A program for recovering files with a key. Test of free data recovery programs

Flash drives and SD memory cards are capacious, cheap and convenient devices for storing information. The flash drive may contain data of particular importance: confidential information, logins and passwords for accessing wallets and bank accounts. Also, a USB Flash drive is used as a key for access and authorization to operating systems, services, and programs.

As a result of a simple mistake (or simple carelessness), it is easy to lose valuable information on a flash drive. Most often, information loss occurs due to a damaged file structure. In some situations, deletion is truly irreversible, but in other cases, recovery of a flash drive is possible. This is what we will try to do ourselves – programmatically.

This review presents programs that will help with. Each application has strengths and weaknesses, we will definitely list them.

How the programs were tested

To test the programs, we used a 7.29 GB USB flash drive with the FAT32 file system. The following files were copied to it:

We cleared the flash drive of files as it would look in reality. For this we:

deleted files on a flash drive bypassing the trash (Shift + Del)
performed a quick format (with the Clear table of contents option).
a video file of 1.1 GB in size was recorded over the deleted information.

Choosing the best program to recover deleted files

Reconstruction applications are good because they skip service information on the flash drive and access memory directly. As a rule, it is possible to extract, if not all, then at least some data from the device’s memory that will be suitable for further work. As a result of manipulations, using special programs, we will recover the data contained on the flash drive. The important thing is that the flash drive will work absolutely correctly after the data resuscitation procedure.

There are countless programs for recovering files on a flash drive. Many of them are universal: they work with hard drives, system partitions, and are suitable for restoring specific file formats

I suggest you familiarize yourself with programs that work with mobile storage devices - usb flash and sd memory cards.

Unformat - a program for recovering data from a flash drive with many settings

File recovery in Unformat

Scanning deleted partitions on the flash drive took about 20 minutes. Further scanning of the partition after opening the partition takes about the same amount of time. Saving files also takes several minutes.

The Unformat program determines the deleted partitions, the file system type, the quality of the results, the first and last sector of the partition. All information about the process can be tracked through the log.

Files sorted by file type are available in the files detected by signatures section. At the same time, file types may not match extensions and must be changed manually.

As a result, the Unformat program detected all photos in jpg format. After formatting and rewriting, all data was preserved, including exif information. But the file names were deleted. Video and audio files could not be found in Unformat.

In this video I show how to recover information from a flash drive using basic Unformat settings:

CardRecovery is a specialized program for recovering files from a flash drive

The CardRecovery program fits naturally into the review, since the list of supported devices includes USB flash drives and portable drives. It will help you recover files in such deletion scenarios as accidental formatting, damage to the file system of a flash drive, and memory card damage.

In fact, this product has not been updated for a long time; the latest version - 6.10 - was released several years ago. However, CardRecovery works without problems on Windows 10.

Restoring other information from a USB flash drive (archives, documents), unfortunately, is not available. For this reason, the CardRecovery utility will be more useful to owners of photo and video cameras who have lost information on a memory card or flash drive.

The cost of the program is low; a license for 1 user costs $39.95 USD.

Recovering files in CardRecovery

To recover data on a flash drive, we followed these steps:

Selected the Removable Devices list, as a storage device, usb flash.
Specified file types for scanning on a flash drive. CardRecovery has limits on file extensions, mainly multimedia file types - photos, audio and video.

The scan results are displayed as “file name - properties”. Exif information can be easily extracted from photos. At one of the steps (Step 3) you can see a preview. In this regard, CardRecovery is perhaps the most convenient program.

The preview is not available for video: you can see it only after purchasing the full version.

CardRecovery recovered all the images on the flash drive, just like Unformat. Many media files were restored in a damaged form with no chance of recovery (apparently, this is information that was contained on the flash drive for a very long time and was overwritten many times).

PhotoRec - recovering photos from a flash drive

Recovering files in PhotoRec

PhotoRec saves the result to the specified folder as it is restored.

The scanning took about 10 minutes: which is quite fast considering that the results are identical to Unformat. The program recovered not only photos, but also videos, and not only those that were deleted from the flash drive after formatting, but also files that were recorded and deleted before the test. Apparently, this place on the flash drive was not overwritten, so the videos, each 1 GB in size, were restored with virtually no damage.

