Limitations

• Overwriting: The biggest limitation. If the physical disk sectors where the deleted file's data resided have been overwritten by new data (which happens constantly on an active system), recovery is generally impossible. The longer the time since deletion and the more active the drive, the lower the chance of recovery.

• Secure Deletion Tools: Files deleted using "secure delete" or "shredder" utilities (which intentionally overwrite the file's data multiple times) cannot be recovered by tools like Recuva.

• Solid State Drives (SSDs): Recovery from SSDs is often less reliable than from traditional HDDs due to the TRIM command. TRIM allows the OS to inform the SSD which data blocks are no longer in use (e.g., after deletion), allowing the SSD's controller to proactively erase them internally during idle time to maintain performance. This internal garbage collection can quickly make deleted data unrecoverable. Success rates on SSDs vary greatly depending on the SSD model, firmware, OS version, and time since deletion.

Recuva can sometimes provide the "smoking gun" of a deleted cheat, but its success is highly variable and never guaranteed. It's a tool to try, especially if deletions are suspected, but don't rely on it as a primary detection method.

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