Recover typed form data (or, OH NO What Have I Done!)

Have you ever spent ages typing into a web form, only to press submit and be served a message like “Error=remote_computer_lost_your_hard_work” or even just a blank page? 

If this has just happened to you, and before you do ANYTHING else, try this:

1. Download HxD Hex Editor (here is a link to a portable version)
2. Open the HxD program.
3. Click Extras – Open RAM…
4. Choose the browser your are currently using (such as firefox.exe).  The program now ‘reads’ the RAM stores associated with this program.
5. Click Search – Find.
6. Type part of a phrase of what you just typed – and click OK.
7. This will find the place in the RAM where your form data is stored.
8. Now just select the text you want to recover, use Ctrl+C for copy, and then paste into Word or Notepad for additional formatting.

Step 3 image

Step 4 image

 
These types of errors do happen, and there is are some very poorly coded websites out there.

Hopefully this has helped you recover some work!