One of the disadvantages is that PhotoRec does not have a save option. All files are saved in a heap in the specified folder, preview is not available. Information about where the files were deleted from is also not available.

Recuva program - free data recovery from a flash drive

Recuva is a universal program; you can use it to recover from USB flash drives, SD cards, hdd and ssd. Its tools are free, and you don't have to buy a license to bypass limits, as with other recovery programs. When restoring the flash drive, at the last stage, the window with the requirement to pay for the full version does not appear.

Recovering from a USB flash drive in Recuva

If the flash drive is in very poor condition, you can create an image and enable signature search. Depending on the degree of damage, files are color coded. Previews are available for media files.

How to recover information on a flash drive in Recuva

Having connected the flash drive, we opened Recuva Wizard, selected file types and storage media (usb flash drive).
We also enabled the Deep Scan option to avoid missing damaged or overwritten files.

Overall, the recovery took about 20 minutes. If the USB flash drive is more than 64 GB, be prepared that scanning will take even longer. However, Recuva works faster than other programs, such as Unformat.

Conveniently, Recuva Wizard has a preview, which is especially convenient when working with photos, if you only need specific files

In general, everything is done in a few clicks, but you have to pay for it in that there is no way to select a partition for recovery and there is no sorting by signatures.

File Scavenger – a program for recovering files on a flash drive

The list of problems solved with File Scavenger is impressive:

Recovering files deleted from a USB flash drive
Recovering data after accidentally formatting a flash drive
Fixing a damaged flash drive
The flash drive is not detected in Disk Management
The flash drive is "reset" to factory settings

Files can be recovered from hard drives, memory cards, RAID arrays, etc. Recovers data from most file systems (including NTFS, FAT 32/16/12, exFAT, ReFS) and virtual disks (VMFS, VMDK, VHD and VHDX).

The program works without installation (the corresponding option can be selected when starting File Scavenger).

File Scavenger is regularly updated; the latest version of the program for Windows 10 and Server 2012, in 64- and 32-bit editions, is available on the developer’s website.

Please note that in demo mode, File Scavenger allows you to test the functionality; Saving recovered files without purchasing a license is not possible. The cost of File Scavenger Standard Edition is $57.00, Professional Edition is $195.

Recovering files in File Scavenger

To recover files from a flash drive you need:

Select a USB flash drive from the list of devices,
Specify scanning mode quick or long
Click the Scan button.
At the end of the scan, a table with the data found on the flash drive will be displayed.
For each file, the status (probability of information recovery), modification date, size and other information useful when recovering from a flash drive are indicated.

File Scavenger also displays the partition, folder where the files were deleted. The Status column does not always display real information. For some files that Recuva identified as recoverable, the information is not available here.

The program has very few scanning settings; the interface is quite inconvenient, although simple. Files can be displayed as a file tree, plus a preview is available. You can select all files or only specified types (files are sorted by signature) and through the Save to tab.

Verdict. USB flash drive recovery programs - which one is better?

The results showed that the programs participating in the review showed approximately the same results. In fact, the likelihood of recovering data on a flash drive largely depends on what actions were performed on the USB drive after deleting the data.

So the main difference between the programs is the cost of the license and the convenience of the interface.

Answers to readers' questions

I have the "auto call recording" feature enabled. When yesterday I deleted records selectively, at some point I clicked “delete all”. But I don’t need everything, there are records that I need. What to do? How to restore them?

Answer. Any of the above file recovery programs (Recuva, Recover My Files, CardRecovery and other utilities) allow you to recover audio recordings, say, on a flash drive. The data may not be recorded on a USB flash drive, it does not matter. Simply specify the source for scanning deleted files, then view the results found and select the files that are most similar to audio recordings (you can tell by the file extension) to return.

Suddenly all the files (photos, music, etc.) appeared on the flash card, but the folders that I created remained. There was no rewriting, no formatting was done. Very strange situation, what could it be? I would like to believe that data recovery from a flash drive is still possible...

Answer. All the programs listed here (CardRecovery, PhotoRec, Recover My Files and Recuva) are equally effective at recovering data from a flash drive. Read the review and choose the utility that will meet your criteria.

You can find out directly how to recover information from a flash drive by selecting the desired section on our website in the main menu. Video instructions are available for some applications.

