Losing important files that you need for school or work can be a real pain, especially if you have just spent a good deal of time working on them. If you have accidentally deleted a Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT) file from your computer’s hard drive, you don’t have to start over from scratch with a new file. You can recover the deleted PPT file by using a file-recovery utility. The utility will scan your computer’s hard drive and reconstruct the missing PPT file, even if you have already emptied the computer’s recycle bin.
1. Follow the link in the resources section to “Recover My Files,” which is a file-recovery utility capable of recovering lost PPT files. Download the program and then follow the installation instructions that will pop up on the screen.
2. Click on the folder icon labeled “Complete File Search” at the center of the window. Click on the button marked “Manually Set Options” at the bottom of the screen.
3. Navigate to the “Search” tab and then click on the check box marked “Search for Deleted Files.” Switch to the “Advanced” tab and then click on the check box marked “Search in Active Areas.” Click on “OK.”
4. Click on the “Next” button at the right side of the screen to bring up the next set of options. Check the box that corresponds to the drive where your lost PPT file was saved. Select all of the check boxes if you don’t know for sure which drive had your PPT file.
5. Click on the “Next” button again. Scroll down through the list of file types that the utility can search for. Click on the check box next to the “Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation” option.
6. Click on the “Start” button and wait for the program to recover the lost PPT files. Click on the “Save Files” icon once the files have been found. Select the folder where you want the recovered PPT files to be saved and then click on “OK.”