A program for recovering deleted files from a computer. Utilities for recovering accidentally deleted and lost files
Important information on a hard drive, flash drive or memory card of a mobile device may be unintentionally erased, although the price of the information stored on the media can be very high. The procedure for recovering data from a formatted disk is a fairly expensive service. In any case, anyone can try to recover deleted data using many programs. If such software does not bring you results, then only you need to contact specialized services. You risk nothing by using such programs.
Recuva is the most popular free program
One of the most famous applications that has gained wide popularity among users is the Recuva program. It is freely distributed on the Internet, and anyone can download it for free. Recuva is small in size and allows you to easily recover information from a memory card, flash drive or computer hard drive. Even a novice computer user can cope with this software: almost all recovery processes are automatic. A huge advantage of the Recuva product is that the user himself specifies which files need to be restored. That is, if you only need graphic images, Recuva will search for and restore exactly them.
Although the program quickly recovers deleted data, it has some disadvantages. For example, Recuva will only be able to help when the information has been deleted and the media itself is no longer in use. If you notice data disappearing after writing several files, Recuva will not be able to recover it. In addition, the program cannot recover the media after a full format; Recuva will not cope even if the computer reports that “the disk is not formatted.”
UndeletePlus - a simple solution when you need to recover lost data
UndeletePlus is a simple software designed specifically for recovering lost data, as the name suggests. You can recover deleted files from a hard drive, flash drive or memory card. The program wizard will allow even an inexperienced user to complete all the steps to restore important information. First, you need to select how exactly the files were deleted: disk partitions were deleted, formatted, or damaged. The following indicates which files were lost (photos, texts, music, etc.)
This program is recommended only in the case when the deletion was simply not to the recycle bin (by pressing the Ctrl+Del keys).
R-studio is one of the best programs for complete recovery of important data
Many users claim that R-studio is one of the most effective programs for working with remote information.
But it is important to note that it is paid. This software provides the ability to:
- recover information from flash drives, hard drives, floppy disks, DVDs;
- restore RAID arrays (including RAID 6);
- repair damaged computer hard drives;
- restoring partitions after reformatting;
- support for Linux, Mac OS and Windows partitions (NTFS FAT).
R-studio- a professional program that can recover information lost for various reasons (formatting, deleting, damaged disks). Messages from operating systems, such as
“the disk is not formatted”, etc. R-studio is not an obstacle, unlike the above programs. The program can be launched from a flash drive or CD if the operating system itself does not start.
Data recovery on tablets, phones and smartphones running Android OS
Sometimes you need to recover data not only on a laptop or computer, but also on modern gadgets: smartphones, phones and tablets running Android.There are programs that allow you to recover files, photos, videos, etc. In my opinion, only two products deserve real attention:
- recover lost data using Android in Wondershare Dr. Fone;
- data recovery in 7-Data Android Recovery.
The first application allows you to work on all Android devices, and not only photos, videos or music can be restored, but also contacts and notes. The interface and capabilities of the second application (7-Data Android Recovery) are very similar to the Recuva program for computers.
Recover data and files from Recovery Software
Most paid or free programs offer all functions at once: recovery after deletion, disk formatting, damaged boot sectors, etc. Unlike such universal solutions, Recovery Software offers 7 programs at once, each of which is designed for a specific action.
- RS Partition Recovery - allows you to recover information after accidental formatting or changing the disk structure. Supports all popular file systems.
- RS NTFS Recovery is an application similar to the previous program, used for NTFS partitions. Allows you to recover data and partitions on computer hard drives, flash drives, memory cards with the NTFS file system.
- RS FAT Recovery is a program similar to the previous product, except that it is designed to return erased information on media using the FAT system.
- RS Data Recovery is one of the most interesting packages for users. Combines RS Photo Recovery and RS File Recovery. The developer claims that this particular package will save you in any case in case of data loss: any disks, flash drives, and file recovery from compressed and encrypted partitions are supported.
- RS File Recovery is one of the components of the above-mentioned package, specifically designed to recover important information from damaged disks and recover deleted information.
