Recover deleted files

I hate it when someone in my house accidentally deletes things off of my SDHC card before I can get things copied off. However, recovering the file is easy if you know where to get the right tools, and you get to it before it gets overwritten.

The key to any data recovery software is to get to it as soon as possible. Also, it is wise to recover the file(s) to another hard drive or other storage medium. SD cards and USB storage devices are great.

There are many great pieces of software that recover data, especially in the open source community. I have used many. The two I want to mention are the two that I most frequently recommend. The first is a newer program called Recuva. It is free for both Commercial and Personal use, and it is made by the same company as CCleaner. It is simple to use, and a good guess will usually yeild good results. If they save your bacon, you might consider donating money to their cause to keep them alive. They have a paypal link on their page.
The second is not free, GetDataBack by Runtime Software. They have several great hard drive tools available including GetDataBack for NTFS and GetDataBack for FAT. It is a little more complicated to use, but may yeild better results should other tools fail.
As much as I would love to post step by step instructions, it would appear that they both have wonderful documentation available on their websites. I hope this comes as a ray of light to someone out there.