Disk recovery program after formatting. Overview of free data recovery software

Programs for recovering deleted or lost files are quite popular. With their help, you can return lost important files or folders.

For recovery, you do not have to turn to the services of professionals in this field. Using these programs, you can independently perform recovery operations.

Our selection of programs in Russian allows you to easily restore this data.

Magic Partition Recovery is a software product designed to solve such common problems as restoring erased information and restoring damaged or inaccessible disk fragments. On this site you can download the application with the key for free. The application functions both when interacting with the available areas, and with damaged, erased and inaccessible areas of the disk. After downloading the program, you can not only recover lost data, but also resume the disk architecture completely: the names of folders and documents, their ...

Important information on the hard drive, flash drive or memory card of the mobile device may be inadvertently erased, although the price of the information stored on the storage medium can be very high. The procedure for recovering data from a formatted disk is a rather expensive service. In any case, everyone can try to recover deleted data using a variety of programs. If such software does not bring you results, then only you need to contact specialized services. You do not risk anything using such programs.

Recuva - the most popular program among free

One of the most famous applications that has gained wide popularity among users is the Recuva program. It is available for free on the Internet, and anyone can download it for free. Recuva is small in size and makes it easy to 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 take place automatically. The huge advantage of the Recuva product is that the user himself indicates which files to restore. That is, if you need exclusively graphic images, Recuva will search and restore them.


Although the program quickly recovers deleted data, it has some disadvantages. For example, Recuva will be able to help only when the information has been deleted and the medium itself has been no longer used. If you notice data disappearing after recording several files, Recuva will not be able to recover them. In addition, the program cannot recover the media after full formatting; Recuva will not cope and if the computer displays that “the disk is not formatted”.

UndeletePlus - a simple solution when you need to recover lost data

Simple software UndeletePlus is designed specifically to recover lost data, as the name implies. You can recover deleted files from the 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 choose how the files were deleted: there was a deletion, formatting, damage to the disk partitions. The following indicates which files were lost (photos, texts, music, etc.)


This program is recommended only if the deletion just didn’t go to the trash (by pressing Ctrl + Del).

R-studio - one of the best programs for the 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 damage to your computer’s hard drives;
  • partition recovery 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, deletion, damage to disks). Messages from operating systems, such as
“The disk is not formatted”, etc. R-studio is not a barrier, unlike the above programs. The program can be launched from a USB flash drive or a CD if the operating system itself does not start.

Data recovery on tablets, phones and smartphones running Android OS

Sometimes you need to restore data not only on a laptop or computer, but also on modern gadgets: smartphones, phones and tablets running on Android.
There are programs that allow you to restore files, photos, videos, etc. In my opinion, only two products deserve real attention:
  • recover lost data with 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 are subject to restoration, but also contacts, notes. The interface and capabilities of the second application (7-Data Android Recovery) strongly resembles the Recuva program for computers.

Data and file recovery from Recovery Software

Most paid or free programs offer all the 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.

  1. RS Partition Recovery - allows you to recover information after accidental formatting, changing the structure of disks. Supports all popular file systems.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 in any case with data loss: any disks, flash drives, file recovery from compressed and encrypted partitions are supported.
  5. RS File Recovery is one of the components of the aforementioned package, specially designed to recover important information from damaged disks, to recover deleted information.
  6. RS Photo Recovery - when you need to recover photos from your hard drive, flash drive or memory card, this product is for you. This program requires a minimum of user intervention. You do not need to deal with photo formats and other details - the program will do everything by itself.
  7. RS File Repair - many have encountered non-opening files or photos. For example, half of the photo looks gray, looks like incomprehensible multi-colored blocks or does not open at all. This application will be able to solve such problems and restore graphic or other files of different formats.
Having checked the capabilities of this software, we can conclude that this is a quality product for restoring any data (music, video, images). Although the program is paid, each Internet user can download a separate part of the product to restore certain data so as not to overpay for unnecessary functions. For example, if you need to recover a deleted photo from a flash drive or hard drive, then you can download RS Photo Recovery. The manufacturer gives you the opportunity to try out the program for free to see if it helps him. If so, then the necessary part can be downloaded for only 999 rubles. This will be much cheaper than contacting specialized computer centers to recover lost data. Using free applications freely distributed on the Internet, it is not always possible to achieve the desired result.
After a free download, you can see the results of file recovery (without the possibility of saving), and then decide on the purchase of one of the applications. Having received 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 recover lost information from any media (CD, DVD, Flash-cards, hard drives), including after their damage. The program will also help repair damaged partitions on hard drives: various formats are supported: USB, SATA, SCSI, IDE.