- RS Photo Recovery - when you need to recover photos from a hard drive, flash drive or memory card, then this product is just for you. This program requires minimal user intervention. You don't need to deal with photo formats and other details - the program will do everything itself.
- RS File Repair - many have encountered files or photos that won’t open. For example, half of the photo looks gray, looks like strange multi-colored blocks, or does not open at all. This application can solve such problems and restore graphic or other files of different formats.
After the free download, you will be able to see the results of file recovery (without the ability to save), and then decide whether to purchase one of the applications. Once you receive the registered version, all the functionality of the program will become available to you.
Power Data Recovery - professional recovery of any data
Like the previous software package, the program Power Data Recovery allows you to completely restore lost information from any media (CD, DVD, Flash cards, hard drives), including after they have been damaged. The program will help you recover damaged partitions on hard drives: various USB, SATA, SCSI, IDE formats are supported.
The program allows you to restore lost information absolutely safely on a created disk image, where any changes will not harm the system. In addition, Power Data Recovery allows you to search for lost files by type, find lost disk sectors, etc.
For the convenience of users, the program offers a preview of files, where the original names of the files themselves are displayed.
Stellar Phoenix - Recovery Software for 185 File Types
Wonderful program Stellar Phoenix makes it possible to search and restore almost two hundred different types of files (there is no RAID recovery option). For Stellar Phoenix, it does not matter where the information will be recovered from: a computer hard drive, flash drive, memory card, CD or DVD. With Stellar Phoenix, you can always create an image of a recoverable disk, which will make the process of searching for deleted or damaged files convenient and safe. All found files are classified by type, which makes the search very convenient. Preview speeds up the search for damaged files with the necessary information.
Although the program is in English, the entire interface is intuitive. Recovering lost information is carried out using a wizard that offers a choice of only three options: hard drive recovery, CD recovery, and lost photos recovery. Having selected one of the items, you just need to wait until the program finds and restores the files. Even a novice computer user can easily master the program.
Recover important data from a dead computer using Data Rescue PC
File recovery is possible even on a non-working computer whose operating system does not start.
This procedure is possible thanks to the Data Rescue PC application. The program runs from a LiveCD and allows you to do the following:
- find and recover various types of files;
- carry out work with damaged disks that are not installed in the system;
- completely restore information after deletion;
- RAID recovery (by installing individual components).
Recover any data using Seagate File Recovery for Windows
Although many different applications have appeared designed to recover lost information, many continue to use the Seagate File Recovery program.
It was developed by the hard drive manufacturer Seagate, and at first it was used only for owners of these hard drives. But practice has shown that the program does an excellent job of recovering important lost data with other storage media (not necessarily Seagate). Even after formatting a disk or flash drive or deleting information from the media, the program continues to see files with the ability to restore them. In addition, this program restores files in such a way that the system can read them. Very often, other applications recover photos or other information, but the computer is not able to read them. If other programs do not allow the system to read the recovered photos, it is best to restore the images using the Seagate File Recovery for Windows application - the photo is guaranteed to open. The only thing that can happen is partial opening of the photo: part of the image will be visible.
Another program 7 Data Recovery Suite
Many users cannot find a suitable data recovery program for a long time. One of these obstacles is the lack of Russian language. Application 7 Data Recovery Suite is completely Russified and has a user-friendly interface.
Any computer user who is more or less knowledgeable about applications can recover important information using the 7 Data Recovery Suite program. Although you will have to pay some money to use the 7 Data Recovery Suite program, you can always download it for free for evaluation purposes. Each user who has downloaded the product has the right to a free trial data recovery of up to 1 gigabyte! Very good for getting to know the capabilities of the product. This volume allows you to restore more than three thousand photos! 7 Data Recovery Suite makes it possible to recover deleted files that were not placed in the Recycle Bin, and to return information lost due to improper formatting or disk damage. Experienced users who often use 7 Data Recovery Suite for various tasks claim that in the vast majority of cases the program does an excellent job of recovering any data. In addition to downloading this version of the program, on the official website you can find and download a beta version of the program, which is intended for mobile devices running on the Android OS.
