You know where to find the most important files on your PC - the
documents, the pictures, the music - and they're always available when
you need them. So it's easy to assume that's the way it will always be.
The
reality can be very different, though. Maybe you're not paying
attention for a moment and delete something accidentally, perhaps
there's a software bug, or something happens to corrupt your hard drive:
whatever it is, the end result is that you've lost files, folders,
maybe even an entire partition of valuable data.
Don't panic,
though - there's a good chance that your files are still intact,
somewhere on the disc. And if you act quickly then you may be able to
recover everything. All you'll need is reliable free undelete software
to run a scan, and we've found ten free tools which can help.
Read on for our pick of the best free undelete software...
1. Recuva Free
Conveniently available in a portable version,
Recuva Free
is very easy to use. A wizard asks you what type of files you're
looking for, and where to search, then scans your system at speed (FAT,
exFAT and NTFS file systems are supported).
Any files found are listed (with previews for images), and you can restore anything you need in a couple of clicks.
Running
the program in Advanced Mode provides more options, though, like a Deep
Scan (much slower, but recovers more files), the ability to locate
files containing particular text, and even an option to securely wipe
files containing sensitive information, ensuring that no-one else will
be able to undelete them.
Whatever mode you're using, Recuva is an excellent recovery tool, effective and very easy to use.
DOWNLOAD
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2. Undelete 360
Undelete 360
is the free version of a commercial product, and so leaves out some
useful features (file filtering, previews and so on). These still appear
in the interface, though, and suggest you upgrade if you ever click on
them, which can be annoying.
There
are no restrictions on the amount or size of the files you can recover,
though, and otherwise the program is very simple to use: point it at a
drive, it'll scan for deleted files, then you can view particular file
types (JPGs, PDFs, videos and more) by choosing them from a tree.
Scanning
speed isn't great, but Undelete 360 can recover files that other
programs miss , and so it's definitely worth considering.
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3. MiniTool Partition Recovery
Standard
undelete programs are perfect for recovering a few files, but if you've
lost an entire partition then you'll probably benefit from a specialist
application like
MiniTool Partition Recovery.
The free (for personal use) program has a wizard-based interface which makes it very straightforward to use.
Point
MiniTool Partition Recovery at the problem drive, specify the area to
be searched, and it'll scan for the missing partition.
A report will let you know what the program has found, and you can recover the partition in a few seconds.
You
don't get a bootable recovery disc here, so if your system partition is
damaged then MiniTool Partition Recovery won't help you very much.
Otherwise, though, it provides a quick and easy way to locate and restore lost partitions.
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4. Wise Data Recovery
It's hard to imagine how any undelete tool could be simpler than
Wise Data Recovery.
There
are no menus, no complicated options or dialog boxes: all you do is
choose a drive, click Scan, and wait as the program locates any deleted
files.
Select what you need, click Recover, and that's just about it.
Wise
Data Recovery doesn't seem to work with FAT-based drives, though,
recovering nothing from our test USB drive. It's only free for personal
use, too. But if you just need something quick and easy to recover files
from NTFS drives then it should probably be on your shortlist.
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5. PhotoRec
PhotoRec is an extremely powerful undelete tool with very few restrictions.
It's
free for everyone, runs almost everywhere (DOS, Windows, Linux, OS X,
more), works with most file systems and device types, uses in-depth
knowledge of more than 200 file formats to help recover your data, and
the bundled TestDisk can even recover a deleted partition.
There is a complication, though: PhotoRec has an extremely basic DOS-like interface which is sure to intimidate many.
This
doesn't make the program complicated - it walks you through every step -
but the focus here is mostly on functionality, so if you're more
interested in ease of use then we'd look elsewhere.
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6. FreeUndelete
FreeUndelete is aging, slow, free for personal use only, and didn't manage to retrieve anything from our FAT drive - not a good start.
Point the program at an NTFS drive, though, and the story is much different, with FreeUndelete locating all our missing files.
They're
presented in a folder structure rather than a single list, making it
easy to locate whatever you need, and they can then be restored in a
click or two.
So while there are better undelete tools, you might
want to keep a copy of FreeUndelete around, just in case your first
choice doesn't recover something.
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7. Paragon Rescue Kit Free
If
your PC has been trashed so badly that it won't boot at all, then any
undelete tools you've installed previously will be useless. But
Paragon Rescue Kit Free
is different. It comes on an image which you burn to CD, and if
disaster strikes then you just boot from the disc and go to work.
The
program can recover a lost or deleted partition, for instance. The Boot
Corrector can fix common boot problems and may be able to get your
working again. But if not, Paragon's File Transfer Wizard helps transfer
key files to another local drive, or burn them to CD or DVD. Overall
it's a useful tool: grab a copy now, just in case.
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8. Glary Undelete
Another no-frills package,
Glary Undelete
takes a fairly basic approach to data recovery. There's really nothing
to do beyond choosing a drive to scan, clicking Search, and waiting for
the program to finish (although that might take a while, as it's slower
than most).
The
program does do a good job of recovering data, though, on both FAT and
NTFS drives. And any files it finds are presented in both a single list
and by folders, while you can also filter them by file type or name,
making it generally easy to find what you need.
So while there's little in the way of extras here, Glary Undelete scores well on the fundamentals.
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9. Pandora Recovery
Unlike some of the competition,
Pandora Recovery doesn't just present the files it finds in a single list.
You
can also browse them in an Explorer-like folder view, or use an
excellent search tool to filter them by file name, size, creation or
"last modified" dates (so you could search for everything altered
yesterday, for instance). Images can be previewed, too.
Unfortunately
file detection isn't always so reliable, particularly on FAT drives,
and the program's quick scan didn't recover anything for us.
The
more thorough Surface Scan mode did retrieve everything, though, so on
balance we'd say Pandora Recovery is still worth a try.
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10. PC Inspector File Recovery
PC Inspector File Recovery
did well in our tests, correctly locating the full set of missing files
on both FAT and NTFS drives. These are clearly presented in a simple
folder view, there's also a simple search dialog to help you locate
files by name, and the program can then restore them to local or network
drives.
Getting to this point may take a while, though, as the
interface is a confusing mess of tabs (we'd recommend you experiment on a
USB key or some other spare drive until you've figured it out).
It's
a little odd that the program can preview files as text or a hex dump,
but won't preview JPEGs. PC Inspector File Recovery deserves a look for
its core engine, then, but you'll need some patience to take full
advantage of it.
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