The program allows you to recover lost information absolutely safely on the 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 sectors of disks, 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

Great program Stellar phoenix   makes it possible to search and recover 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 retrieved from: a computer hard drive, a flash drive, a memory card, CDs or DVDs. With Stellar Phoenix, you can always create an image of a recoverable disk, which will make the process of finding 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. Recovery of lost information is carried out using the wizard, which offers a choice of only three points: restore the hard drive (hard disk), restore CDs, recover lost photos. Having chosen one of the items, you just need to wait until the program finds and restores the files. The program is easily mastered even by a novice computer user.

Recover important data on a non-working computer using Data Rescue PC

File recovery is possible even on a non-working computer, which does not start the operating system.


This procedure is possible thanks to the Data Rescue PC application. The program starts from LiveCD and allows you to do the following:
  • find and restore various types of files;
  • carry out work with damaged disks that are not installed in the system;
  • completely recover information after deletion;
  • rAID recovery (by installing the individual components).
Although the program has a professional set of features, it’s not difficult to deal with management: all functions are understandable thanks to the interface. Data Rescue PC not only restores information, the program makes it possible to extract files that the operating system has stopped seeing for various reasons.

Recover any data with Seagate File Recovery for Windows

Although there are many different applications designed to recover lost information, many continue to use the program Seagate File Recovery.


It was developed by the manufacturer of Seagate hard drives, and at first it was used only for the owners of these hard drives. But practice has shown that the program does an excellent job of recovering important lost data and other storage media (not necessarily Seagate). Even after formatting the disk or flash drive, deleting information from the media, the program continues to see files with the possibility of their recovery. In addition, this program performs file recovery so 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 cause the system to read the recovered photos, it is best to perform image recovery 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: a part of the image will be visible.

Another program 7 Data Recovery Suite

Many users for a long time can not find a suitable program for data recovery. One of such barriers is the lack of the Russian language. Application 7 Data Recovery Suite is fully Russified and has a convenient interface.


Any more or less computer-savvy computer user can recover important information using 7 Data Recovery Suite. Although you will have to pay a certain amount for using 7 Data Recovery Suite, you can always download it for free for educational purposes. Each user who has downloaded the product has the right to free trial information recovery within 1 gigabyte! Very good for exploring the capabilities of the product. Such a volume allows you to restore more than three thousand photos! 7 Data Recovery Suite makes it possible to recover deleted files that are not in the recycle bin, to recover information lost due to incorrect formatting or damage to the disk. Experienced users, often using 7 Data Recovery Suite for various tasks, argue that in the predominant majority of cases, the program copes with the recovery of 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 designed for mobile devices running Android OS.

Recovering files from a hard drive is a matter that worries many owners of personal computers.

This is the loss of valuable information, and the time required for its successful recovery.

Specialized services charge a lot of money for this, but if the medium is working, it makes sense to try to recover the data yourself.

The reasons for the loss of information

If the storage medium is unscathed, the main cause may be:

  • errors that occurred in the partition table or file system devices. Most often this happens due to incorrect shutdown of a personal computer, failures, malfunctions in the operation of hardware and software;
  • the harmful effects of viruses, as well as user errors, often lead to data loss or corruption. In such failures, information usually remains on the disk, but data on its location is lost. This is expressed in the loss of several partitions of the disk, displaying the partition as unformatted;
  • inaccurate file system entries can also result in partial or complete loss of individual files and directories.

The main causes of malfunctions that lead to loss of information

Or maybe files, important data were accidentally deleted, or the section in which they were was formatted. Information recovery is carried out using certain software in manual or automatic mode.