The problem of recovering data from a memory card and flash drive was considered. But, of course, the need for data recovery may be associated not only with external removable media. Much more often the problem affects the built-in memory of the PC. And under such circumstances, the top 5 programs for recovering data from a hard drive can be useful not only in theory, but also in practice - as a source of information for selecting a suitable solution to the problem that has arisen.
But first, it’s worth deciding on the sources of possible troubles and the theoretical part of the problem of returning access to lost data.
Hard drive and storage problems
A hard drive is a built-in device for recording and storing data directly in the computer's memory. The capacity of such media, as well as the number of disks in the device, may vary. But the information stored in memory actually remains absolutely defenseless against any system failures, external influences, or erroneous user actions. Accordingly, there is simply no guarantee that the data will remain safe and sound in the event of damage, accidental deletion, or system problems. Data is constantly at risk of being lost, and in some cases irretrievably.
So, anything can happen: from formatting or completely deleting logical drives to a banal malware attack that destroys data from built-in media. And it will take a lot of time to restore lost information, even if you use the help of specialists - the BitProfi company, real professionals who can cope with any problem.
Loss of information from the hard drive: what to do?
What is the usual procedure for deleting information using OS tools? The data is instantly "removed" from the user's access. But this does not mean at all that they cease to exist. At the time of deletion they simply receive an additional prefix to the name and remain on the same hard drive. But there is one important circumstance: from the moment the file is deleted, the disk space occupied by it will be available for rewriting - new placement of data. And in this case, if you do not restore the lost information on time, the file will be lost forever.
The processes of formatting and even deleting a logical drive differ little from the standard process of deleting information. Upon completion of the formatting processes, the data is no longer visible, and a new allocation table becomes available to the user. But the data itself, again, does not disappear anywhere, and if necessary, it is available for emergency recovery.
But if the hard drive was subjected to the procedure low level formatting, during which the data is completely deleted - there is no way to restore it.
As a matter of fact, the first thing you need to do when you discover the loss of important data is to exclude the hard drive used as a storage device from the list of media intended for storing new information. With this approach, the chances of successfully saving important and necessary data that has been deleted or lost will be close to 100%. It is worth considering that in the Microsoft system The most vulnerable in this case is drive C- this is where most of the updated and new system information is recorded.
If you suspect that data has been lost as a result of a virus attack or other malicious influence- measures should also be taken immediately. It is a quick reaction that allows you to protect against loss at least part of the information that still needs to be restored. And, of course, recovering data from a hard drive will be impossible without special utilities - programs that allow you to find and save lost information from a permanent storage device.
Top 5 programs to recover data from hard drive
This commercial utility is distributed in two versions - paid and free of charge. Paid offers various types of installed tools for file storage systems NTFS, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32. The free version of the product provides the ability to restore certain types of files through appropriate applications, while paid options involve restoring data directly from the program.
It is important to note that this utility is not focused on detecting lost partitions and it is unlikely that it will be possible to completely restore data with its help. But as an area for scanning, you can select the entire C drive, on which the main working information is stored in Windows. Another important point: the program does not recognize file names written in Cyrillic. You can download the utility on the official website.
When launching the utility, you need to select the desired file partition within which to perform the recovery. Next, you will need to determine the area of the hard drive that is subject to a thorough scanning process and run the program in active mode.
Scan results are displayed in catalog format. In this case, the Cyrillic names of individual elements will be replaced by a set of characters.
Once detected and reconstructed from PC memory, the data will be available for viewing. You can access it directly from the program interface.
A utility distributed free of charge and providing fairly effective work with the Windows file system. An extensive set of functions allows you to solve various problems, and the recovery mechanism itself makes it possible to “reanimate” almost any unintentionally lost data.
You can download the program on the official website of the developer company. After installation, it is completely ready to launch and work.
PC Inspector File Recover offers three options for methods of recovering information from system memory:
- if they are unintentionally lost through deletion using one of the standard OS methods;
- in case of unintentional formatting of the disk or loss of information from it due to damage to the file partition of the system;
- in the event that data on previously existing logical drives on which the necessary information was stored disappears from the file storage system.
