At an individual level, one can also lose important information from their PC storage. This can be the result of accidental deletion or document alterations by malicious software programs. Either way, data loss can be very frustrating to an individual or business enterprise. The good news, however, is that it is possible to get back your files. And how to do that, simple. You need a data recovery software. This software come in freemium as well as premium versions. It all depends on the type of data recovery you want to do. And as expected, the premium plans come with more options and features. Freemium versions are best for basic recovery, especially for single user PCs. In this review, we have enlisted some of the best free data recovery software. Recover all your files and folders effortlessly.
1. Recuva – Best Freemium Data Recovery Software
This is the king of data recovery. Recuva has an exceptional ability to recover and restore data on hard drives, SSD cards, DVDs and CDs. and it recovers all types of files that were initially in the drive, but works best for photo recovery and other common files. It is capable of restoring lost directory structure and allocating different names for similar files. What’s more, this tool supports deep scan mode which comes with superior overwrite features. Together with its military and industry standard deletion technique, this software is capable of recovering data from newly formatted discs as well as damages hard drives. Besides, Recuva has a simple user interface with tabs and easy to use recovery features. And before final recovery, there’s a preview screen. This makes it easy to choose the files you want to recover and the ones you don’t want. I love the fact that this tool is compatible with NTFS as well as FAT systems. And about its compatibility, this data recovery software can be used with Windows 10, 8.1, 7, XP and other older versions.
2. Test Disk – Hard Disk File Recovery Software
This is probably the most common of recovery software in this list. It is open source and works well at recovering disc partitions. If your disc is damaged and does not seem to boot correctly, this tool can help you fix that too. It comes with common as well as high-end recovery features, hence is ideal for use by both apprentices and pros. The deep scan mode makes it easy to explore and detect file entries in damaged or deleted disc partitions. Even though it is a free data recovery tool, this software is best for those who are conversant with command line coding. If that is not your thing, then you probably might have a very hard time with TestDisk. It is compatible with a range of operating systems; Windows, Linux, BSD, DOS, and macOS. Moreover, this tool only works for the following file systems; NTFS, FAT, exFAT, and ext2.
3. Stellar Data Recovery – Compatible with USB Drive Data Recovery
This is best suited for windows and macOS and is an open source data recovery software. Unlike the above two, Stellar constitutes a number of other software, data recovery included. It works best for the photo, hard drive and USB recovery. It is free and very simple to use. All you need to do is download, install and launch Stellar software. That simple and you are ready to begin recovering deleted files and disc partitions. It is important to note that this tool supports deep scan mode and fast drive file recovery besides other advanced features. If you are not an IT expert and are looking for a good data recovery software, this is a very good tool to check out. It is best for less experienced users. What’s more, it comes with an inbuilt preview function. This makes it easy to choose the files and disc partitions to recover. If you want the additional feature, you can upgrade to the Stellar premium plan.
4. Undelete 360 – Retrieve Deleted Files for Free
This is yet another good recovery tool that has a design similar to MS office products. Because it is designed using a fast and efficient algorithm, this recovery tool is very easy and simple to use. Even though it is good for data recovery, Undelete 360 is notably slow compared to most recovery software. In addition, it also lags a lot during data recovery. Apart from these downsides, it is still a very good tool worth checking out. It is best for basic data recovery on damaged hard drives, SSD cards, smartphones, etc. You can also use it to recover data in case of accidental deletion. Like most recovery tool, this one supports file preview before recovery. In addition, it also supports data wiping, a special feature that is not found in many recovery software. Undelete 360 support different file formats including GIF, PNG, JPG, JPEG, etc. It works best for FAT and NTFS file systems.
5. PhotoRec – Best Free Photo Recovery Software
PhotoRec has a reputation for excellent data recovery, both for basic as well as advanced application. Therefore, it can be used by beginners and pros alike. It has a very interactive and user friendly interface making it very easy to use. The interface features tabs and other data recovery options that make the entire process super easy. PhotoRec works best for digital cameras, hard drives, SSDs, damaged DVDs and CDs. The next time you lose vital info rom any of the above mentioned, look no further than this exceptional data recovery tool. This tool is compatible with different operating systems; windows, Linux, MacOS, etc. It is capable for recovering some 440+ file formats and supports FAT, NTFS, and exFAT, ext2, ext3, ext4, and HFS+ file systems. This one uses command prompt, so you’ve got to be equipped with some basic coding skills.
6. Pandora recovery – Windows Data Recovery Software
This is a windows only platform; one of the best data recovery software. Like most modern recovery software, Pandora Recovery supports NTFS and FAT file systems. Besides, you also get to preview certain deleted files before actual recovery. This allows you to choose which one to recover and which ones to ignore. On the downside, however, it is important to note that this software is very inefficient in file recovery. If you are a pro, this might not be the best choice. For beginners though, Pandora recovery is a very good tool to start with. It’s surface scan feature makes it easy to recover data from damaged and formatted drives. In addition, it is capable of recovering hidden, encrypted as well as compressed files.
