7-Data Recovery is a user-friendly and powerful software capable of recovering deleted, damaged, and disappeared files. 7 Data Recovery is fixes: accidental file deletion, partition errors, corrupt iPhone file retrieval, SD card issues, and fixing hard drives that stopped booting. Here is a list of Best Free File Recovery Software for Windows.All these software can help you recover back deleted files from your computer. If you have lost some important files accidentally or due to some other reasons and you want them back, these software can help you recover deleted files. Windows file recovery software helps to recover severely corrupt, damaged, lost and deleted file data from hard drive partitions. All types of data like images, documents, audio/video files and PDF files etc can be recovered in original format using software. Windows File recovery from FAT and NTFS formatted drives More.
Read the reviews below for more in-depth information.
At some point most people learn the hard way the importance of backups. Chances are you already have something set up, perhaps using a cloud-based program such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft's OneDrive. You might have everything routinely saved to a USB stick or to an external hard drive as well. You might even have all three in play.
However, while syncing files and folders across multiple devices makes it easy to save them, it unfortunately also makes it easy to delete them by accident. Trying to organize and rearrange folders is a great way to accidentally misplace an important file, only to realize what happened too late.
This is where file recovery software can come into their own, and while there are some expensive paid plans, we're going to list the best of the free file recovery software here. However, the caveat is that these are never going to be as powerful as the more expensive versions and are intended for situations which only require an easy recovery.
Even still, they still have their place and it's definitely a good idea to have something like any of these in place, just in case - so that the moment you realize you've make a mistake and misplaced something, you can recover it quickly and easily enough, preventing you from need the big paid-for guns in the first place.
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1. MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free
Limit by file type
Fast
MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free is the only program in this round up which provides you with essential advice during the installation: do not install the software to the drive you want to recover data from, as you may overwrite files.
This version is free, but there are paid-for editions available as well, so you will realise that there are a few restrictions.
You can only recover 1GB of data, you don’t have the option of saving scan results to work with later, and a few other options are missing – but there's absolutely nothing that stops this from being a great free recovery utility, aside from the occasional ad here and there.
You can limit scans to specific files types, and MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free is capable of getting files back from partitions you are not even able to see, and there's support for removable drives including optical media.
Scans are pleasingly fast, and results are searchable to make it easier to find exactly what you're looking for. A superb piece of software that worth of your attention.
You can download MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free here
2. Disk Drill
Simple to use
Featuring a delightful simple interface, Disk Drill make file recovery very simple. There's no need to fiddle with complex options, and the program can be used to scan local as well as removable drives and memory cards. Performance a scan of your chosen drive and you're presented with a list of recoverable files, grouped by type, and you have the option of previewing image files in advance. It's a simple, effective tool with a high success rate.
What seems like a nice touch for anyone who is a little nervous about data recovery, is the inclusion of a quick tutorial the first time the program is run – but it is simplistic in the extreme and of little real value, and ultimately serves as an ad to upgrade to the Pro version.
Disk Drill is available for both macOS and Windows. Upgrading to Pro increases the number of computers the software can be used on, and opens up more options such as advanced scanning and wider file system support. For most people, however, the free version should cover all the usual eventualities.
3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free
Preview option
Keeping things nice and simple, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free is the friendly, accessible face of recovering lost files. Fire up the program and you're presented with a screen asking which drive you would like to scan for recoverable data – you then just need to hit the Scan button. There are no options to configure, but if you know exactly where a file has gone missing from, you can specify a folder to scan to speed things up.
Results are presented in an Explorer-style view which is easy to navigate, but unfortunately there is no indication of the quality of files that have been found – although a preview option is available. You can then select the files you're interested in, and restore them.
It's worth noting that the free version of the program only lets you recover up to 2GB of data (500MB by default, but this can be increased from within the program) before you have to upgrade to the paid-for version. While this is not enough for a complete hard drive recovery, it should be enough to help you to get back your most important files when you need to.
4. Recuva
Easy wizard
Secure deletion option
Something of a stalwart of the data recovery genre, Recuva has managed to build up a dedicated following – and it's not hard to see why. The program can recover data not only from hard drives and memory cards, but also your iPod.