The recovery of information lost from the hard drive itself occurs as standard. After installation and selection of the recovery method, the utility starts the system scanning process, after which the user will need to select the logical drive intended for recovery. It is important to note that when working with logical drives in the Lost Data/Lost Drive recovery options, two lists of drives similar to each other will be displayed on the screen (if there is only one drive).
In this case, you should look for lost files in the On fixed disk list, which contains data regarding the physical device. And in the Physical Drive tab you can clarify the list of partitions and their volumes in more detail.
Having selected the desired disk, you need to initiate scanning with two clicks of the manipulator. As a rule, depending on the amount of memory and power of the PC, the entire procedure takes up to half an hour. And its result is the display of a window with a list of information that can be restored. Just click on the name of the item that requires recovery and select the path for restoring and saving data for it.
Power Quest Lost & Found
This compact and reliable program copes well with its tasks in recovering lost data, but has its own peculiarities in operation, since it is intended primarily for professionals. Thus, it requires the use of different drives to store information - it will not be possible to restore lost files in their original location, so you should ensure in advance that you have free space on a flash drive or an additional hard drive.
An important point: the program is launched using a bootable USB flash drive and does not require an installed OS. When launched, the creation of its own operating system similar to DOS is initiated, which has all the necessary tools and tools involved in the recovery of lost information. In this case, even if the standard OS is present, during installation a separate environment is created that does not affect the area of the standard system.
After successful installation of the utility, the PC can be put into operation, and the process of recovering lost information can be initiated in normal mode.
The first step will usually be a general scan, after which the program will display a window asking you to indicate the previous storage location of the lost information (drive) and the location of their recovery (when using a flash drive as a recording medium, you must ensure that there is blank media in the drive), as well as logical drives for storing information.
Upon completion of scanning, a window will open on the screen with a list of information placed on the scanned object (in the form of a tree directory).
It is worth noting that the names of directories and files in the window can either correspond to the original ones, or be made up of unreadable combinations of letters and numbers (most often relevant for foreign language names) or simply numbered in a certain sequence. It is important to pay attention to the color in which the name is displayed:
- empty directories are marked in dark green;
- data available for recovery is light green;
- data that is likely to be recovered - yellow;
- data that is unlikely to be recovered - in red;
- unavailable for restoration - gray;
- an entry made up of different files will be marked in pink;
- data that has already been restored is blue.
It is important to take into account that when starting to restore information from a hard drive, you can initiate its conversion into a backup file format with significant compression of data volumes.
A utility for working on the recovery of lost information, available for launch either using a flash drive or by installing directly in Windows, which allows you to not experience problems with data recovery even if problems are detected in the operation of the standard OS. The main thing is that access to the PC file storage system is not lost.
Ease of use of the program is achieved through a simple and intuitive interface with a step-by-step mechanism for performing tasks.
By initiating the system scanning process, after a short time you gain access to the structure of all scanned data and the sources of their storage, indicating the sizes and parameters.
This utility is much more convenient than many analogues due to its simplified recovery algorithm. It can be done after the first scan. To do this, just select the desired logical drive and define the operating parameters (automatically or manually).
After initiating a re-scan of the disk requiring data recovery, all information that can be restored will be displayed on the monitor in the form of a list. You just need to select the ones you need using the appropriate tag.
Information is saved either to an external drive or directly to the PC disk system. If you are using data recovery using a flash drive as an installation tool, you can use an additional drive or flash drive to save files.
Restorer 2000 // Restorer Ultimate
An easy-to-use utility with a minimalistic interface, it allows you to work with various file storage systems (NTFS, FAT) and disk images, allowing you to back up data.
The utility is available for free download. Finding it is not at all difficult, and you can install it on your PC without any additional preparation.
Upon completion of installation and start of operation, the utility performs a scan, and based on its results, a window is displayed on the screen with a list of available hard drives and the partitions located on them. Data detected during scanning that needs to be restored will be displayed as a list on the right side of the screen and marked with a question mark. You can get more information about their properties and stored data by double-clicking on the desired line with the manipulator.
Once the process is complete, all lost data will be found and can be recovered. Latest version of Restorer Ultimate.