When using the appropriate programs, all information that exists on the medium is scanned. Based on the information found, a “map” of fragments of the restored data is created. It contains information: which file belongs to which sector, names, sizes and other parameters of elements of the scanned system. The selected data is then transferred to another disk.

What to do when data is lost?

If nothing was recorded in the sectors from which the information was deleted, then the data was not physically destroyed, but information about their location was distorted or lost. First of all, it is necessary to determine exactly where the sectors that store the necessary information are located, and also reproduce it in the correct sequence.

If information was recorded on the disk from where the files were deleted, for example, formatting and installing a new operating system, there is a high probability of physical data destruction. In these cases, the feasibility of successful recovery of information depends on the ratio of lost and recorded data. For example, when you delete 2 gigabytes of databases and record 100 gigabytes of music and movies in their place, the probability of successful recovery tends to zero.

Software recovery mechanism

  • media scan;
  • according to the results of the scan, a map of the location of the pieces of information is compiled based on the discovered service records and a directory tree is built;
  • the map contains data about which file belongs to which cluster, the name, size and other parameters of the file system elements;
  • if the information received is insufficient, then certain extrapolation methods are used;
  • folders and files that need to be restored are selected in accordance with the compiled map and transferred to another medium.

In this article, various programs, both paid and free, will be considered, their strengths and weaknesses will be analyzed so that the reader can quickly choose the most suitable software for his request.

5 best data recovery programs

Recuva

Recuva is one of the most common programs for recovering lost data or formatted disks. The high demand for this program can be explained by a simple and intuitive interface. Recuva does not require experience or special knowledge in the field of data recovery, it is very convenient and easy to use. You can download it from here.

The program scans the selected hard drive in detail (they are supported as various hard drives and flash drives). Information can be restored even if the drive has suffered any physical damage or it has been formatted using a standard system command.

It is recommended that you restore using the program without changing the standard settings, unless you are, of course, an expert in data recovery. This utility has a simple interface and will provide effective information recovery, even if the user does not have the necessary knowledge.

The program will prompt you to select the type of file to be restored. When searching for a specific file (music, picture, document), it is worth specifying the category to save time necessary for the recovery operation. But, if you don’t know the file type or want to find data from different categories, select “Other” and the program will search for all deleted information.

We choose what we will look for

Next, you need to choose the location where this file was before the deletion. You can choose not only a separate folder, but also more extensive areas, for example: “My documents” or “On a memory card” and the program will check the selected area for the availability of the necessary data. If the exact location is unknown (the file was deleted using special programs or simply disappeared), you should leave “Exactly Unknown” by default so that the utility scans the entire surface of the medium.

We choose WHERE we will search

A window appears ready to perform the restore operation. An in-depth analysis is recommended: it takes longer, but its efficiency will be many times higher.

It’s worth the wait while the program searches for files. If you did not choose a deep analysis, then the operation will take very little time.

Select information to restore

A window will open in which the found deleted data will be indicated. From this list, select the information that needs to be restored, after which the program will prompt you to select a folder for recovery.

It is important to choose the right folder where our files will be restored, because this will affect the efficiency of their recovery. Recovery should be carried out on a different drive, not on the one from which the recovery is carried out. Especially, this concerns the return of a large number of files. You can connect an additional hard drive or USB flash drive to return data to them. The location should be a little more than the size of the recovered files.

The recovery procedure does not take much time and depends on the number and size of files.

R-Studio

R-Studio is a convenient and functional program for recovering information from different drives, which was deleted by mistake. With it, you can scan various media and recover lost data not only from hard drives, but also from flash drives. You can download the utility from the website http://www.r-studio.com/en/Data_Recovery_Download

Initially, it is worth choosing the version: demo or full. If you are not engaged in data recovery constantly, it is better to choose a demo version. A 20-day period is more than enough to restore all the information.

If you are not a pro, it is better to use the demo version

In addition to recovery, the utility can also perform a preliminary scan. This operation will speed up and increase the efficiency of the recovery procedure. It is worth noting that you can scan the device with third-party programs, and upload a file with a progress report to R-Studio. The utility always performs detailed scanning by sector. This may take some time, depending on the size of the partition being checked.

We scan the selected section

After checking, you can view all the files that she was able to detect and then select those that can be restored. In order to restore a file, you need to right-click on it and select the "Restore" command.

R-Studio is convenient and multifunctional

If it is not known exactly what was deleted from the device, and you are going to recover all the lost files, in this case, right-click on the desired medium and select “Restore all files”.

In the end, just select the section where to restore

At the end, you will need to select the folder where the recovered information will be restored. Important! Be sure to keep in mind that the folder must not be on the hard drive from which information will be returned, because during the recovery of some files, others may be permanently deleted by them.

After selecting a folder, you need to wait while the program will diagnose the drive and recover lost information.

Easy recovery

Easy Recovery can be safely called a high-quality program for professionals, which can be mastered by an ordinary user. It has gained popularity due to its excellent efficiency and, at the same time, ease of use in comparison with similar utilities. The advantage of this program is that it can also perform preliminary diagnostics of the media. Download the program

Click on “Disc Diagnostic” and select the necessary command. If the utility was downloaded in order to recover data, then we conduct a deep scan of SmartTests. In addition to scanning, the program will diagnose and determine if the hard drive has problems, for example, unreadable sectors or any other ones to prevent troubles.

Diagnostics Menu

After selecting a command, the type and number of media that are currently working on the device is determined. We choose with which we will work, where to restore information.

For the most accurate and complete diagnosis, select "Run extended SMART test". Preliminarily, be patient: the verification will take a lot of time.

We are patient and choose a scan

To restore files, go to the "Data Recovery" section and select the mode that is of interest to us. In this program, the modes are selected depending on the specific situation.

For example, if you accidentally formatted a hard drive, select the “Format Recovery” category. Next, select the drive file system and the partition that was formatted.

If there is a need to recover deleted files, in this case we select the “Deleted Recovery” function - the disc selection menu opens and the formats of the recovered files are determined.

Recover Lost Files

If the data was lost as a result of a software failure or the reason for the loss is unknown, select the Advanced Recovery option. After scanning, the program will find information that has been deleted in a certain period of time.

Choose what we need to restore. Typically, the diagnostic and recovery procedure does not take much time. This will depend on the amount of data that needs to be returned.

PhotoRescue Pro

PhotoRescue Pro is a utility that helps you recover deleted photos or videos. Current digital devices provide ample opportunities for recording, dubbing and optimizing media files. If you accidentally deleted the necessary files from a digital gadget, this utility will solve this problem.

With this program you can recover data from any type of flash drives, hard drives or mobile phones. It is possible to recover data even from damaged and formatted media.

Working with PhotoRescue Pro is very convenient and affordable. You can download it from here. The program supports many languages, including Russian. After selecting the language, a window appears in which we press the “Next” button and the registration window appears. If you just want to restore several photos, registering the program does not make sense, but if you constantly work with the camera, and this problem occurs quite often, you should purchase the full version.

First, select the drive from which we will return information. The utility works with several file systems at once, which is very beneficial. Click "Next."

Analyze the content

After selecting the drive we need, click "Next", wait a couple of seconds - the utility will check the section we selected. A list of folders is displayed, we need to choose the one that interests us. If the location of the file is unknown, click on the checkmark at the very top to select all the data found. "Next"

Select the desired folder

We select the formats of the files we are interested in. In order not to make a mistake, it is better not to remove the checkmarks from individual formats so that the utility finds the maximum information. Next, select the desired files. Click "Next."

Select the desired folder

After completing the selection of formats, the scanning operation will begin. The verification time will depend on the amount of data and will take from several minutes to a couple of hours.

Scan duration depends on data size.

The advantage of the program over analogues is the simultaneous check of the drive for the presence of unreadable sectors in it. Thanks to this, you can not only recover lost information, but also carry out diagnostics and troubleshooting.

