Identifying the best data recovery software for Windows is crucial to guaranteeing a successful data retrieval. With many options available both for free and paying for the job, choosing the right software can be difficult. In order to make the process easier and improve your information recovery experience, we have compiled a list of the most popular software options for Windows. Each application has been carefully evaluated, taking into account factors such as performance, usage and features. Whether you are working within a limited budget or with specific specifications. You will find a suitable software solution below. You can repair your computer at an affordable price. You can check how much is Windows 11 costs right now?
Trying to start with an investigation of three unlimited free data recovery software programs. Unlike many other free options, these programs allow you to recover unlimitted amounts of data without purchasing a license. It is worth noting that this section excludes software with recovery limitations so that you have an unrestricted data recovering experience.
Best Free Data Recovery Software
PhotoRec
License: Open source (GNU General Public License)
Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP
PhotoRec stands out as the leading free recovery software for Windows, more than a much-paid solution in terms of its ability to recover files. It supports more than 480 file extensions and 300 file families, including popular formats such as ZIP, DOC, PDF, HTML and JPEG, along with many other graphical file formats. Although PhotoRec works via command line, there is also a graphical user interface version called QotoPhRec, although it has limited features.
Advantages:
- Off-source license
- Supports more than 480 file formats
- Impressive data recovery performance.
- Offers both command line and graphical user interface versions.
Disadvantages:
- Lack of customer support.
- A slightly complicated user interface.
- Rare update
Recuva
License: Freemium
Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/7/Vista/XP
Recuva is a free data recovery software that offers unlimited recovery capabilities. It has a user-friendly interface and sample viewing features for sample files. Developed by the creators of CCleaner, Recuva was first bundled with it. However, the free version may be shorter unless you need virtual hard drive support. Also, the latest update for Recuva was released in 2016, which limited compatibility with the latest popular file formats. However, it stands out for recovering common type files such as JPG, PNG, DOC, PDF, MP3 and AVI.
Advantages:
- The interface is easy to use.
- Supports file sample
- Ability to safely delete files
Disadvantages:
- Rare update
- Not suitable for commercial use.
WinfrGUI
License: Free
Compatibility: Windows 10 2004 and higher
Meeting the increasing demand for an accessible free data recovery tool, WinfrGUI offers a user-friendly choice. It is a graphical user interface developed for the well-known command tool by Microsoft Corporation, which makes the recovery process easier and eliminates the need for complicated command lines and parameters. With support for NTFS, FAT, exFAT
and ReFS file systems, WinFrGUI provides easy navigation and ease of use. Advantages:
- Intuitive Graphical Interface
- Developed by Microsoft Corporation
Now we’re going to move to the best cost-effective recovery software options. These options usually offer superior performance and usability compared to their free partners, as well as
direct customer support and additional advantages. The most expensive options also offer free trials. It allows you to test their performance before making financial deals.
Disk Drill
Price: Free trial with limit. 500 MB Recovery. The Pro version is priced at $89.00. Gives unlimited data recovery. Lifetime upgrades can be purchased for $29.00. An enterprise license for up to 10 users costs $499.00.
Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7. Disk Drill 2.x Supports Windows XP and Vista
Disk Drill for Windows is an excellent cost-effective data recovery software for recovering deleted files. It combines advanced file recovery performance with a user-friendly interface, making the recovery process easy to understand. Free trial allows up to 500 MB of recovery, which provides a comprehensive overview of existing features. Disk drill also includes a disk tool to fix common Windows issues such as insufficient storage space and backup.
Advantages:
- Well-designed user interface.
- Supports popular system and file formats
- Includes useful disk tools
- There are multiple scanning algorithms.
- There’s a lifelong upgrade.
Disadvantages:
- Free Trial Limited to 500 MB Recovery
- No phone support for charged users.
UFS Explorer
Price: Free trial with sample file. Price from $24.95 for Standard Edition to $999.95 for the most modern Corporate Edition.
Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP
UFS Explorer is a sophisticated data recovery software suitable for a wide range of users from home users to technical professionals. It is extremely efficient in managing complex recovery situations, including RAID re-creation and recovery from various file systems. The software supports fast and deep scanning, enabling extensive file recovery. The advanced version features additional features such as working with corrupted partitions and creating disk images for safe recovering.