I deleted the information from the flash drive (rar archive in the archive contains word, pdf and dwg files) and completely recorded the rar archive with pdf files on top. Is it possible to restore previous information on a flash drive?

Answer. If there was still free space on the flash drive before overwriting, there is a chance to recover the information. In fact, they are always there, but if there was no space and you deleted files precisely for this reason, the likelihood decreases. Any program for recovering deleted files from a flash drive, for example, Undelete 360, Recuva or Unformat, will help you.

Almost every active PC user sooner or later faces a problem when some necessary files are accidentally deleted from the hard drive or any other media. If this happens, do not despair. All you need to do is just download a free program to recover deleted files. Currently, a huge selection of similar software, both paid and free, is available to the user on the Internet. File recovery programs automatically scan the hard drive for deleted data and display this information on the screen. In most cases, just one click of the mouse is enough to bring the erased file back to life. Many free data recovery applications can work with multiple file systems - such as FAT, NTFS, NTFS5 and others. In addition, some programs are capable of recovering deleted files not only on the hard drive, but also, for example, on memory cards. The application will analyze the space of your hard drive and provide information about the files being restored, and upon completion of the work it will present a full report on the actions taken. Free file recovery programs will also come to the rescue if the information you need is on any damaged media - a CD, floppy disk or flash drive. Almost always, the chance of recovering a damaged file is quite high. However, it is worth noting that downloading and installing a file recovery program for free is not always enough - if the file you are looking for has already been overwritten by another, then the chance of recovering it is significantly reduced. We have a wide selection of free software. All you need to do is just choose and download file recovery software for free, suitable for your requirements.!

greetings to all Khabrovchan!

Imagine a situation where at one point your hard drive/flash drive/memory card stops working normally, and you can no longer access data in the usual way. For those who do not make backups, this is a difficult, nervous time. In a panic, people begin to look for data recovery programs and find them. Most of them are free, which cannot but please people in our difficult times. But do all free programs recover data so effectively? We ran a couple of tests on several popular programs, and this is what we came up with.

Attention! Lots of screenshots.

Briefly about the tests

To conduct tests, we took five absolutely identical Transcend JetFlash 370 flash drives with a capacity of 8 GB. They were all purchased on the same day in the same place, the file system is the same, the main components (controller, memory chip) are also the same. Five absolutely identical flash drives. We recorded data on each of the flash drives. The choice fell on photographs/pictures in .jpg format. The choice of photographs was not accidental: the descriptions of some tested programs indicate that “special” algorithms will work when restoring photographs. Also, in most cases, photos are stored on memory cards, and our tests will be useful for beginners and professional photographers.

The directory structure was as follows:

Total number of files - 1671

All data takes up a little less than a quarter of the free disk space

All programs were installed on one computer. OS Windows 7 Professional x64. The programs were tested one by one in turn. For each program there was a separate drive with a simulated problem.

First test. File system crash.

The first, quite common situation is a file system failure. With such a failure, as a rule, the drive asks for formatting. We simulated this situation as follows: on each drive we erased everything up to the beginning of the FAT tables

We deliberately left the FAT tables untouched because some of the programs indicate the ability to analyze the found FAT tables. It is clear that when connecting to a computer, a window immediately appeared asking to format the disk.

1.Recuva

Recuva has a built-in wizard that helps the user correctly start the data recovery process

Selecting our drive

Turn on “In-Depth Analysis”. It’s not entirely clear what this is, but we’re doing our best to get our data back.

And then we get this message:

Advanced mode didn't help. The program didn't even start searching for our files.
Test failed. Restoration result - 0.

This program also has a wizard, but of a slightly different type

By selecting the second item, we get the following window:

It is obvious. After all, we were grinding real data with zeros.
The following window shows which damaged partitions are available for scanning

Select it and the following window appears

The default parameters are those that provide a search across the entire drive: from the minimum to the maximum value.
Applying these parameters in the window with logical drives, we get several new lines in the program

By selecting each of the last three and clicking the “Preview” button, we find the section we need:

Open it and see the entire directory structure

All data opens correctly, all files and directories are in place.
Test passed. Result 99%. (I don't like absolute values)

3. Pandora Recovery

The only program that requires an Internet connection during installation.
There is also a master

But everything quickly ends when we try to select the device we need.

Test failed. The recovery result is 0.

4. RS FAT Recovery

This program, like others, has a wizard that will definitely help you get started.

Select the maximum allowable search

After starting the search, a window appears with a progress bar, which helps guide the user through the recovery process

As a result, we get a complete directory structure, if not for one BUT

To save the data in its original form, registration of the program is required. Otherwise, each photo will have a background with a message about the unregistered version of the program.

However, the test passed successfully. The recovery result is 99%.

Perhaps the only program that does not have a wizard. The minus is small, because... by simply searching in a few clicks the user will find the desired button

By pressing the “Open” key, we automatically get a full result, if not for one thing BUT

The free version of the program has a limit on saving recovered data. It is 1024 MB. There is no preview, which is not very convenient. But the test is passed. The recovery result is 99%.

Subtotals

Only three out of five programs coped with the task. This:

2. PC INSPECTOR File Recovery
4. RS FAT Recovery
5. MiniTool Power Data Recovery

At the same time, the program won an absolute victory 2. PC INSPECTOR File Recovery, because in the free version it allows you to get good results without restrictions and unnecessary actions.

Test two. Quick formatting

Now let’s try to put ourselves in the shoes of a person who doesn’t know what formatting is or simply presses the Enter key in any incomprehensible situation until the incomprehensible windows disappear. The windows disappeared, as did the data itself. By default, Windows uses Quick Format.

We also formatted the drives and ran each program again. Let me remind you that 1671 jpeg photographs and pictures were previously recorded on the drives.

1.Recuva

This time, using the wizard, we launched the program without any problems, and the scanning process began

After some time, the result was obtained - 1390 whole files.

2. PC INSPECTOR File Recovery

The search was started with default parameters

The result was obtained, but upon detailed analysis it was clear that most of the files were damaged, only a few files with a minimum size were intact.

3. Pandora Recovery

Like Recuva, Pandora Recovery launched without problems. The search for lost data has begun

But at some point an error occurs. We tried various launch options (both as an administrator, and in compatibility mode, etc.), but the error does not disappear. From the preview you can see that real files were found, but there is no way to save them.

The test is considered failed. The recovery result is 0%.

4. RS FAT Recovery

In this program, using a wizard, we started searching for our files.

We got the result: 1575 whole.jpg photos and 92 .bmp. In total there are 1667 files.

5. MiniTool Power Data Recovery

In this program, as in others, the scanning process was started.

The program reported that it found 1668 files.

We were unable to verify this. Let me remind you that in the free version you can only save 1024 MB of recovered data. Having saved ten photographs, we discovered that they were all intact. We will conditionally consider the test passed, and recovery result - 99%.

Bottom line

In the second test, the leadership, in my opinion, belongs to 1.Recuva. The general picture looks like this:

Based on the results of two tests, it is impossible to clearly determine the best free data recovery program. For each type of problem you need to use one or another program. However, data in case of “logical” problems can be recovered using such free programs. By the way, after formatting, we recorded another 2 GB of new data on these flash drives, and

If you accidentally quickly formatted a partition of your hard drive or flash drive, then it’s okay: the information can be restored using special programs. Deleted data will be returned with a 99% probability if you choose the right utility and do everything according to the instructions.

Recovery rules

For data recovery to be successful, you must comply with the main requirement - do not write new information to the media from which files have been deleted. Deleted data is not destroyed without a trace - only information about it in the file table is overwritten.

Important: Do not save recovered data on a disk from which it was previously deleted. Use a removable disk or another hard drive partition.

Formatted data can be restored only if quick formatting (by headers) was used. After deep marking, it is almost impossible to return information at home.

Using Recuva

First, try recovering files after formatting your system using the free Recuva program. As tests show, this utility returns more than 80% of files after formatting the system or removable drive.

A list of files found after formatting the system will appear. Deleted data, which is marked with a green circle, can be restored without problems - they are fully functional. If the file is marked yellow or red, then it will not be possible to return it: when formatting the system, the data was damaged.

Other free programs

Recuva does not find all erased data, so sometimes it becomes necessary to use other programs. So that you do not get confused among the variety of software, the description of which states that it returns deleted information after formatting the system, we will highlight two proven utilities - MiniTool Power Data Recovery and /TestDisk.