It remains only to restore the data

After scanning, a list of files opens. It is possible to search for files by category (video, photo, audio) and formats, and not by sections and various folders.

The program shows how much data was found and what was deleted. Thanks to this, you will quickly find out which files were found and which were irretrievably lost.

Getdataback

GetDataBack is one of the most efficient and most powerful. With it, you can restore data in almost any situation. The developer divided the program into two subtypes: the first for the NTFS file system, and the second for FAT. Download it from here: https://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm

Recover all deleted files for an effective result

Install this utility on an extraneous hard drive. You cannot restore to the media from which files will be restored, since the necessary information will be overwritten.

After opening the program, a menu of four items appears. For maximum efficiency, it is recommended to select the fourth item - “I want to recover deleted files”.

Choose the necessary section

In the list of local disks that the utility finds during the scan of the hard drive, you need to find the section where the deleted files were located. The program provides many opportunities in the field of data recovery, but if you just want to return information from the drive and do not know where they were, you should choose the category “Physical drives”.

A file systems window opens and you must select the one that supports this version of the program (in our case, NTFS). In modern computers, different file systems are used at the same time, so we put a checkmark next to “Show recommended”.

Select the file system that interests us

After a detailed scan, the utility will open the folder explorer, simple and easy to understand. The contents of the selected folder will be displayed on the right; if the information has been deleted, after recovery GetDataBack will show the files in strikethrough font for easy classification. Each file is equipped with a special marking, with which you can determine the type of information found.

Data recovery is easy and convenient.

As a result, we select the data we need and start the recovery. After finishing, the restored file will be available in the editor.

File recovery using this program in the FAT file system is carried out similarly.

Conclusion

In this article, in my opinion, the most popular and effective programs for recovering deleted data from a hard drive and various media were considered. For beginners, the popular, with a simple Recuva interface, is suitable; when losing media files, you should choose PhotoRescue Pro, it can recover data from almost any modern gadget; GetDataBack is ideal for continuous work with information return - it has powerful functionality, is effective and at the same time has an ergonomic main menu.

If for some reason you did not manage to recover your data, and the information is valuable, it makes sense to contact specialists. They have more powerful software and can help where these utilities are powerless.

When an important file is lost, the document you spent a week is erased, and the photos disappeared from the suddenly formatted memory card, do not worry ahead of time. When a file is deleted from a 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 data using any of these applications.

Be careful if you install applications on the disk where the deleted files were located. There is a risk that during installation, application files will be written on top of them. It is better to choose a different partition or physical disk for installation.

Platform:   Windows
Price:   free, $ 19.95 for the extended version.

Recuva can recover data lost by mistake, for example, from a randomly emptied Recycle Bin. The program can return photos from an accidentally formatted memory card in the camera or music from a cleared MP3 player. Any media, even iPod memory, is supported.

Platform:   Windows Mac
Price:   for free, $ 89 for an extended version.

Disk Drill is a data recovery application for Mac, but there is a version for Windows as well. This program supports most types of disks, files, and file systems. With its help, you can restore deleted files due to the Recovery Protection function, and also find and clean 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:   is free.

A very functional and versatile open source application. It has a text interface, but it’s easy to figure it out.

TestDisk supports a huge number of file formats. In addition, the program can be recorded on 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.

Included with TestDisk is PhotoRec, which recovers deleted files, photos, music and video.

4. R-Undelete

Platform:   Windows, Mac, Linux.
Price:   the free version recovers files up to 256 KB in size; $ 79.99 for the 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 disks and over the network. In addition to data recovery, utilities provide tools for advanced copying partitions 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 dollars for the 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 the files found; 37.95 dollars for the full version.

Hetman provides a set of utilities for recovering various types of data: entire sections or individual photographs and documents. The program supports all hard drives, flash cards, SD and microSD.

Platform:   Windows
Price:   free, $ 19.97 as part of Glary Utilities.

Glary Undelete can recover any deleted files, including compressed, fragmented or encrypted ones. Filtering of recoverable data is supported.

Do you know more convenient and functional data recovery applications? Tell us about them in the comments.

Do you like the article? Share with friends: