---
name: "extundelete"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "extundelete"
version: "0.2.4-3+b2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/extundelete"
---

# extundelete(1)

utility to undelete files from an ext3 or ext4 partition.

## NAME

extundelete - utility to undelete files from an ext3 or ext4 partition.

## SYNOPSIS

**extundelete** \[*options*\] *device-file*...\

## DESCRIPTION

**extundelete** is a utility that can recover deleted files from an ext3 or ext4 partition\
 extundelete uses the information stored in the partition's journal to attempt to recover a file that has been deleted from the partition.\
 There is no guarantee that any particular file will be able to be undeleted, so always try to have a good backup system in place, or at least put one in place after recovering your files!

## OPTIONS

- **--version**

  Prints the version number of extundelete.

- **--help**

  Print a brief usage summary for extundelete.

- **Partition name**

  Name of the partition that has deleted files, such as /dev/sda3.\
   Could also be the file name of a copy of the partition, such as that made with dd.

- **--superblock**

  Prints information about the filesystem from the superblock.

- **--journal --superblock**

  Prints information about the journal from the journal's superblock.

- **--inode #**

  Prints the information from the inode number of the filesystem given, such as "--inode 2".

- **--block #**

  Prints the contents of the block, called as "--block 9652".

- **--restore-file path/to/deleted/file**

  Attempts to restore the file which was deleted at the given filename, called as "--restore-file dirname/filename".

- **--restore-inode #**

  Used to restore inodes by number, called as "--restore-inode 2569".\
   Also accepts a list of inodes separated by only commas, such as "--restore-inode 2569,5692,6925".

- **--restore-files filename**

  Restores a list of files. First, construct a list of files in the same style as would be\
   used in the --restore-file option, and save it to the file "filename". \
   Then, this option may be used to attempt to restore those files with a single call to extundelete.\
   This form also reduces redundancy from multiple calls parsing the journal multiple times.

- **--restore-all**

  Restores all files possible to undelete to their names before deletion, when possible. Other files are restored to a filename like "file.NNNN".

- **--restore-directory path/of/directory**

  Restores all files possible to link to specified directory to their names before deletion, when possible.

- **-j journal\_dev**

  Specifies the device that is the external journal of the file system.

- **-b block\_number**

  Specifies the block number of the backup superblock to be used when opening the file system.

- **-B block\_size**

  Specifies the block size of the partition to be used when opening the file system.

- **--before date**

  Only restore files deleted before the date specified, which should be in the form of the number of seconds since the UNIX epoch. Use a shell command like\
   $ date -d "Aug 1 9:02" +%s\
   to convert a human-readable date to the proper format. The conversion from the number of seconds to a readable format may be found  by using either of the following:\
   $ date -d@1234567890\
   $ perl -le "print scalar localtime 1234567890"

- **--after date**

  Only restore files deleted after the date specified, which should be in the form of the number of seconds since the UNIX epoch.\
   See the notes for the --before option for more information. \

## AUTHOR

extundelete was written by Nic Case \<number9652@users.sourceforge.net\> Copyright (C) 2009, 2012

This manual page was written by Elías Alejandro Año Mendoza \<ealmdz@gmail.com\>, for the Debian project (and may be used by others).