Undeniably, people are more and more dependent on all sorts of electronic products. Indeed, they bring a lot of convenience to our life and make many things easier. However, electronic products also lead to problems at the same time.
For instance, you fail to recall anyone’s phone number after contacts file lost. Thus, there’re increasing needs for knowing how to recover VCF files. Based on this, I decide to focus on the solutions to contacts recovery and possible reasons for causing VCF files permanent loss situations.
Recover VCF Files with Power Data Recovery
Considering that SD card is the most popular kind of memory card used to save data, I’ll take it as an example to show you how to complete contacts recovery from memory card (the contact recovery from other kinds of memory card is similar).
Now, launch MiniTool Power Data Recovery (if you didn’t download it before, get a move and finish installation right after it) to start VCF file recovery.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
How to Recover VCF File after Deletion
As you can see from the main interface of the software, there are four options provided on the left panel: “This PC”, “Removable Disk Drive”, “Hard Disk Drive” and “VD/DVD Drive”.
If you need to recover deleted VCF files from memory card (SD card), please connect the card to computer firstly. Then, follow the process given below to do the recovery.
Process to recover deleted files from SD card:
- Choose “This PC”.
- Select the SD card from which contacts are deleted.
- Double click on it or click on the “Scan” to start detecting deleted files.
- Check needed VCF files from the scan result (you can see a read “X” next to all the deleted files).
- Click on the “Save” button and set a storage path for them.
Please note that the trial edition will not allow you to recover any data; it is only suitable for disk scan and file preview. To recover data you need, you should acquire a license for a full edition.
How to Recover Data after Formatting
This software is also suitable for recovering data from damaged, formatted and RAW partition; its deep scan is relatively time-consuming. However, the recovery rate is very high.
Process to recover formatted SD card files:
- Click on the “Removable Disk Drive” option.
- Select the formatted SD card/damaged drive.
- Click on the “Scan” button to start a deep scan.
- Pick out the VCF files you need during or after the scan.
- Press “Save” button at the lower right corner and choose another drive to save the recovered files.
Click to know more details about how to recover from a formatted SD card.
How to Retrieve Files after Partition Loss
There are some cases in which users have divided their memory card into more than one partitions with the help of special tools.
But, when files get lost due to a partition loss, you are still able to recover them from the missing partition.
Besides, there are also possibilities that you have deleted the internal drive on computer to which you’ve backed up your contacts files or the virus has deleted the drive.
The process to recover files with this software is similar to the previous two cases; you can finish it easily by looking at the prompts in each interface.
All in all, as long as you need to recover VCF files from SD card or other storage devices, you’re supposed to try MiniTool Power Data Recovery. If it helps you find the files you want to get back, you may as well purchase a license to complete the VCF file recovery process.
Click to know the differences among different license types so as to pick out the most suitable one.
4 Main Causes for Losing VCF Files
Like any other file loss cases, there could be various reasons for VCF contacts file loss issues. As you can imagine, the most possible causes are accidental deletion, careless formatting, virus attack and sudden system crash. Now, I’m going to show you them one by one.
Delete Contacts Files by Accident
Here in this case, users are asking how to recover deleted contacts. He said he was deleting contact from account and was wondering whether it’s possible to recover them.
Of course, things would be much easier if users have backups for contacts. Just like the user replied under this question, he can import the “.csv” file if he had any.
But, even if you didn’t make any backup before, there’s still chance to get them back as long as the space originally occupied by those contacts are not assigned to store new data. Users should get Power Data Recovery – the data recovery program of MiniTool Solution Ltd. – and then follow the steps given in the previous part to approach quick recovery.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Format Drive with VCF Files Carelessly
When looking through/managing contacts on computer/mobile phone memory card (or when you’re trying to send contacts to others), you are prone to format the disk drive/memory card by pressing wrong button.
The formatting action is more serious than accidental deletion of VCF files. Why? That is because:
- Once the formatting process starts, it can’t be canceled, so you have to watch all your contacts vanishing.
- All the files will be lost from the formatted drive, without exception.
The Power Data Recovery can also be the great choice for recovering files from memory card after the card is formatted unintentionally.
Virus Attack Detected on Contacts Storage Drive
This user said he’s contacts are gone all of a sudden when he woke up in the morning. He also said that no change was made to the phone overnight. But how does this happen?
