7 Best Free Data Recovery Software in 2024
When we work with important data, it’s always important to remember that it’s very likely that you could lose all that data due to some issue with your computer. While it’s always advised to have a backup of your data, only data recovery software can help you recover files that were deleted inadvertently. So it behooves every computer user to have some sort of a backup if there is an issue in the future resulting in the loss of all your key data.
But which free software should you pick, especially considering the fact that there are so many of them out there. Well, we’re going to make your life easier today by listing out 7 of the best free data recovery software in 2024. Data recovery software comes ever so often, so there’s no dearth of alternatives out there. However, we have made our choice based on effectiveness and performance, thus helping you make the choice. So without waiting any further let’s look at some of the best free data recovery software in 2024.
7 Best Free Data Recovery Software in 2024
Disk Drill
Previously known as Pandora Recovery, this software can cleverly get back your lost data, although there are some steps involved. This is a proper PC or Mac software that you have to download from the company’s site. Prominent among Disk Drill’s features is the ability to recover data from NTFS as well as FAT volumes. This software brings you a familiar interface along with metrics to help you determine the feasibility of recovery. In order to recover your old files, you have to remember that it’s impossible to get them back if the disk has been overwritten with new data in its place. So use this software only if you’re certain you haven’t overwritten the data on the drive. Using Disk Drill is a breeze and can be quite handy especially if you’re searching by file names instead of file types.
This software is compatible with both Windows and macOS computers, thus covering most computer users in the world right now. I personally love the fact that this software lets you preview text and image files before recovering them, consequently saving you the trouble of having to recover each file and then view them. As you would expect from a freemium marketplace, this app too has its limitations with the free version. Users can only recover up to 500MB of files using this software, which can be quite limited, but just enough to recover the important files. For those who need a full recovery of their lost data, the premium version which starts at $39 is not too bad.
UNDELETE 360
This software keeps things simple by provide an easy solution for a complex problem. Built using a snappy algorithm, this software allows you to scan, search, preview as well as recover lost files. This can come quite in handy especially for photos, videos and audio files that were recently deleted. Some of the supported file formats include DOC, HTML, AVI, MP3, JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF and others. Users claim that this software can also help you scan through USB thumb drives, cameras and external hard drives, making it a handy tool for all storage devices. While there are several benefits to having an easy to use software like this, it does lack some of the bells and whistles of the competition.
But if you’re looking for a free and basic scanning and recovery solution for your files, Undelete 360 will get the job done nicely. While scanning here is not exactly the fastest out there, Undelete 360 does a good job of locating lost files. It is also worth mentioning that it comes in at less than 2MB, thus taking minimal space on your computer. It’s a free download, so be sure to check it out.
Stellar
This is an immensely useful software that could greatly help your chances of recovering lost files on your computer. The best part? Well, it’s compatible with Windows as well as macOS machines. The user interface of the app is quite easy to navigate regardless of your expertise with apps. You can browse through individual drives or also scan through external media devices like cameras, smartphones, USB flash drives, and more. The software also lets you get a preview of the file before you start recovering it, saving precious time in the process.
The scanning is done in phases and the user is notified of the scanning progress on the software. Depending on the kind of storage system you’re scanning, it can take anywhere between a few seconds to several minutes, so patience is key, as it is with any other data recovery software. Stellar is offered in a standard “Consumer” version and a “Business” version, so even businesses can seek their services if need be. Consumers will be pleased to know that Stellar offers a free trial for the service, letting you gauge its features first-hand.
PC Inspector
Unlike conventional file recovery softwares, PC Inspector is slightly different in terms of user interface. However, it gets the job done perfectly well and is able to scan in both FAT and NTFS formats. More importantly, the software can recover files even if the boot sector has been inadvertently erased by the user. Bear in mind that this doesn’t doesn’t work if there is physical damage on your computer. Scanning for your lost files is pretty easy and is done using a simple file name search.
Once discovered, you can choose to store it on a local disk or a network drive. Some rare formats like RTF, TAR, TIF, WAV are also supported by this software. The software supports something known as cluster scanning, letting you improve your search parameters by scanning in a specific area of the disk.
It’s important to note that this is a free software devoid of any premium features. So what you see is what you get. Keeping this in mind, the fact that it has a somewhat confusing user interface shouldn’t be a hindrance to the users. The software is only available for Windows computers.
MiniTool Partition Recovery
This goes beyond the standard recovery apps as it allows you to recover entire partitions instead of just random files. Users simply have to select the drive where the partition is missing and MiniTool will do the rest. Once the scanning is concluded, the app will show a recovery report, letting you pick and choose what you want to recover. Scanning is done instantly, and the entire setup process is smooth as well, so you should have no trouble using this software. Once your files are recovered, MiniTool will help you store them safely in the location of your choice. It’s a comprehensive tool that can also help you create backups to avoid losing data in the future.
MiniTool is a handy recovery software to have on your computer and there’s no surprise that you will find MiniTool’s other offerings quite appealing too. The company offers a free trial to let you take this for a spin, but will be required to make a subscription after the trial ends. Be sure to check it out.
Recuva
Recuva is a well known name in the data recovery business and the chances are that you already have tried this software out. Its popularity stems from the fact that it’s extremely easy to use and doesn’t complicate the recovery process. Even devices like hard drives, flash drives, and smartphones are compatible with this software, so you can recover files you’ve lost on practically any device that uses a storage system. The software allows you to do a comprehensive search of your entire system as well as engage in a quick scan if you’re looking for a specific file.
Another interesting feature of this software is the fact that it allows you to delete files permanently if you no longer need it on your system. This will effectively render those files unrecoverable in the future, which can be crucial with security in mind. Recuva has a free version, although you will constantly be reminded to try the Pro version. If that’s something that you can live with, this is a great software for file recovery.
UndeleteMyFiles Pro
The name leaves no ambiguity about the functioning of this software. It’s interesting to mention that even though UndeleteMyFiles doesn’t have the usual bells and whistles of a data recovery app, it does get the job done. It has a bunch of tools that you can go through depending on the requirements of your data recovery. It also offers a secure file deletion tool, which is helpful if you’re considering selling off the storage device. The name UndeleteMyFiles Pro does make it seem like a paid offering, but this is a free app with no paid version available at the moment. This means that what you see is what you get. So if you’re considering a no-frills solution to your recovery woes, this software will get the job done.