10 best file recovery programs

System requirements : Windows 10, 8. Designed to recover lost partitions and make non-booting disks bootable again, TestDisk is an excellent solution to many desperate data loss scenarios, but its text-only user interface puts it out of the reach of many users.

Download TestDisk User Experience. It can fix partition tables, repair boot sectors, and do many other things to restore access to lost files.

But despite its shortcomings, such as the lack of an intuitive graphical user interface, TestDisk remains one of the best data recovery software solutions for Windows, Mac, Linux and several other operating systems. EaseUS has managed to garner a great deal of positive feedback across a wide spectrum of users, and our experience with its data recovery features has been similarly positive, which is why it deserves a place on this list.

Its developers have successfully made the complicated process of data recovery simple and accessible to anyone. There are no menus with multiple layers and options that require a lengthy manual to decipher what they mean. You can also select a specific folder, including the Recycle Bin. Are you still hungry for more data recovery software? Using software to recover deleted files is a reliable method of addressing an unexpected data loss scenario. In many cases, hard drive recovery software will get back all or most of the lost files.

However, you need to have realistic expectations and understand what affects the reliability and success of data recovery software. Here are some items to keep in mind regarding the use of disk recovery software. Based on our experience and the reviews published by countless real users, Disk Drill is the best data recovery software for Windows Because it delivers best-in-class data recovery results while being so easy to use that even casual users can figure it out without any help.

Is there any software for data recovery professionals? R-Studio stands out as the best professional data recovery software because it offers an assortment of advanced features, including the ability to recover network disks and damaged RAID arrays. Data recovery professionals should purchase the technician version of the software, which makes it possible to use R-Studio for commercial purposes. What to do if I don't have a lot of money for data recovery software?

There are many recommendable data recovery software applications that are affordable, but only PhotoRec is completely free and open source. Can I use software to recover data from a damaged hard drive? What is the best deep scan recovery software?

There are several HDD recovery software solutions that function well when called upon to perform a deep scan. Our research points to Disk Drill as being among the best at recovering files from a deep scan. As it scans your disk on the sector level, Disk Drill locates and reconstructs lost files in over formats.

It can find long-lost data that other recovery tools miss. You can also give other solutions a try, such as Recuva and EaseUS. Is there any reliable data recovery software for Mac?

Yes, there are several reliable hard drive recovery software solutions for Mac. PhotoRec is free software to recover deleted files. It features a command-line interface and may not be the best solution for inexperienced users. For more alternatives, check out our guide on choosing the best data recovery software for your Mac.

Robert brings over 30 years of experience in data storage, security, compliance, backup, and recovery to the HandyRecovery team. Several years ago, he turned his attention from hands-on technical roles to develop a career as a freelance writer concentrating on technology and its impact on society. Areas of focus include the cloud, data recovery, artificial intelligence, and industrial automation.

Andrey is a software engineer expert with extensive expertise in data recovery, computer forensics, and data litigation.

Andrey brings over 12 years of experience in software development, database administration, and hardware repair to the team. Press ESC to close. Table of Contents. Data Recovery Software Picker. Data Recovery Software Picker New The purpose of this form is to help you select the best data recovery software for your specific data loss situation.

Please answer all questions as best as you can. The recommended software will be automatically displayed at the bottom after you check all the mandatory fields. What kind of device do you need to recover? External storage device USB flash drive, memory card, etc. What is your mobile operating system? Which operating system do you use? How tech-savvy are you? How much money would you like to spend? As little as possible. My budget is flexible. Just one click finds everything that's missing or broken.

Disk Warrior's preview feature lets you see how your disk will appear after it is repaired, but before any changes are made. You can even compare your disk in its damaged state to its repaired state. Disk Warrior verifies your repaired directory to ensure it is error free and then uses fail-safe method of replacing the damaged directory with the repaired directory to ensure that interruptions such as power outages won't harm your data. Disk Warrior is incredibly safe to use. Features Are you locked out of your computer?

Forgot your password? Quickly reset and unlock your PC. Keep your files without doing a full reinstall! Simply pop in the USD flash drive, set your computer to boot from it, and the software will guide you through the last step; resetting your password Includes User Guide.

Dell, HP, and all other PC brands. Now you can stop your search and Reset your password without resetting your computer. Feel free to ask questions below. Features USB 3. Lightly Carbonated, tastes like refreshing "citrus. Professional, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Basic Disc will work on any type of computer make or model. Last updated and news: Disk Drill 4. Recuva is a straightforward data recovery software capable of handling simpler data recovery jobs, such as the recovery of recently deleted files.