The professional version of Restorer Ultimate primarily includes:
- support for reconstruction and recovery of RAID data (regardless of the level of complexity of the RAID structure);
- recovery of raw files (search for files by signatures);
- Macintosh and Linux/Unix file system support;
- advanced text/hexadecimal editor.
Available online edition Restorer Ultimate is different because:
- can connect to a remote computer;
- open and scan hard drives, partitions or other parts;
- can recover files on remote computers in the same way as on local computers.
In this article, we reviewed the top 5 programs for recovering data from a hard drive. But data loss is often typical for mobile devices. That is why the next material on our website will be devoted to the topic of data recovery from a phone - relevant for every owner of a modern smartphone.
The computers, smartphones and other digital devices we use contain all our personal and important data. We can't afford to lose our data, and fortunately, none of these devices are secure. They can get corrupted at any time, and lose our important data in the process.
Unfortunately, there is no 100% tool that guarantees that you will never lose data. However, if you have lost some important data due to a damaged system or accidental deletion, you have a chance to restore their.
When you accidentally delete data from your system, or it is deleted for any other reason, it is not actually deleted. Instead, they are marked as deleted and hidden from the OS to make it appear as if they were deleted (which is easier than actually deleting them).
Over time, this invisible data is rewritten as you add more data. This means that if you haven't added any additional data yet, then you can still recover it using special recovery tool.
To help you recover your deleted data, we have created list of the best data recovery programs. Each software has its own unique compatibility and performance features. You can try multiple tools mentioned here (for recovery) if one tool doesn't work.
Note: The following tools will not help you recover data from an SSD. On an SSD, data is completely erased to allow for faster data rewrite speeds. So you're out of luck if you have an SSD. However, if you are using a HDD you still have a chance of receiving recovered data. (To recover data from SSD, there are some expensive methods that you can find by Google.)
List of the best programs for data recovery on PC, MAC:
1.Recuva
Recuva is created by software developers Piriform, who are also the developers of the popular PC cleaning tool CCleaner. As with other products you will get an attractive interface with high quality. Recuva has a built-in wizard (optional) that guides you through recovery steps every time you want to recover data.
You don't have to do anything, just answer the wizard's questions such as data type, scan area and scan type, etc., and Recuva will handle the rest. While a normal scan will suffice, you can also apply the deep scan option (which takes longer) to further increase your data recovery ability. You can recover data such as pictures, audio (MP3), documents, videos, compressed files and emails from any Windows storage device, you can read data from a digital camera, hard drive, etc.
Price: Free version (which will be enough for data recovery) and paid version for $24.95 (Advanced File recovery, virtual hard drive support, automatic updates, premium support).
Compatibility:
2.Wise Data Recovery
The Wise Data Recovery tool is not one of the most feature-rich or customizable software out there. It has a clear interface with few options for customization. This may limit it a bit, but this tool is ideal for quick work.
All you need to do is launch the tool and select the drive you would like to scan (removable drives can be scanned too). The software will quickly scan (very fast, compared to many) the drive and show you all the data that can be recovered, such as deleted files, documents, videos, emails, etc. The program also exists in a portable version to be with you all the time.
This tool is the best for people who are looking for a quick and easy data recovery tool, but the program is not able to recover all the data as other tools can.
Price: For free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
3. Free Undelete
Free Undelete is another easy-to-use data recovery tool similar to Wise Data Recovery. The program does not offer any additional options to select the type of data you are looking for, all you can do is scan the drive (including removable ones) and see the results.
After scanning, the program will show all files that can be recovered, and even show all deleted folders. You can simply open the folders to recover data from them or simply restore everything with one click. The program allows you to recover images, music, documents, videos, emails (from email clients) and compressed files.
Price: Free for personal use and paid for corporate use, priced from $69 to $103 for standalone version (offers customer support guarantee).
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
4. Pandora Recovery
Pandora Recovery is a feature-rich tool with a huge number of customization options and deep scanning capabilities. The program does not have as attractive an interface as Recuva, but the program is certainly more feature-rich and user-friendly, making it an easy replacement for Recuva. Pandora Recovery allows you to recover FAT32 or NTFS file system. It also comes with a wizard to guide you through the process and lets you choose how you want to scan.
