Top 5 Free Data Recovery Tools

Accidental data deletion and data loss is a common issue for anyone whose uses a computer.We often unintentionally delete important files and this can lead to headaches and frustrations. While the most common cause is Human error ,this may also happen because of viruses and hardware failures.

Many people realize after emptying Recycle Bin that an important file was in it and now gone. Sometimes people accidentally format the incorrect drive while trying to format other drive.Viruses are also responsible for data loss, that why its important to have an updated Antivirus installed. Other causes are hardware failures, and physical damage.


While it is always advised to create backup of all important data, one should remember that the files when deleted are not permanently erased and can be recovered using Data recovery Tools .When we delete a file ,the file is not gone forever, instead computer just mark the place as blank , and that it  now can be used to write new file or data.

Here are the 5 free Data Recovery tools for Windows that you can use to recover lost files.


  • Recuva - Recuva is one of the if not the most popular Data Recovery tool when it comes to windows. Its fast installation and neat interface makes it user-friendly.You can either use recovery-wizard or manual mode to recover your lost files.

Download Recuva here.






  • PC Inspector File Recovery - Another Free recovery tool which serves its purpose, and have to say its pretty powerful and i found it more productive than recuva, but its Interface is messy and confusing to use.PC Inspector file recovery supports the FAT 12/16/32 and NTFS file systems. Finds partitions automatically, even if the boot sector or FAT has been erased or damaged.


Download PC Inspector File Recovery here.




  • Test Disk - TestDisk is a powerful data recovery tool. Its small, But it's not GUI based,so not for casual user. You need to have little basic knowledge on what you are doing, if not you might end-up damaging your data.It has many great features some of which are-

  • Fix partition table, recover deleted partition.
  • Rebuild FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 boot sector & Recover FAT32 bootsector from backup.
  • Fix FAT tables.
  • Rebuild NTFS boot sector.
  • Recover NTFS boot sector from its backup.
  • Fix MFT using MFT mirrorUndelete files from FAT, exFAT, NTFS and ext2 filesystem
  • Copy files from deleted FAT, exFAT, NTFS and ext2/ext3/ext4 partitions.   [Wiki: Test Disk]




Photorec - Photorec unlike its name is not just confined to photos, it comes bundled with Test Disk and its also devoid of GUI like Test Disk but Photorec is more safe to use as it would't mess you Master boot record or partition table. It operates only in read-only mode and is pretty good in recovering your lost or deleted files.


Undelete 360 - This one also has good user interface and is pretty easy to use . The program works with any storage media, including hard drives, USB sticks,SD Cards.After Scanning drive for lost file it shows the list of found files and their estimated recovery status. Though its not as efficient as Photorec, it is good for quick file recovery. 



1 comment:

Ruby Badcoe said...

These tools make it easier for individuals and companies to recover lost files. There are some that can handle big data and there are some that can recover only a small amount. However, knowing that it’s already possible now, people can now worry less about the data itself. That shouldn’t be the case, because prevention is better than correction. Don’t wait for data to be lost to use up such tools - back them all up.

blog comments powered by Disqus
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...