Its biggest advantage is the fact that it can recover an unlimited amount of data for free. Restrictions on the free version: No technical support.

Last updated and news: Version 1. PhotoRec is an open-source data recovery software application that runs on basically any operating system. Despite its name, it can recover over file format families, making it a great choice for those who would like to recover deleted data without paying. Sun Solaris. Restrictions on the free version: PhotoRec is free and open-source, so there are no restrictions whatsoever.

Last updated and news: The latest stable version of PhotoRec version 7. This multi-featured data recovery application lives up to its name, offering stellar performance and design.

Stellar Phoenix is a high-end, user-friendly recovery software that comes in several editions. Restrictions on the free version: The free version allows users to scan for recoverable files.

Last updated and news: Stellar Phoenix 9. R-Studio is a commercial data recovery software tool with versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It was originally designed to be used by data recovery professionals but has evolved to provide a user-friendly solution accessible by anyone.

Last updated and news: R-Studio 8. Data Rescue is an advanced data recovery software package offering from Prosoft Engineering. Relying on 20 years of data recovery development, Data Rescue has helped reunite users with billions of lost and deleted files.

Restrictions on the free version: You can test the functionality of the product by taking advantage of their free File Finder app. Last updated and news: Data Rescue version 6. Despite being abandoned by its developers, UndeleteMyFiles Pro remains a recommendable data recovery software application for Windows, especially thanks to the inclusion of several extra disk tools.

Restrictions on the free version: UndeleteMyFiles Pro is completely free without any restrictions. The most harrowing data damage experience is losing an entire partition or drive. This may be attributed to an accidentally deleted partition or an overwritten one, an unfinished format procedure, etc. If this has happened to you, MiniTool Partition Recovery can help.

Restrictions on the free version: None. Last updated and news: The last version of Undelete was released in February , and everything indicated that this data recovery application has been abandoned by its developers. Wondershare Recoverit Data Recovery. Given that Wondershare Recoverit Data Recovery is one of the most popular data recovery solutions around, we think that you should at least check it out.

What you may not like is that all of its versions lack several essential features, such as the ability to save scans. AnyRecover Data Recovery. Puran File Recovery. Still, you may want to take a quick look at it because it works great on old computers and delivers satisfactory data recovery results. Wise Data Recovery. This data recovery tool promises to recover over 1, types of files from a variety of devices, but, during our testing, it failed to deliver good results on computers running the latest version of Windows Glarysoft File Recovery.

Kickass Undelete. This professional data recovery software offers many useful features, such as the ability to back up and restore a partition table or clone an entire storage device, but its user interface looks like it has arrived from the past using a time machine. Recover My Files. But despite its old age, it still holds up relatively well, especially when it comes to the recovery of basic file formats from Windows drives. SysTools Data Recovery Software.

On the paper, SysTools Data Recovery Software seems like a highly capable data recovery solution, but looks can be deceiving. In reality, SysTools Data Recovery Software is not only difficult to use, but its data recovery performance leaves a lot to be desired. Why give it a try then? Its extensive file format support is one reason, and its ability to preview recoverable data items is another.

Ontrack EasyRecovery. In the past, Ontrack EasyRecovery used to be a fairly capable clone of Stellar Phoenix, but those days are gone. Developers have since then abandoned the application, focusing on other projects instead. Remo Data Recovery Software. With Remo, you can recover more than file formats from all kinds of storage devices and preview recoverable files prior to their actual recovery.

Thank you for your vote! Help Us Improve This Article. Was the provided information useful? Your vote is important to use! You've already voted! Comparison Table. In such cases, your only options are professional data recovery services with clean rooms and state-of-the-art equipment.

Instead, we decided to focus our attention on just 10 most popular data recovery applications, listing the pros and cons of each so that you can easily decide which of them is the most suitable for you. What to Consider When Selecting Data Recovery Software With so many data recovery software applications to choose from, how do you decide which to try and which to ignore?

You compare their performance, compatibility, features, usability, price, and security. The main factor to consider when selecting data recovery software is performance.

It goes without saying that your data recovery software of choice must support your operating system. If you use both Windows and macOS, it makes sense to select a data recovery application that can run on both operating systems.

There are many different data recovery software applications competing for users, who have come to expect more than basic data recovery capabilities. By choosing a data recovery application with a lot of extra features, you can avoid spending money on multiple different software applications. Instead, the application should be intuitive and easy to use, making it obvious what each of its options is for without forcing you to read a lengthy manual. While there are many great data recovery applications that cost absolutely nothing, their features, ease of use, and customer support typically pale in comparison with paid data recovery software.