As far as I know, the most possible reason is virus invasion. When he was using his phone the day before, he may click on some links with virus or download some files in which viruses are hidden. Thus, after several hours, the virus got activated in phone and started to delete his contacts.
Under such circumstance, I advise users to recover contacts firstly before trying any methods to clear virus from infected drive.
Thus, you are highly suggested to be careful enough when using phones, computers or other devices connected to internet. Avoid these things:
- Opening insecure sites
- Downloading files casually without security check
- Opening unsolicited links
By doing this, you can greatly decrease the possibility of getting attacked by virus.
System Crashes Suddenly
Here in this case, the user’ phone is crashed somehow, so most of the contacts saved in the phone are lost. He writes this post, hoping to find ways to recover the missing contacts phone numbers.
Apparently, this problem is happening because there’s something wrong with the system of phone. In this case, I suggest users to stop using the phone immediately in order to avoid secondary damage. Then, take out the memory card and connect it to computer through adapter to execute memory card recovery.
Suggestions for Ensuring Contacts Security
- Backup contacts to computer or movable devices and update the backups on a regular basis.
- Make use of cloud service to backup contacts.
- Export contacts to some apps which have contacts file saving function.
- Be careful enough when managing contacts/removing memory card with VCF files.
- Stop using the device immediately when discovering VCF file loss on it in order to avoid secondary damage.
The Needs of Recovering VCF Files on Memory Card
In general, VCF files are stored in device internal memory or the memory card put in the device for storage space expansion. No matter which is the actual case, as long as your VCF files are deleted or lost due to other reasons, you’ll need to resort to third-party recovery programs/companies for completing VCF file recovery.
There’s no similar unit like Recycle Bin in Windows that will save deleted files temporarily in order to give users a chance for regretting what they’ve done. As a result, a variety of VCF file recovery software come into being to help you solve all kinds of VCF file loss problems effectively.
What Is VCF File
Well, what is VCF file exactly? VCF file, which also known as vCard, is a kind of address book format used widely nowadays. It is the contacts export format of many mobile phones, such as Nokia and Motorola.
You can choose to save the contacts information in the form of VCF files on computer hard drive or other movable devices (like USB flash drive) for future use. In other words, this is an easy way to create a backup for contacts.
Besides, you can also backup contacts each time when changes are made by using Cloud service. Or you are also allowed to export vCards from memory card to some apps for backup. In this way, you are able to access them anytime whether your cellphone is at hand or not.
Please note the following things:
- VCard specifications allow open personal data interchange (PDI) and the information can be found in traditional paper business cards. It can be used as the exchange format between applications or systems.
- Users can make direct use of vCard to fill out a form automatically on internet; they can also choose to change VCF files into another format with suitable VCF converter.
Demands for Recovering Contacts
With current powerful electronic products, for example, cellphones, you’re allowed to do almost everything you can think of:
- Reading books
- Listening to music
- Working
- Studying
- Etc.
Besides, you’re able to save important files on those devices for later use (access and manage them anytime you want) conveniently.
Our way of life has been greatly changed unknowingly: people tend to create to do list on their cellphones, computers and other devices rather than remember things in mind; they’re used to saving others’ phone number as vCards to their cellphones, without even taking a closer look at the exact numbers.
Hence, here comes a serious problem – once the device with important data saved on is lost/damaged, you’ll fall into endless fear because you can’t remember clearly the phone number of any families/close friends or what you need to do. At this time, files recovery like contacts recovery from memory card becomes urgent.
What I want to say here is please don’t rush to try methods for VCF file recovery from memory card provided on the internet until you can confirm which is the suitable/the best solution to your case.
Please do remember that improper actions after VCF file loss may not only fail to help you recover VCF files, but also bring secondary damage to lost files, making contacts recovery impossible.
Bottom Line
Data loss is not rare in today’s information era, so when your contacts get lost suddenly, please don’t be panic. Just relax, you still have chance to get all of the lost VCF files back.
Actually, you may as well read the different causes for VCF file loss carefully so as to prevent such disaster. Even the data loss really happens you shouldn’t worry; instead, you should choose the most suitable method given above to recover VCF file from SD card or other kinds of memory cards totally on your own.
But, if the contacts information is saved on the internal memory of cell phone, instead of memory card, you have little chance to get them back. That is simply because most phones now have canceled the mass storage mode. Hence, the internal memory can’t be deleted by computer as storage device, so it can’t be scanned by data recovery software on the current market. In this case, you’d better turn to professional recovery agencies to get help.