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Thursday, June 10, 2010

10 Free File Recovery Programs

Many free file recovery programs exist that can help recover your accidentally deleted files. These file recovery programs can help you "undelete" files on your computer.
Files you have deleted and then recently emptied from your Recycle Bin are often still present on your hard drive (or USB drive, or media card, etc.) and can be recovered using a file recovery program.
Important: You can increase the chance of recovering a file by minimizing your computer use as soon as possible. Your first step should be to install a file recovery program.
Undelete files for free with any one of these file recovery tools:
1. Recuva
Recuva File Recovery
Recuva is the very best free file recovery program available, hands down. It's very easy to use but has many optional advanced features as well.
Recuva can recover files from hard drives, external drives (USB drives, etc.) and memory cards. Recuva can even undelete files from your iPod!
Recuva will undelete files in Windows 7, Vista, XP, Server 2008/2003, and older Windows versions like 2000, NT, ME and 98. 64-bit Windows versions are also supported.
Piriform provides both an installable and a portable version of Recuva. I tested file recovery with Recuva using their portable version in Windows 7.
Undeleting a file with Recuva is as easy as deleting one! I highly recommend that you try Recuva first if you need to recover a file.

DiskDigger File Recovery
The free DiskDigger file recovery program is easily one of the best available. It was very easy to use in my tests.
One of my favorite features of DiskDigger is its easy to understand "dig deep" and "dig deeper" options with varying pros and cons making it a very versitle and powerful file recovery tool.
DiskDigger can undelete files from hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, etc. Any drive with a popular file system should be compatible with DiskDigger.
DiskDigger has been tested in Windows 7 (beta), Windows Vista, XP SP2+, and 2000. File recovery should also be successful with 64-bit versions of Windows as well.
DiskDigger comes in a completely portable version - a big plus in my book.
Glary Undelete File Recovery
Glary Undelete is an excellent file recovery program. It's very easy to use and has one of the better user interfaces that I've seen.
The biggest advantages in Glary Undelete include the easy "Folders" view, a Windows Explorer-style view of recoverable files, and a prominent "State" indication for each file, suggesting how likely a successful file recovery will be.
One disadvantage of Glary Undelete is that installation is required before you can use it. Aside from that fact, Glary Undelete is top notch.
Glary Undelete can recover files from hard drives and any removable media you might have including memory cards, USB drives, etc.
Glary Undelete works in Windows Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95.
Pandora Recovery File Recovery
Pandora Recovery is another excellent file recovery program. It's super easy to use and has the best wizard to help you undelete files that I've seen in any file recovery app.
A more advanced "Surface Scan" is available in Pandora Recovery that should recover more files than the standard search as long as they are of a popular format.
Pandora Recovery will undelete files from hard drives, memory cards, etc. Nearly anything that stores files that you can also connect to your PC should be supported.
Pandora Recovery supports Windows Vista, XP, Server 2003, and 2000.
You will need to install Pandora Recovery to your hard drive which is a major reason I haven't ranked it higher than some other file recovery tools.
SoftPerfect File Recovery
SoftPerfect File Recovery is another superb file undelete program. It's very easy to search for recoverable files. Anyone should be able to use this program with very little trouble.
SoftPerfect File Recovery will undelete files from hard drives, memory cards, etc. Any device on your PC that stores data (except for your CD/DVD drive) should be supported.
SoftPerfect File Recovery supports Windows Vista, XP, Server 2008 & 2003, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. According to SoftPerfect, 64-bit versions of Windows operating systems are also supported.
SoftPerfect File Recovery is a small, 500KB, standalone file making the program very portable. Feel free to run File Recovery from a USB drive or floppy disk.
Restoration File Recovery
The Restoration file recovery program is similar to the other free undelete apps on this list.
The thing I like most about Restoration is how incredibly simple it is to recovery files. There are no cryptic buttons or complicated file recovery procedures - everything you need is on one, easy to understand program window.
Restoration can recover files from hard drives, memory cards, USB drives, and other external drives.
Restoration supports Windows Vista, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. I successfully tested Restoration with Windows Vista.
Like some of the other popular file recovery tools on this list, Restoration is small and does not need to be installed, giving it the flexibility to be run from a floppy disk or USB drive.
Avira UnErase Personal File Recovery
Avira UnErase Personal has to be one of the most simple free file recovery programs I've ever used.
After installation (there is no standalone version), you're a single click from seeing every deleted file on a drive. Recovering a file with Avira UnErase Personal is a single click operation as well.
UnErase Personal can recover files from hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, and other similar sources.
According to Avira's documentation on UnErase Personal, the program should work with Windows XP and Windows 2000 Pro only. However, I also successfully tested Avira UnErase Personal with Windows Vista.
FreeUndelete File Recovery
FreeUndelete is self explanatory - it's free and it undeletes files! FreeUndelete is another great file recovery tool, very similar to other undelete utilities around this rank in my list.
The major advantage of FreeUndelete is its easy to use interface and "folder drill down" functionality (i.e. files available for recovery are not listed in a big, unmanageable listing).
FreeUndelete will recover files from hard drives, memory cards, and other similar storage devices in or connected to your PC.
FreeUndelete supports all versions of Windows - Vista, XP, etc. I successfully tested FreeUndelete with Windows Vista.
Note: OfficeRecovery.com's website is often down. You can also download FreeUndelete from MajorGeeks.com.
ADRC Data Recovery Tools File Recovery
ADRC Data Recovery Tools is another great, free file recovery program. File recovery with this program is uncomplicated and could probably be accomplished by the average computer user without any kind of documentation.
ADRC Data Recovery Tools should be able to undelete files from any non-CD/DVD storage device like memory cards and USB drives, as well as hard drives, of course.
Data Recovery Tools officially supports Windows XP, 2000, and 95 but I successfully tested data recovery with this program on Windows Vista.
ADRC Data Recovery Tools is a standalone, 132KB program making it a very portable file recovery tool that will easily fit on any removable media you might have.
CD Recovery Toolbox File Recovery
CD Recovery Toolbox is a completely free and very unique file recovery program. CD Recovery Toolbox is designed to recover files from damaged or corrupted optical drive discs - CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, HD DVD, etc.
According to the publisher, CD Recovery Toolbox should help recover files from discs that have been scratched, chipped, or have surface spotting.
One obvious con is the inability of CD Recovery Toolbox to recover files from hard drives or portable media drives. However, the program isn't designed to do that so I haven't held that fact against it.
CD Recovery Toolbox works in Windows Vista, XP, Server 2003, 2000, NT, ME and 98. I tested CD Recovery Toolbox successfully in Windows Vista.

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