Usage in ScreenSharing

Recuva's primary role during a screenshare is to attempt the recovery of recently deleted files, particularly suspected cheats, tools, logs, or configuration files that the user might have tried to remove just before or during the check to evade detection.

• Scanning: Launch Recuva (portable versions are often preferred for screenshares). Select the target drive (e.g., C:, a specific USB drive) and choose a scan type. A quick scan is faster but might miss deeply buried files; a deep scan takes significantly longer but is more thorough. Often, starting with a quick scan focused on likely locations (Downloads, Desktop, Temp) is practical.

• Interpreting Results: Recuva lists potentially recoverable files it finds. It typically provides:

  • Filename (if recoverable).

  • Original Path (if recoverable).

  • Last Modified Time (of the original file).

  • Size.

  • Recovery Chance/Status: Often indicated by color-coding: Green (Excellent chance, likely not overwritten), Orange (Partial chance, might be partially overwritten or fragmented), Red (Unrecoverable, likely fully overwritten).

• Searching for Suspicious Files: Filter or sort the results (e.g., by path, date modified/deleted) and look for recently deleted files with suspicious names, extensions (.exe, .dll, .jar, .bat, .ps1), or paths (e.g., deleted from common cheat locations or temporary folders). Check the estimated deletion time if available.

• Recovery (Use with Extreme Caution): If a highly suspicious file is found with a Green recovery status, you may attempt to recover it for analysis purposes only.

  • Crucially: Recover the file to a completely different, designated location (e.g., a new folder on the Desktop named "RecoveredEvidence"), NEVER back to its original path. This minimizes further data overwriting on the target drive.

  • Once recovered, the file can be subjected to further analysis (e.g., upload to VirusTotal, open in a decompiler or hex editor, check hash against known cheats).

• FAT32/exFAT Context: On file systems like FAT32 or exFAT which lack robust journaling, file recovery tools like Recuva (alongside filesystem viewers like FTK Imager) become primary methods to even see if files were deleted recently, let alone attempt recovery. Recuva can indicate if the space is likely overwritten, helping assess recovery feasibility.