[Guided] The Best 5 Hard Drive Recovery Softwares

5 mins read

Updated on 2024-12-13 11:02:27 to Hard Drive

Hard drive recovery is a critical process for anyone who has accidentally deleted important files. The convenience of external hard drives has made them indispensable in our digital lives. However, their fragility means that data loss can happen unexpectedly. Whether it's due to accidental deletion, formatting errors, or hardware failures, losing valuable data can be a stressful experience. Fortunately, there are several effective methods for recovering lost data, including specialized hard drive recovery software. These tools can scan your hard drive and recover lost files, even if they have been overwritten. In the following sections, we will explore the various options available for hard drive recovery and provide tips on how to prevent future data loss.

hard drive recovery

Part 1: Can I Recover Data from Hard Drive?

This is the first question people suffering from hard drive data loss ask, as not many people know what to do when their hard drive is in trouble. The simple answer is yes, you can recover the deleted/lost data from a hard drive, but there are a few things you need to take care of. Before you rush to download any recovery software, the crucial step is to stop using the hard drive after it shows the first sign of trouble. The reason behind this is that you have to know what goes on in the OS when you delete or lose any data on a computer.

When you delete anything from a computer, it’s not permanently deleted from the system. It’s still on the storage device but remains inaccessible to File Explorer. The system assigns the deleted files’ space to the new files to be overwritten.There are good chances you can recover the files on a hard drive before any of the data is overwritten. So, the best thing you can do for yourself in such a situation is to stop using the hard drive immediately and see what recovery methods you can use to restore the deleted data first.

Part 2: The List of Hard Drive Recovery Softwares

Top 1. 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery

4DDiG Windows Data Recovery is the list's number one data recovery software. It offers a robust and quick data recovery solution for all scenarios. Whether you’ve lost the hard drive data due to accidental deletion, formatting, malware, or antivirus, it can recover with a single click.

The best thing about this program is its intuitive user interface, which allows users to recover data on a hard drive within a few clicks. You don’t have to go through lengthy steps to retrieve your lost files like other 3rd party software. Just hit the Scan button, and it’ll find them for you.

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FREE DOWNLOAD

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Here’s how to perform a hard drive data recovery using the 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery:

  • After installing 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery on your computer, launch it. It’ll show all the available hard drives and storage devices connected to the computer. Select the hard drive from which you want to recover the data, and hit the Start button.
    recovery
  • It’ll start the scanning process immediately on the selected hard drive. You can pause this process at any moment. The filter option in the left sidebar allows you to narrow down your search for the targeted files only.
    tree view
  • Once the scanning process is completed, it’ll show all the recovered files. You can preview the files before restoring them to the computer. Once you’re done previewing the files, select them and hit the Recover button to move them to a secure folder.
    Alt; save recovered files

Top 2. Puran File Recovery

Puran File Recovery is another data recovery software that offers a quick solution for recently deleted files. It’s a lesser-known, completely free software that offers only basic features compared to its competitors, which are equipped with advanced options.

Puran File Recovery offers a simple interface that seems outdated when used with modern GUIs. It’s only available on the Windows platform. Overall, it can be a good choice for users who don’t want to spend money on hard drive recovery services.

In our testing, a quick scan showed promising results and worked instantly. However, the deep scan mode took almost 5 to 6 hours to complete, and it showed the same files as in the fast mode.

puran file recovery

Top 3. Recuva

Recuva Professional is also widely known as the data recovery software among users. It lets you recover the accidentally deleted files on Windows without any hassle. What makes it different from the other hard drive recovery service is the user interface. It asks multiple questions to guide you through the data recovery process, making it even easier for novice users.

You can download two different versions of Recuva: normal and portable. Normal versions can be downloaded and installed directly on a Windows computer. However, the portable option can be installed on a USB flash drive or any other external hard drive to limit the risk of overwriting data.

Recuva also offers an advanced scanning feature for deep scanning the files deleted long ago. The only downside of this hard drive data recovery service is it doesn’t allow the preview option before you recover the files.

recuva

Top 4. Windows File Recovery

Developed by Microsoft, Windows File Recovery is a free and unlimited data recovery software. It’s available for Windows 10 2004 and Windows 11. It lets you recover files types such as JPEG, PDF, PNG, MPEG, Office files, MP3, MP4, and ZIP files.

Windows File Recovery offers a command line interface that requires command input to perform the recovery process. Users must remember the specific path, extensions, file names, etc, to initiate recovery. It can be difficult for inexperienced users to operate it.

Moreover, anyone can download it from the Microsoft Store and use it without any limitations. It’s completely free and doesn’t contain within-app purchases. At the start, the program shows the syntax of the commands and provides examples for new users to learn how to operate these data recovery services.

windows file recovery

Top 5. iCare Data Recovery

iCare Data Recovery is also a good choice for Windows users to retrieve lost and retrieved data from their computer’s hard drive, external hard drive, SSD, memory card, and USB flash drive. It offers a modern user interface, making it easier to initiate the recovery process without any learning curve.

It caters to a wide range of users by offering free and paid versions. The free version contains all the program's basic features, allowing only 1GB of data recovery. However, the paid version includes all the premium and advanced features such as deep scan, and RAW/Deleted Partition recovery.

icare data recovery

Part 3:FAQs about Hard Drive Recovery:

1. How do I recover my entire hard drive?

Recovering the entire hard drive can depend on the nature of the problem. However, if you’ve lost a wide range of files on a hard drive, the best way to retrieve them is by using the 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery software. It lets you recover lost/deleted files with a one-click process.

2. Is Recoverit really free?

Recoverit offers an excellent data recovery solution to recover lost/deleted data from a hard drive and other storage devices. It offers a free version, but isn’t completely free. Some are locked for the paid version, such as deep scan mode etc.

3. How can I recover data from my hard drive without software?

You can recover the data from your hard drive without the software. Windows offers you various ways to retrieve lost/deleted data. One of them is using the command prompt. There are many commands you can use to retrieve the deleted files.

Final Words:

Data loss can be stressful, but various hard drive recovery software can easily recover lost/deleted data. In this guide, we showed you the 5 best hard drive recovery software you can rely on to retrieve lost files. The best and most efficient way to recover deleted data from a hard drive is using the 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery, offering free data recovery solutions without breaking the bank.

FREE DOWNLOAD

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FREE DOWNLOAD

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William Bollson (senior editor)

William Bollson, the editor-in-chief of 4DDiG, devotes to providing the best solutions for Windows and Mac related issues, including data recovery, repair, error fixes.

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