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A tool designed to restore accidentally deleted files

A tool designed to restore accidentally deleted files

Vote: (360 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Piriform

Version: 1.53.0.2096

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(360 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Piriform

1.53.0.2096

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Simple program that makes it easy to scan for deleted files
  • Has a high recovery rate with most files
  • Can scan the whole computer or specific sections based on your needs

Cons

  • The deep scan can be slow

Recuva is a program that is able to restore deleted or lost files from your hard drive. It can restore all types of files like images, text documents, videos and more. This program has a high accuracy rate and is often able to find the file you're looking for.

Simple Usage

Some recovery programs are difficult to use, but not Recuva. This program is one of the easiest to use because it all works with a wizard and only asks you for simple inputs. You'll start by initiating a scan for the file you're looking for. The program will ask you where to scan and what you're looking for. This will make the scan faster and more accurate, but you can run a scan without answering either of these questions. This will make the scan significantly longer, but you may also discover other files you didn't know were missing.

The scan will bring up all recoverable files from the location. Along with this it will also show where the file is, how large it is, when it was last changed and the likelihood of it being properly recovered. A file that was erased a day or two ago is more likely to be recovered that a file from a hard drive that crashed last month. The longer the file is erased, the more fragmented and corrupted it becomes. Even if it's a low chance, there's no harm in trying to restore the file if you're given the chance.

Recuva can also show what happened to the scanned file since it was deleted. For example, this program can tell you if it was overwritten, removed from the hard drive, corrupted and so on. This isn't always available, but it does give you a good idea of what happens to files after they are erased or reformatted.

Recovering a file is simple. Select the file from the list and click the "Recover" button. The program will get to work trying to restore the file to working condition. You will then be given an option to choose where the file should be saved. You can place it on the desktop, a folder or anywhere else. While no restoration program is 100 percent accurate, Recuva does a wonderful job of finding and restoring lost files.

While there is little you can do to improve the chances of recovery, there are a few tips that you should follow. Recuva suggests installing the program on a drive different from the one you're scanning. This seems to increase the recovery chances somewhat. The only other thing you can do is scan the drive as soon as possible. It's much easier to restore a file that was erased a few minutes ago compared to one erased days or weeks ago.

Fast Scanning

Regular scans are very fast with Recuva. A regular scan is one that doesn't go too deep into the registry files. Whether you select a specific drive or allow it to scan your whole computer, Recuva is a fast program that should have no problem scanning the computer quickly and efficiently.

Deep Scanning

Deep scanning is another type of scan that you might have to do with files that have been erased long ago. A deep scan is able to search through hidden files, registry files and other places that it normally wouldn't go. This greatly improves the chances of it finding the file, but these files often have a low recovery chance. Since they are so deep there is often very little of them left. At the same time, a small chance is better than no chance.

Different Versions

The basic version of Recuva is free and it has a good about of scanning and recovery power. If you're just looking for a few files that have been recently erased, then the free version should be just fine. If you need more power, then you may want to consider upgrading to the paid version. This gives you more recovery power and boosts the success rates of restoring files even after a deep scan. The paid version also gives you priority support and you'll get a virtual hard drive to store files.

There is also a third version of Recuva. The portable version goes on removable media like a USB drive and can be used without installation. This is useful if you want to help a friend restore files or if you have multiple computers and you don't want to install the program on all of them.

Outdated Interface

The interface looks very dated with this program. It was made nearly a decade ago and the interface hasn't received any updated. While the developers have improved scanning accuracy and recovery chances, they haven't improved the interface at all. It's simple and works fine, but it could use a change after all these years. If you're willing to overlook this issue, then you're getting an effective program that can help restore your files.

Pros

  • Simple program that makes it easy to scan for deleted files
  • Has a high recovery rate with most files
  • Can scan the whole computer or specific sections based on your needs

Cons

  • The deep scan can be slow

Pros

  • Highly Intuitive
  • Deep Scan Function
  • Restore Deleted Files

Cons

  • Inconsistent Results
  • Slow Scans

Recuva is a piece of software designed to help users of any experience level recover files that were deleted accidentally.

Even the most advanced computer users sometimes make mistakes, and accidentally deleting files is one of the most common mistakes made by pros and amateurs alike. With a tool like Recuva, which is pronounced like a slang version of 'recover', you can prevent and correct those mistakes when they occur. The software can fully restore files that were deleted by mistake from a camera memory card, MP3 player, external USB drive, or the computer itself.

You might be wondering how something as complex as file recovery can be handled by such a simple and intuitive piece of software. The answer lies in the way the software combines advanced functionality with user-friendly utility. A recovery wizard helps you with all the hard work, and it doesn't take much from you to use. After the software is installed and launched, it will ask you to select a file type to be restored. The software will ask for generic search parameters in order to find your file. You can ask it to look for videos, emails, images, audio files, and more. You can also tell the software where it should start looking for the file or files.

Once you've set all your parameters, you can start the search process. The scans are a bit slow, and while there is a Deep Scan feature, it can take quite a bit of time to complete even with a fast system. After the software finishes searching, it will show you the list of files that it has found that can be recovered. You can then sort those recoverable options via many different metrics, and you can search through those files with the advanced filter option. When you have found the file or files you wish to restore, the software will do the rest.

It's important to remember that Recuva is nothing more than a piece of software. It isn't some sort of foolproof genie that can restore files deleted long ago. When a file is deleted, the system typically doesn't reset the actual data in the hard drive, it simply removes the file signatures surrounding the raw data. This prevents the system from reading the data as a file, but it leaves the data intact. However, that data can be overwritten now that it isn't locked as a file. The longer you wait to try to recover a file, the more likely it has been overwritten and hence can't be recovered.

Recuva is built specifically for situations where you delete a file and immediately want to restore it. In this regard, it performs quite well. The newest version of Recuva features a number of additional options, like the ability to look for specific text content in files that have been deleted. An issue with the highlighting of the drop down menu for filters has been repaired, and some small updates have been applied to the user interface.

Pros

  • Highly Intuitive
  • Deep Scan Function
  • Restore Deleted Files

Cons

  • Inconsistent Results
  • Slow Scans