It is not uncommon for a user to try to free up space on his hard drive and inadvertently delete important files. To restore them there are specialized programs. It doesn’t matter if the data was deleted after a crash or a deliberate erasure of the file, it will work anyway.
Recuva
Recuva - if not the best free program for recovering deleted files, is certainly the most popular. In it, you can specify not only sections for scanning, but also the types of files that you want to find. This is very convenient when important photos or documents were deleted at the same time as unnecessary trash. If the utility is set to certain types of files before starting work, only they will be shown in the scan results.
The application interface is simple. If the user is faced with such software for the first time, the step-by-step wizard built into Recuva is best. But manual work will be organized without unnecessary windows and settings. Although, of course, the latter option is most suitable for advanced users who want to control the entire recovery process.
A feature that, according to users, makes Recuva the best program for recovering deleted files, is the presence of an official portable version. That is, the program downloaded from the developer's site can work without installation. There is also a standard installation package for integrating software into the operating system.
The only drawback of Recuva is the impossibility of restoring documents if the file system has been changed on the drive. Also, the utility cannot connect to those hard drives that the system recognizes as unformatted.
PhotoRec
Listing the best programs for recovering deleted files from a USB flash drive or hard drive, one cannot but mention PhotoRec. The utility is multi-platform and runs on operating systems such as Windows, Linux, macOS. The developer claims that PhotoRec uses unique algorithms that differ from those used in applications of the same segment. As a result, the utility in some cases copes with the task better than competitors, and in some cases worse.
Initially, the application consisted only of the software part and had no interface. To work with it, it was necessary to learn the built-in commands and write complex scripts. Now the application has acquired a user interface, although the console version is also included in the delivery.
The only drawback of the utility that does not allow it to be called the best program for recovering deleted files is that it automatically restores deleted files and saves them to a folder specified by the user. This approach affects the execution time of all operations. In addition, if you need to restore files from a large partition, you will have to connect a drive of the same size to save the documents found. The situation is slightly corrected by the ability to select only certain types of files for recovery.
R-studio
Often R-studio in such reviews is called the best program for recovering deleted files. Key features of the utility:
- ability to work with different drives: flash drives, floppy disks, DVD-disks, HDD;
- RAID support;
- work with formatted drives;
- support for all popular file systems used in macOS, Linux, Windows;
- a boot image that works around the OS is included in the package of delivery;
- preliminary creation of a drive image to reduce the likelihood of overwriting important data.
Damage to the media for the application is not a problem. If the operating system says that it cannot read the disk, and for further work it should be formatted, try to restore the data using R-studio. It is highly likely that the utility will read the data without unnecessary questions.
Having looked at all the features of R-studio, the program can rightly be called professional and has the maximum built-in functionality. Its only drawback is the need to purchase a license even when working with a home PC.
Data Rescue PC
Data Rescue PC is one of the best programs to recover deleted files. Its main purpose is to work with bootable media without having to enter the OS. This favorably affects the quality of recovery, since in operation the operating system often overwrites data, creating and deleting temporary files.
Key features of the utility:
- file filtering by type;
- work with damaged drives;
- data recovery after changing the file system of the device;
- full copy of the hard drive;
Of course, in addition to working with a bootable drive, the utility can also be launched under the control of the operating system. Although the application interface is not overloaded, it requires the user to know how the partition differs from the HDD, and the HDD from the RAID array.
Disk drill
Disk Drill is one of the best programs to recover deleted files. The utility was originally supplied only for macOS, but today it can also work under Windows. The utility is completely free, and even an inexperienced user can work in it.
The application can not only recover deleted documents, but also retrieve information from formatted drives. Despite the fact that the program is free, it is endowed with a function inherent in professional software - creating a drive image and then working with it.