7. MiniTool Partition Recovery – Free Drive Recovery Software
As the name suggests, this tool is best for recovering partitions. This is very handy in instances when an entire partition of disc compartment has some issues. Worth noting is its wizard-based interface that makes access to makes access to content categories simple and easy. So the next time you delete an entire disc partition accidentally, just download and use the Mini Tool Partition recovery software to help you through. In the course of recovery, this software even generates status reports to help you determine progress. Some users have noted that its performance is not the best for data recovery on bootable discs though. It supports NTFS and FAT file systems. About compatibility, this software works best in windows operating system.
8. Wise Data Recovery – Speedy Recovery!
If you want to recover some deleted files or disc partitions, you need a recovery software that is designed for a speedy recovery. That must be the Wise Data Recovery software. It has some very cool recovery features best suited for quick recovery. It has an intuitive and user friendly interface that makes it one of the easiest to use. It is best for recovering data from USB drives, cameras, memory cards, and other removable storage media. Recovery options are classified into distinct categories. You can choose from among the integrated file extensions using the available filter tools. Wise Data Recovery is compatible with windows operating system and also supports FAT and NTFS file systems.
9. Puran File Recovery – Easy to Use!
This is another great open source data recovery tool that can be used by novices as well as professionals. It is compatible with Windows operating system and supports FAT and NTFS file systems. This software supports up to 3 different recovery modes. These include the Default quick scan, Deep scan, and Full Scan. The default quick scan recovery option is very basic. It entails reading the FAT or NTFS files systems of the deleted files only. Deep scan, on the other hand, involves scanning all the available free disc spaces. The Full scan option evaluates all the free spaces on the hard drive or USB storage then initiates recovery process. In case your drive or storage is badly damaged, you can make use of the custom scan list which basically stores file signatures for more precise file recovery.
10. PC Inspector File Recovery – Free Data Recovery Tool
This is, in my opinion, the best recovery tool for erased or damaged boot sector files. It is compatible with FAT and NTFS file systems. At the moment, this tool is only compatible with windows operating system. It has a very colorful interface featuring many options and features all arranged in the form of tabs. Some users, especially beginners, find the tab a little bit confusing. For pros, however, this is one of the best recovery tools. In fact, the tabs only serve to make your work even simpler. It has a simple search dialog for faster location of recovered files and sectors. While recovering files, the tool prompts the user to choose a local disk or a network drive where to store the recovered files. It is best for recovering boot sector files, videos and several other types of file formats.
» Free to download this Free data recovery tool.
11. DM Disk Editor (DMDE)
DMDE is a rich in features and options making it best suited for apprentices and professionals alike. It is compatible with windows and Linux operating systems. Besides, it supports FAT and NTFS file systems. It is best for recovering data from hard drives, memory cards, CDs, and DVDs. I love the colorful user interface featuring many features and options for different data recovery modes. It supports options for copying disc sectors and creating disk image files for the same. This make the recovery process for damaged partitions and disc sectors super easy. There is a preview and file search options before recovery. This ensures that you only recover what you need and ignore the unnecessary. You also get to save logs to ward off the risk of rescan at a later date. In addition, you get detailed info about the devices from which the date has been recovered. This is good for the record.
12. Glary Undelete
This data recovery tool has one of the simplest interfaces; so plain with little if any visual appeal. Even so, it is such a powerful tool when it comes to recovering your lost files. If you are new to data recovery and are looking for a quick fix, Glary Undelete is worth checking out.
13. Disk Drill
If visual appeal and speedy operation are important considerations to you when choosing recovery software, then I suggest you go with Disk Drill. It is very easy to download, install and use. Read more, CleverFiles Disk Drill Review.
14. SoftPerfect File Recovery
SoftPerfect File Recovery tool comes last in this list, but that does not mean it is the worst of all. In fact, it is much better than most of the enlisted tools here. It is compatible with windows operating system and supports FAT & NTFS file systems.
15. Restoration
<Stop updated: Not recommend!>
This is another good data recovery software you need to check out. It is best for recovering lost data from damaged hard drives, CDs, DVDs, USD drives, and many more. Restoration has a very simple and interactive user interface, something that makes it very simple and easy to use. If you are a newbie in data recovery techniques and procedures, you need something that is more direct with no complicated procedures. That is what you get with Restoration. It is one of the lightest and effective data recovery tools I know of. Something else about it is that it does not require to be installed before use. It runs excellently from an external storage device. This is a plus because it saves you precious space. It is compatible with windows operating system and supports FAT & NTFS file systems.
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of our review of some of the best data recovery software. Be sure to compare and contrast each of them so as to find the best recovery tool.
