webpage. The cookie is almost like a browser memory-by keeping the tracking cookie, your browser knows what websites you visited and what the websites looked like; thus, it’s easier for it to load the website when you visit it again, because it has the cookie.

However, having a search history and a list of tracking cookies may be inconvenient for you if your computer is shared with others and you don’t want them to see which websites you’ve visited, or if you’d just rather have more browsing privacy. In this case, you would need to delete the browsing history, which is a very easy task. The most commonly used browsers are Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, so those are the two browsers that will be discussed here.

To clear the web view history of Internet Explorer, simply click on the Tools button in the toolbar at the top of the page; then, click Internet Options. A new screen should pop up. Now, under the General tab, click on Clear History. In order to clear the cookies stored on your computer (perhaps to protect yourself from spyware or force the browser to load the website entirely again, if something on it has been changed, such as a deleted email or a login status), then under the same General tab, also check Delete Cookies. If you want to get rid of the words searched in small text boxes and search bars, such as the Google or Yahoo! search bar (this feature is known as AutoComplete), simply go to Tools again, and Internet Options. This time, go to the Content tab and click on AutoComplete. Then, under Clear AutoComplete History, you want to select Clear Forms, and press OK. This should get rid of all stored AutoComplete history.

On Mozilla Firefox, you can clear history by going to Tools, and then Clear Private Data. You can put a checkmark next to any of the many clearable features, including browsing history and cookies. There is also an option to clear download history, saved forms, and your cache. This is essentially all the private data that is stored from the Internet.