You can scan by file type, the entire disk, or use a deep scan to find all files that require recovery. You can connect removable storage devices and scan them and apply all scanning methods to them as well. You'll also find tips to help you understand how each button works as you try to use it.
Price: For free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
5. Minitool Partition Recovery
It is truly an amazing tool with a very simple yet attractive interface. However, its free version is limited to only 1GB of data recovery. After this, you will have to upgrade to the paid version. The tool is capable of recovering data from formatted, damaged and even deleted partitions with amazing results.
The tool does an amazing job of recovering data from a simple drive. Minitool Partition Recovery has recovered 5 times more files than other tools mentioned here and has divided all the files according to their extensions, making it extremely easy to find the file you need. Although, it also takes a little longer to scan the drive, but the results will be pleasing.
This is a good tool for people who really need a deep scan and don't mind paying if needed (1GB of data recovery is free). It supports FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS and NTFS5 file systems.
Price: free up to 1 GB, after which it may cost $69 and $89
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
6. Glary Undelete
Glary Undelete is a simple and lightweight tool with limited features just like some of the other tools on this list. However, it has some really interesting filtering options that you can use to easily find the files you need. You have the opportunity to scan a disk (including a removable one), but it will be a quick scan, not a deep one.
You will be presented with all the data that can be recovered, divided into categories according to their extensions. Here you can filter your search by size, time, status and file name recovery. Glary Undelete supports FAT, NTFS, NTFS + EFS file systems. Also allows recovery of compressed or encrypted files.
Price: For free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1.
7. UndeleteMyFiles Pro
UndeleteMyFiles Pro offers one of the most comprehensive recovery software with some handy features. You can separately search for media files or regular files, and if that's not enough, you can also add filters to search for a specific file. For example, you can add filters to search only for a file with a specific name, extension, size, or attributes (like, hidden, or read-only, etc.).
In addition to data recovery tools, you can also use “Files Wiper,” a tool to permanently delete a file, or create a “disk image” to ensure that non-deleted files are overwritten by other data. The tool also performs a deep scan quite quickly to recover all files. You can find almost twice as many files as some of the fast scanning tools on this list.
Price: For free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and Mac OS X.
8. PC Inspector File Recovery
This is an advanced tool for complex use, we would not recommend it for a novice user. It doesn't have much of an attractive interface or features. However, the tool will allow you to deeply scan the disk and select which sectors to scan. A complete deep scan of approximately 40 GB of data may take more than 2 hours.
The results will be pleasing, since the tool finds almost all files that can be recovered. You can also add a filter by file name/extension. If you are an advanced user and want to perform a deep scan of your computer, then PC Inspector File Recovery will work wonders. It supports FAT 12/16/32 and NTFS file systems.
Price: For free
Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
The best programs for data recovery for smartphones (Android) and iPhone
Although, the above tools can scan and recover data on smartphones via connected USB, but they are not designed specifically for them. To recover smartphone data such as messages, logs and chat history, etc., you will need to use a separate tool. We recommend using the tools below to recover your smartphone data.
9. Wondershare Dr.Fone
Wondershare Dr.Fone is a famous data recovery tool for Android and IOS. It is extremely easy to use, with step-by-step instructions. Using this tool, you can recover contacts, messages, audio, video, photos, call logs and WhatsApp history. All you have to do is connect your phone to your computer and let the tool do the rest.
However, support for compatible phones is limited, supported brands are Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, LG, HTC and Google Nexus. If your phone is rooted, it will work on any Android phone, and some supported brands may also require root access.
Price: free Trial and Paid version for $45.95 supporting up to 5 devices or $499 supporting unlimited devices.
Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP and Mac OS X 10.6-10.10 & iTunes 12.1, iOS 8.3/iOS 9, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and upto Android Lollipop.
10. EaseUS MobiSaver
This is another great tool to recover Android or iPhone data. The interface, complexity and recovery are almost the same as Dr.Fone, the difference is in supported formats, devices and price. MobiSaver supports fewer file types for recovery, including SMS, Contacts, Documents, Videos, Audio and Photos. However, it has support from more brands, including Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese brands.