While some data recovery tools make this easy by having a simple interface, Recuva takes things further and guides you through the entire process with a wizard. You can perform a lengthy deep scan to track down all recoverable data, or you can limit the search if you're looking for something specific – and it's nice to have this flexibility.
As an added bonus, there is a secure deletion option which does the exact reverse of the main feature of the program – it deletes files you are sure you no longer need and renders them unrecoverable.
A downside to the program is the heavy promotion of the Pro version of the app, but if you can turn a blind eye to this, you have a powerful tool on your hands – and you can probably live without support for virtual hard drives anyway!
5. UnDeleteMyFiles Pro
Multiple tools
Disk snapshot
Despite the inclusion of the word 'pro' in the name, this program is still free; there is, in fact, no non-pro version.
The look of UnDeleteMyFiles Pro may not be particularly appealing, but don’t let that put you off too much as there are multiple tools included here, not just data recovery. Recovery can be a little hit and miss as there is no indication of the quality (or recoverability) of files – you just have to hope that the file that are found are in a reasonable state.
When it comes to data recovery, there aren't really all that many options other than the ability to search for particular types of files to reduce the size of the list you have to sort through.
In terms of extras you also get a disk snapshot tool which basically backs up your drive so you can recover data at your leisure, a secure file deletion tool, and email recovery. Worth checking out, even if this is not necessarily the best of the bunch.
Also consider these free recovery options
There are also other free file recovery software options worth considering, though consolidation in the market means some old timers have been bought up by bigger companies and repackaged, while some haven't been updated for a while but should still work well at what they need to do. Here then are some additional releases to consider for file and folder recovery:
Free Data Recovery Software For Windows 10
Stellar Free Data Recovery is another Techradar favorite, providing an all-in-one recovery solution for retrieving deleted files - and of course, all for free. Stellar's software can recover documents, photos, video, audio, and email data files, even if they have been deleted from your PC's recycle bin. It can also help recover files lost by a corrupted harddrive, missing or lost partitions, as well as after a virus attack.
Active@ File Recovery is another strong platform worth considering, not least because it can work with such a wide range of different file partitions, making it useful for a range of different Windows set ups and installations. As well as being able to cover all common file types, it also supports recovery across a large number of media, such as harddrive, external disks, USB drives, memory cards, and devices such as digital cameras.
Puran File Recovery is another old favorite, and while it hasn't been updated in a couple of years, it does provide support for Windows 10. The interface itself is quite simple, but it uses a powerful recovery engine to retrieve lost or deleted files. You can chose to opt for a quick, deep, or full scan in order to recovery your files. Once found, they can be saved with their file paths still intact, which means they should return from the original folder or location they disappeared from.
Undelete 360 is another program established freeware program that hasn't been updated in a few years, but still offers the potential to recovery files not just from your harddrive but from a range of external media. This can include USB drives, digital cameras, and even floppy drives - if you're still using one. Undelete 360 can recover files and folders from a wide range of situations, and again while the interface is simple, it's a powerful little piece of software.
Glary Undelete supports a wide range of file forms and storage systems, as well as recovery for external devices. When recovering a file, results can be filtered, making it easier to find and locate the missing or deleted file you're looking for. While the free version of the software hasn't been updated in a couple of years, the paid-for version is still going strong.
Free File Recovery Software Windows
Avoid losing files at all with the best free backup software
Many a times, we tend to permanently delete files from our computers only to realize we need them later on. If you’ve ever faced this scenario, it will be a good idea to check out the two best free file recovery software for Windows 10.
What is file recovery, basically?
File recovery is a major part of computer forensics. It refers to the ability to recover inaccessible data. It may be due to files getting corrupted, or storage media being damaged physically. File recovery techniques are also applied when data cannot be accessed due to logical damage to hard drives, SSDs, flash drives and even CDs and DVDs i.e. when the problem does not lie in the hardware but in the software. This requires software-based solutions.
Apart from the aforementioned scenarios, you might need file recovery in events of system malfunctioning or accidental deletion of data. Accidental deletion is when you delete a file from your computer only to realize it was of some value to you later on and you’re kicking yourself as to how you’ll ever get that file back. That is where file recovery comes into play.