Advantages:
- Most file systems are supported.
- Offers license options
- Can work with encrypted file systems
- Virtual machine support
Disadvantages:
- Technical knowledge needed to get the best results.
- Limited Free Trial
R-Studio for Windows
Price: Free trial with a limited file size of 256kB. The price ranges from $49.99 for R-Studio FAT up to $899.00 for R -Studio Technician. Depends on the desired features. The most comprehensive version costs $79.99.
Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/2000 and buy windows 10 product key
R-Studio is a professional data recovery software designed for power and technology users. It supports multiple file systems and partitions, making it very versatile in use. R-studio can recover files from NTFS, ReFS, FAT12/16/32, exFAT, HFS/HFS+, APFS, UFS1/UFS2 and ext2/ext3/ext4. Provides a comprehensive solution that fits the user’s capabilities. The developers also created a simpler version called R-Undelete.
Advantages:
- Cover a wide range of applications.
- Capacity to rebuild network recovery RAID
- Offers a simple version.
Disadvantages:
- Very limited free trial.
- Designed primarily for advanced users.
MiniTool Power Recovery
Price: The free version can recover up to 1 GB. The price ranges from $69.00 (monthly membership) to $99.00 (lifetime license).
Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a popular software program for recovering deleted files. It supports all versions of Windows from 7 and above. Trial versions allow data recovery up to
1 GB, which is enough for recovery of various documents and images. For those who purchase the software, it is recommended to choose a lifetime license which gives up to 3 uses.
Advantages:
- Lifetime license option
- Can view recoverable file samples
- Ability to recover specific folders
Disadvantages:
- Virtual disk recovery not supported
- Limit to 100 file types
Wise Data Recovery
Price: Free version Recover Recently Deleted Files. Price ranges from $59.95 for Wise Data Recovery Pro to $89.95 on Wise data recovery Pro +.
Compatibility: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP
Wise Data Recovery is known for supporting more than 1,000 file types including documents, images, videos, audio, emails, and records. This software supports FAT, NTFS, HFS,HFS+, HFSX, ext2 and ext3 file systems, making it ideal for Windows, macOS, and Linux users. While the free version has no limit. The data recovered will only include recently deleted files. (e.g., those present in the Recycle Bin).
Advantages:
- Free trial.
- Supports more than 1,000 file types
Disadvantages:
- Email support only.
- ExFAT file system not supported
What is data recovery (and why is it possible?)
But what is certain is data recovery and why is it possible? Data recovery involves searching for lost, deleted, or corrupted data from various storage devices such as hard drives, memory cards, and USB flash drivers. This is done using a data recovery tool. As mentioned above. This process involves scanning the storage device to detect traces of inaccessible files. These tools provide a list of files that can be recovered and sometimes enable sample viewing before starting the recovery process.
How to recover deleted items?
Data recovery is possible because once a file is deleted in Windows, it will be marked as unused without actually deleting data. This method saves computation time and energy while stillining user comfort. Deleted files become unrecoverable when they are rewritten by new data, which may occur immediately or after a period of days to months. Until that point, data recovery software for Windows can help restore lost files.
So how can you recover deleted items? Recovering deleted files becomes a simple process. With a user-friendly recovery solution for Windows, follow the following step instructions to effectively retrieve lost data using WinfrGUI:
Step 1: Download and install WinfrGUI
Get WinfrGUI from an official source without registration or credit card information. The installation process should be easy, but be sure to select a different directory from the drive with the deleted files.
Step 2: Start scanning on your storage device.
Connect your storage media if it’s not connected yet. Enable WinfrGUI and select the storage device that is connected. Start the scan process by choosing the appropriate option and wait with patience while Winfr GUI uses careful recovery methods.
Step 3: Recover Deleted Files
When the scan is complete, check the list of recoverable files. You can select a specific file to recover or select a complete recovery. Click on the “recover” button and specify the target directory carefully for the deleted files to avoid duplication by selecting a different storage.