File Recovery in C++

[dfound]

Hi , I am writing a program that would do many functions like shredding , encrypting, shutting down computer , changing file attributes , viewing image files etc.... I also want it to have a function to recover deleted files but I have no idea on how to do this. Can any one help..... ???? :-)

[DeMan]

OK.....best way to make it easy for us to help.....
Make a plan of what you want to do.
Split all these ideas apart (so we can address them one at a time).
Think about how we would approach these problems.
Post again your thoughts on how to approach (any slight idea you might have - or why everything is baffling).......
A lot of what you want to do is reasonably complex, so it might help if you can also briefly outline how confident/competent you are with c++.

[dfound]

OK.....best way to make it easy for us to help.....
Make a plan of what you want to do.
Split all these ideas apart (so we can address them one at a time).
Think about how we would approach these problems.
Post again your thoughts on how to approach (any slight idea you might have - or why everything is baffling).......
A lot of what you want to do is reasonably complex, so it might help if you can also briefly outline how confident/competent you are with c++.

Eventhough I am a newbie, I know how to use the WIN32 API and handle or intercept meaasges from the applications. I have created a registry editor,
a key-logger,and such things using WinAPI . I dont need any help on encrypting and other things. I just want to know hoe to retrieve deleted files coz I dont know if an API exists for such a task....
By the way, thnkz for the reply...

[weaknessforcats]

By deleted files I assume you mean those not in the wastebasket. If thats the case, you are down to a sector by sector read of the disc where you attempt to reconstruct files from whatever fragments are there.

Is this a like a crashed disc recovery program?

[dfound]

By deleted files I assume you mean those not in the wastebasket. If thats the case, you are down to a sector by sector read of the disc where you attempt to reconstruct files from whatever fragments are there.

Is this a like a crashed disc recovery program?

Yest recovering permanently deleted files. Is there an API to do this???

thnkz 4 the reply..

[weaknessforcats]

Yest recovering permanently deleted files. Is there an API to do this???

Not that I know of.

This sort of thing would be buried deep in the OS kernal where the file system resides. Most likely the OS wouldn't have an API that could allow users to destroy the file system.

I would start with the disc manufacturer and look at the software that's made available to OS writers. However, you may need privileged instructions to do this.