When you delete a file, it is removed from your view but it actually still persists on your hard drive. File recovery software makes use of memory references to those deleted files in order to recover them. Similarly, in case of system malfunctioning or drive failures, file recovery software manipulate memory addresses to get your valuable data back. It is one of the most ingenious of all developments that have made life easier and carefree for us.
Now you know what file recovery really is so without further due, lets delve into the two best free file recovery software for Windows 10.
Recuva: the best file recovery software for Windows 10
Windows File Recovery Software Free
I just cannot thank Recuva enough. A helpful companion in tough times, it has always kept my back whenever I needed deleted files back. Where other third party file recovery software scans have failed, Recuva has stood above all of them with a broad chest. I’ve been using Recuva for a year now and not even for once has it disappointed me. I personally loathe complex software that require you to do this then that and then they’ll get to work but Recuva was no less than a helpful angel eager to get to work.
Lets start with its UI. Its not something you’d relate to typical Windows apps but it is good enough to look at and easy enough to use. When you install it, it automatically imports your computer’s specifications and displays it at the top of the program as shown in the image below.
Windows Xp File Recovery Software
Recuva has received world wide acclaim for its supreme ability to salvage inaccessible data that has been permanently deleted from a computer and dubbed as free space by the operating system. One of it’s intelligent features is that it intuitively renames files if it is recovering two files with the same names. While most other file recovery software works by tracking referenced data, Recuva works on the principle of looking for de-referenced data which make it’s scanning and recovery powers even more commendable.
Recuva is extremely easy to operate. The file itself is just 4.2 megabytes in size but contains a beast of a file recovery software. Once installed, open it and it will ask you to let it scan your computer. Once the scan is complete, it displays all the deleted files and you can select them from the list and then click on the Recover button to recover them. It can recover all sorts of file formats.
The only thing I wish Recuva had was a search feature as going through the entire list and finding your desired programs can be quite painful. However, one really does not tend to remember names of deleted files hence the developers at Piriform cannot be blamed for not including this feature in the program.
Windows 8 File Recovery Software
If you liked what you heard from us about Recuva, here’s the link to get it.
Download Recuva file recovery app for Windows 10 [Piriform website]
Best Free Windows File Recovery Software
Active File Recovery: a good alternative
Active File Recovery is our second featured app in our compact list of the best free file recovery software for Windows 10. It’s an outstanding appwith everything you’d like to have in a file recovery software. It is a healthier app when compared to Recuva with a size of 15 megabytes. Using it was a pleasureful experience as it functioned beautifully, humbly doing everything I wanted it to do. So, in a nutshell one can simply have no complaints when using Active File Recovery.
Active File Recovery provided stiff competition to Recuva. Both of the apps have a similar looking UI but Active File Recovery shows much more in it’s display than Recuva does as shown in the image below.
The toolbar consists of various icons that offer users Quick Scans, Super Scans etc. which the users can exercise according to their needs. Active File Recovery, upon installation, separately lists all your partitioned drives in a list. You can either choose to perform a quick scan on each drive individually or you can use the super scan to scan all of the drives.
Quick scanning a particular drive brings up all the deleted files from that drive only whereas super scan brings up deleted files from your entire computer. This is a handy feature as if, by chance you remember in which drive your required deleted file was saved in, you can quick scan that file and retrieve your precious deleted data. Extremely easy to use with a little bit of file organization, Active File Recovery is definitely second to none. Get it for free from the link below!
Active File Recovery Download [Official website]
Tough one to choose between the two, isn’t it? Both are worthy candidates with everything that a user wants from a file recovery software. The only reason why I use Recuva is because it is smaller in size and is much more straightforward and simple to use. Plus, I prefer lesser complex programs so Recuva was the easier choice for me.
Active File Recovery is by no means is a push over. It has mostly everything Recuva has, functionally speaking. The choice between these two software simply goes down to what an individual prefers. Both will work fine and will do you a world of good so making a blind choice will not hurt at all! In fact, it’s probably worth trying both if you can’t find your file with one of them.