data recovery software

I'm using windows 7. Is all recovery software essentially the same in terms of what it can find. ie I've been using recova which is free and has retrieved some files, but I'm having less luck with certain other files. Should I just let them go. Or will an alternative software help, maybe a paid for one? I've tried other free software or trial versions, to no avail.

You could try the imaging and recovery software built into Win 7...

Recuva is a very powerful data recovery tool, I've used it in the past to recover lots of files.

The problem is the more a disk is written too after the files are lost or deleted, the greater the risk that they will be overwritten, and therefore very difficult to recover (impossible with simple software tools), and if the drive itself is faulty then using a software recovery program can actually make matters worse.

A little more background on the issue you are having, and why you need to try data recovery would enable us to offer more in-depth advise. But I fear the only constructive advise available may be use a better backup solution in future.

and why you need to try data recovery

I'd strongly contest the notion that questions why someone would need data recovery.

These days (even in the home user enviroment), in the climate of bedroom malware/family households using computers, i'd suggest it should be considered as paramount a feature to good computing for home users (as it has been for business users for years), as AV software.

A good, established back up routine is worth its weight in gold.

To the OP, you do generally get what you pay for re data recovery software. * On the lowish end you have Macrium, on the mainstream end (beyond freeware) you have products like Acronis True Image, and at the higher end, products like Storagecraft Shadowprotect. Last time I saw benchmarks, Shadowprotect was the fastest, never can find that link though, but the right way as you've already seen, is to fully trial a product to ensure it works flawlessly on your machine[s].

Other types of software, such as Deepfreeze, exist. Used more in schools they do things a different way.

Another option you have is building a RAID array on/with your hard disks; the most common and simple way is RAID1 afaik. Essentially two hard disks with the exact same data on; whilst not strictly back in the sense you can restore things, a form of back up nonetheless.

Most trial products are limited [obviously so] and in some cases full evaluation can only be trialled after you contact the manufacturer asking for additional files to be able to fully evaluate. Storagecraft use this method.

* these are opinion, there are of course other products, and some manufacturers even license the same technology from other manufacturers. Storagecraft actually employ a couple of guys who invented the technology in the first place for example.

Consensus on the interweb about the Back up included in Windows 7, is generally unfavourable.

If your current situation is beyond help, in the sense data is unretreivable, there are companies out there who specialise in that kind of work, but regardless, i would urge anyone to consider how important their data is to them, photos, documents, etc etc, and then impliment a solid back up regime as soon as possible thereafter.

Edited by deleted (Sat 30-Jun-12 22:59:50)

Data recovery != Backup/restore

Backup/restore > Data recovery

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

Backup/restore > Data recovery

It would be unusual for someone to say "Data recovery" when referring to restoring files from a stable and easy to obtain backup, if I was working with someone who was calling it data recovery I would question this.

If one read the OP more carefully, they are asking for software to recover data that has been lost and presumably not backed up, talking about backup software is not relevant in this case, and I think pmb00cs was not referring to why you need a backup solution (which you do), but why you need a data recovery solution. (which you shouldn't have to).

Re the OP: O&O Software sell good recovery utilities which might be worth giving a try -- but like pmb00cs said, Recuva usually finds most stuff, so there is a chance it has been overwritten now and not recoverable by any software methods.

Edited by Pipexer (Sun 01-Jul-12 00:07:22)

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

Backup/restore > Data recovery

Also, thanks for proving my point right, by suggesting one is greater than the other, thus not equal

Far from the suggestion that the op might not need data recovery, I was simply asking for more background on their particular circumstance, I have, for example, had to recover data for a client because they had accidentally deleted it. I managed to recover most of the data that time, but only because they came to me quickly, and took my advise to stop using that disk.

But I have also had a number of attempts to recover data that were far less successful.

Data Recovery is one of those oh so painful things that teach us that backup, as annoying as it can be, is very important.

Oh and RAID != Backup. Trust me on that one.

Oh and RAID != Backup. Trust me on that one.

I'm 100% with you on that one. Also, the sort of data recovery that the OP is talking about is not via backups.