It's also a little cheaper, which is a good choice if you don't need to recover chat history or call logs. On the EaseUs website, you will also find several useful articles that will help you recover data from your smartphone (the process is a little more complicated compared to a PC).
Link
Each of us may well be faced with the need to extract valuable files from a damaged drive. And it doesn’t matter what it is - a hard drive or a flash drive - the information stored on such media sometimes requires mandatory recovery.
It happens that the user mechanically presses the wrong key, and the program is simply deleted from the hard drive. What to do in this case?
DiskInternals Uneraser
DiskInternals Research offers users a small but quite effective utility. It is capable of recovering lost files on any drive and works with various file systems (FAT16 and NTFS5).
In addition, it has support for long names and allows you to restore not only partitions, but also their subsections.
The first step in working with this utility is to select a logical drive or folder to be tested for deleted files. Next, you need to select the type of files you are looking for from the five groups presented.
Among them are the following:
- Images;
- video;
- music;
- documentation;
- archive files.
If you want to narrow the search field, select the required type. If not, check all groups. In this case, the search will take a little longer.
After the program finishes processing the information, it will remain press the button"Finish". A search results window will open in which you will need to select the files that you want to restore.
It is worth noting that for some files it is impossible to determine the partition in which they were located. This occurs when working with the NTFS file system and is due to its specifics.
- works with any file system;
- Recovers most popular formats.
- The recovery process takes quite a long time.
Review
Vitaly. The best I have found among programs of this type. I'm surprised that, with such a small size, it works with any type of file. Like any other, it can’t restore all files, but there’s nothing you can do about it.
Recuva
Even a novice user will not have any problems installing the program. Everything is extremely clear, and besides, it is completely in Russian.
Working with it is also quite simple. After starting the program, you will see a working window containing all the necessary tools.
In its upper left part there is a drop-down list in which you need to select the one being tested. After this, click on the “Analysis” button and wait for the end of the running process.
After it is completed, you will be presented with a list of files that can be recovered. The application is quite simple and has minimal settings.
At the user's request, it is possible configure the following parameters:
- show or hide files located in system folders;
- whether to show files that have been securely deleted;
- whether or not to display files that have a size of zero;
- Save the settings to a file with the extension “.ini” so that you can transfer them to another computer.
- ease of use;
- recovery of files of various formats;
- free distribution.
- not all files can be recovered;
- When restoring, it changes the file creation date.
Review
kikichtoriya. I used the program because I accidentally deleted my course work from the flash drive. I was shocked, but the program quickly restored everything. I don’t know how it copes with searching and restoring long-deleted files, but it works great with “fresh” ones.
7-Data Recovery Suite
This utility not only supports the Russian language, but also has quite rich functionality.
It allows you to restore lost information not only after accidental deletion, but even when the storage medium has been formatted.
Recovery Suite has a deep scanning feature that allows you to identify fairly old traces of files.
These traces are used to restore them.
The working window contains several sections, among which are the following:
Advantages of 7-Data Recovery Suite
- works with any media;
- recovers files even after formatting;
- the interface is simple and clear.
- The free version has limitations.
Review
Ellymi. A very useful utility, and also quite simple. With its help, information was recovered from a formatted flash drive. The only annoying thing is that the free version has space limitations.
Active File Recovery
This small utility works with almost all file systems.
It can work with a hard drive even if its logical structure is damaged.
With its help, you can create a disk image and then transfer it to another drive.
Recognizes any type of media - , SunDisk, CompactFlash and others.
The program is quite interesting, but requires payment.
- work with any type of media;
- clear interface;
- requires purchase.
Review
Vadim. The program is good, but the files being recovered should not exceed 2 gigs. I restored HDTV movies that weighed 4.5 GB, so they restored them in pieces of 2 gigabytes. This is, of course, depressing.
Active UNDELETE Professional
The Active UNDELETE Professional program, despite its simplicity, is an excellent solution for data recovery.
Having the ability to work with deleted and damaged disk drive partitions, it has certain features.