The first program is shareware - you can save no more than 1024 MB at a time. If the deleted data takes up a smaller volume, then there will be no problems with returning it. The second utility is completely free and recovers any amount of information.

Working with MiniTool Power Data Recovery:

If the capabilities of MiniTool Power Data Recovery are not enough for you, use the PhotoRec/TestDisk utility, with which you can recover files in almost any situation: after partitioning, in case of a file system failure, etc. There is one procedure for all problems:

Launch the program and select the disk you will work with.
Specify a formatted partition or removable drive. Click "Search".
Select the "Other" file system.
Start scanning mode "Free".
Use the arrows to select the folder where you want to restore the files and press "C".

The data will be saved to the directory you specified. The files may change name, but there should be no problems running them.

greetings to all Khabrovchan!

Attention! Lots of screenshots.

Briefly about the tests

The directory structure was as follows:

Total number of files - 1671

All data takes up a little less than a quarter of the free disk space

All programs were installed on one computer. OS Windows 7 Professional x64. The programs were tested one by one in turn. For each program there was a separate drive with a simulated problem.

First test. File system crash.

1.Recuva

Recuva has a built-in wizard that helps the user correctly start the data recovery process

Selecting our drive

Turn on “In-Depth Analysis”. It’s not entirely clear what this is, but we’re doing our best to get our data back.

And then we get this message:

Advanced mode didn't help. The program didn't even start searching for our files.
Test failed. Restoration result - 0.

This program also has a wizard, but of a slightly different type

By selecting the second item, we get the following window:

It is obvious. After all, we were grinding real data with zeros.
The following window shows which damaged partitions are available for scanning

Select it and the following window appears

By selecting each of the last three and clicking the “Preview” button, we find the section we need:

Open it and see the entire directory structure

All data opens correctly, all files and directories are in place.
Test passed. Result 99%. (I don't like absolute values)

3. Pandora Recovery

The only program that requires an Internet connection during installation.
There is also a master

But everything quickly ends when we try to select the device we need.

Test failed. The recovery result is 0.

4. RS FAT Recovery

This program, like others, has a wizard that will definitely help you get started.

Select the maximum allowable search

After starting the search, a window appears with a progress bar, which helps guide the user through the recovery process

As a result, we get a complete directory structure, if not for one BUT

To save the data in its original form, registration of the program is required. Otherwise, each photo will have a background with a message about the unregistered version of the program.

However, the test passed successfully. The recovery result is 99%.

Perhaps the only program that does not have a wizard. The minus is small, because... by simply searching in a few clicks the user will find the desired button

By pressing the “Open” key, we automatically get a full result, if not for one thing BUT

The free version of the program has a limit on saving recovered data. It is 1024 MB. There is no preview, which is not very convenient. But the test is passed. The recovery result is 99%.

Subtotals

Only three out of five programs coped with the task. This:

2. PC INSPECTOR File Recovery
4. RS FAT Recovery
5. MiniTool Power Data Recovery

At the same time, the program won an absolute victory 2. PC INSPECTOR File Recovery, because in the free version it allows you to get good results without restrictions and unnecessary actions.

Test two. Quick formatting

We also formatted the drives and ran each program again. Let me remind you that 1671 jpeg photographs and pictures were previously recorded on the drives.

1.Recuva

This time, using the wizard, we launched the program without any problems, and the scanning process began

After some time, the result was obtained - 1390 whole files.

2. PC INSPECTOR File Recovery

The search was started with default parameters

The result was obtained, but upon detailed analysis it was clear that most of the files were damaged, only a few files with a minimum size were intact.

3. Pandora Recovery

Like Recuva, Pandora Recovery launched without problems. The search for lost data has begun

The test is considered failed. The recovery result is 0%.

4. RS FAT Recovery

In this program, using a wizard, we started searching for our files.

We got the result: 1575 whole.jpg photos and 92 .bmp. In total there are 1667 files.

5. MiniTool Power Data Recovery

In this program, as in others, the scanning process was started.

The program reported that it found 1668 files.

Bottom line

In the second test, the leadership, in my opinion, belongs to 1.Recuva. The general picture looks like this: