How To Recover Downloaded Files From Avast SafeZone Part 2

In Part 1 of this article we looked at how to locate files that were sent to the Avast SafeZone. SafeZone is a special browser within Avast’s Internet Security suite designed to protect you malicious downloads, keyloggers and malware. The browser is sandboxed, meaning it’s isolated from the rest of your computer. Read the first part to learn how to find those files. In this tip, we’ll explain how to recover them.

Recovering Your Files

Safe Mode opens a minimal version of your desktop. Don’t panic when you don’t see your background. It will return once you restart your computer.

Open any folder on your computer to open a Windows Explorer window. I opened my user folder from the Start Menu. You could open Documents, Music, Photos or any other folder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select your main hard drive folder, which is typically your C: drive in the left column. Double-click the Avast! Sandbox folder in the right column.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, open the first or newest folder listed. The name is a series of letters and numbers. The date on the folder should be the same as the date of your downloads.

 

 

 

 

 

Open the following series of folders to access your downloads – sfzone – C – Users – your username – Downloads. Right click the download you wish to keep and select Copy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right click any empty area of your desktop, which will be black, and select Paste to move the file to your desktop. Repeat the process for any downloads you want to keep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you’re done, restart your computer to return to your normal desktop. If you’re using Windows 8 or 8.1, go back into msconfig, select the Boot tab and uncheck the Safe boot box. Press OK and select Restart to restart your computer normally.

Your downloaded files are now safely on your desktop. Even if you change the settings in SafeZone, most downloads are still sandboxed and require the above steps to retrieve.

~Crystal