- advanced hard drive scanning;
- preview files before recovery.
- quite a long scanning and recovery process.
Review
koleon104. I've already tried the program at work. I'm satisfied with the work, so I recommend it.
PC INSPECTOR File Recovery
With this program it is quite possible to recover lost data even from damaged hard drives.
It can work with file systems such as FAT and .
A nice thing is that the program restores found files with the original information - date and time. Most of these programs do not have this feature.
The present Special Recovery function allows you to recover even those files that do not have a link from the directory. This function recognizes most popular formats - AVI, ARJ, BMP, EXE, GIF, HTML, JPG, MOV, MP3, PDF, PNG and many others.
To restore the found files, you will only have to choose the most suitable option from those that the utility offers.
Fig.9. Hetman Photo Recovery working window
This program will help you recover photos from almost any media and even from a camera.
It will do its job perfectly even if you need to recover files from a mobile phone memory card.
Photo Recovery can work with any media - USB, HDD, cameras, etc.
Provides support for all major file systems - VFAT, FAT, NTFS, NTFS4, NTFS5.
Allows you to preview the image before starting recovery and supports the most common file types - BMP, ICO, JPEG, PNG, PSD and many others.
- easy to use;
- supports working with the most common file types;
- recovers files from cameras and phones;
- Availability of Russian-language interface.
- not identified.
Review
vik330. What can I say, many people lost photos dear to their hearts. This program is a real salvation. There are a lot of similar programs, but this one is one of the best.
When an important file is lost, a document you spent a week on is erased, and photos disappear from a suddenly formatted memory card, there is no need to worry ahead of time. When you delete a file from the disk, its description in the system is erased. The set of bytes that made up the file remains in place until something else is written on top of them. So you can try to recover your data using any of these applications.
Be careful if you install applications on a drive where deleted files were located. There is a risk that application files will be overwritten during installation. It is better to select another partition or physical disk for installation.
Platform: Windows.
Price: free, $19.95 for premium version.
Recuva can recover data lost by mistake, for example from an accidentally emptied Recycle Bin. The program can return photos from an accidentally formatted memory card in the camera or music from an empty MP3 player. Any media is supported, even iPod memory.
Platform: Windows, Mac.
Price: free, $89 for premium version.
Disk Drill is a data recovery application for Mac, but there is also a version for Windows. This program supports most types of disks, files and file systems. With its help, you can restore erased files using the Recovery Protection function, as well as find and clean up the disk. However, the free version does not allow you to recover files lost before installing Disk Drill.
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, SunOS, DOS.
Price: for free.
A very functional and versatile open source application. It has a text interface, but it is not difficult to understand.
TestDisk supports a huge number of file formats. In addition, the program can be burned to a LiveCD to recover data from a disk on which the system does not boot. The utility can recover a damaged boot sector or lost data.
TestDisk comes with the PhotoRec program, which recovers erased files, photos, music and videos.
4. R-Undelete
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux.
Price: the free version recovers files up to 256 KB in size; $79.99 for full version.
R-Undelete is part of R-Studio. This is a whole family of powerful data recovery programs. Supported file systems are FAT12/16/32/exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5, HFS/HFS+, UFS1/UFS2 and Ext2/Ext3/Ext4.
R-Studio applications can recover deleted data both on local drives and over the network. In addition to data recovery, the utilities provide tools for advanced partition copying and searching for bad blocks on disks.
Platform: Windows.
Price: free in trial mode with recovery of up to 1 GB of data; $69.95 for full version.
Eassos Recovery recovers deleted files, photos, text documents and more than 550 file formats. The application has a very simple and intuitive interface.
Platform: Windows.
Price: the free version does not save found files; $37.95 for full version.
The Hetman developer provides a set of utilities for recovering various types of data: entire sections or individual photos and documents. The program supports all hard drives, flash cards, SD and microSD.
Platform: Windows.
Price: free, $19.97 included with Glary Utilities.
Glary Undelete can recover any deleted files, including compressed, fragmented or encrypted ones. Filtering of recovered data is supported.
Do you know more convenient and functional data recovery applications? Tell us about them in the comments.