You’ve probably been bored at least once by a security guru telling you how important backing your files up is. Alongside virus scanning it’s one of the standard pieces of advice the industry dispenses, even if many of us are less than vigilant in following it.
If you’ve failed to back up before losing a file to a crash or an accidental deletion, you may think you’ve lost your data for good. Fortunately, file recovery tools give you the opportunity to take back the files that have been lost from the front-end of your computer. The only question now is which one is the best?
Pandora Recovery
Price: Free native version; Portable version available from $20
OS: Windows
Notes:
– Lightweight
– Can run recovery on connected devices
– Bundled with web browser toolbar
Recuva Free
Price: Free; Premium version available for £20
OS: Windows
Notes:
– Lightweight
– Recovers deleted emails
– Available as portable version
– Multiple languages available
Puran File Recovery
Price: Free for personal use; Commercial licenses from $30
OS: Windows
Notes
– Lightweight
– Several scan settings of several depths
– Available as portable version
– Search supports wildcards
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
Price: Free for 2GB files
OS: Windows and Mac
Notes:
– Works on computers, USBs and memory cards
– Recovers partition data and files lost due to viruses
– Recovers deleted emails
– Handles files up to 2GB
FreeUndelete
Price: Free for personal use; Commercial licenses from $69
OS: Windows
Notes:
– Previews recoverable files in drop down list
– Works on USBs and other removable devices
Wise Data Recovery
Price: Free
OS: Windows
Notes:
– Portable version available
– Works on USBs and other removable devices
– Predicts health of data before recovery
SoftPerfect File Recovery
Price: Free
OS: Windows
Notes:
– Lightweight
– No installation necessary
– Can be run from USB stick or other device
CD Recovery Toolbox
Price: Free
OS: Windows
Notes:
– Restores files from damaged CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD DVDs
– Does not recover files from hard disks or flash drives
PhotoRec
Price: Free
OS: Windows
Notes:
– Command line interface
– Works on USBs and other removable devices
Orion File Recovery Software
Price: Free
OS: Windows
Notes:
– Works on USBs and other removable devices
– Comes with search function
– Doubles as data destruction tool
