We all know the importance of making regular backups, but that's not very pleasant for anyone, even those with good backup regimes, who suddenly find themselves faced with the sensation of loss of data that the stomach produces. That's why it's always a good idea to have a reliable file recovery program on hand for emergencies.
Whether it's a virus infection, a hardware failure or just a human error, it's all too easy to lose vital files. As soon as you become aware of the loss of data, it is critical that you stop using the affected disk immediately. If the unit itself is failing or if you simply deleted a file accidentally, this is the golden moment in which you can recover your data before it finally disappears.
We have chosen five of the best free files. recovery tools in the business. Simply choose the one closest to your needs and with a little luck (and no small amount of help from the application), you could still save your files.
Recuva makes recoveries your lost files as simple as possible 
1. Piriform Recuva
With a simple wizard and deep scans, Recuva is the free recovery software you need at hand in case of disaster
Effective file recovery
Clear interface
Optional deep scans
Announcements premium version
Piriform Recuva makes everything as easy and stress-free as possible. It is opened by default to a file recovery wizard, which advanced users can later skip.
From here, choose the type of file you are trying to recover (image, documents, compressed files, emails and all files are among those offered) and focus your search accordingly.
You can target your search to a specific location or search all of your units, and you can choose to choose a quick or deep scan. The latter takes much longer, but yields more results. Then click on & # 39; Start & # 39; and wait for the scan to complete.
Once this is done, the results are presented, and each recovered file receives a rating according to its condition. You can recover files directly from here or switch to advanced mode for a frankly better view, which offers a preview of the file, information and a look at the file header.
With IObit Undelete, file recovery only requires a couple of clicks
2. IObit Undelete
Do not panic – Retrieve makes file retrieval as simple as possible
Clear and intuitive interface
Quick scans
Good recovery rates
Without deep scans
If I ever used the IObit Uninstaller or Advanced SystemCare, it is no wonder that IObit Undelete is refreshingly easy to use, with an intuitive interface that makes file recovery as painless as possible. Select the file types you are looking for (including documents, videos, music and images) and the disk where they were stored, then click & # 39; Scan & # 39;.
There is not a deep & # 39; option, but the scans are fast and the files we were looking for appeared. IObit Undelete gives you an estimate of the recovery capacity (excellent or bad) to indicate if the restoration is likely to be successful.
When you move the mouse pointer over the eye icon to the right, you can preview the file, and restore it is as simple as ticking the corresponding box, clicking & # 39; Recover & # 39; and choose where to store it.
IObit Undelete may not offer as granular control as Recuva, but it is fast, effective and easy to use, ideal if you have lost something important and you are panicking. Highly recommended
The free edition of DMDE can recover lost data from a large number of drives
3. DMDE Free Edition
Recover deleted files and resuscitate data from dead hard drives
High success rate
Disk edit mode
The interface can be intimidating
Our tool is often overlooked favorite free file recovery. The free edition of DMDE scores the main points because it is able to recover data from a wide range of units, including the 2 TB + units rescued from a refrigerated external housing with a patented format (it's a long story).
DMDE may not be the simplest tool to use, but it is one of the most effective, and our step-by-step file recovery guide will help you with the basics.
The DMDE works by allowing you to select a disk and then identifies all the partitions that can be mounted, with the most obvious options highlighted. If successful, a view similar to that in File Explorer will appear to examine the drive and retrieve the data you need.
There are restrictions on how you can recover data from the free version, but there is no limit to how much you recover. If you want a simpler and faster recovery process, simply update to the Express or Standard edition.
PhotoRec is a capable file recovery tool, as long as you do not mind the base-based interface text
4. TestDisk and PhotoRec
Recover files from any storage media, in hundreds of formats
Accessible interface
Supports many file systems
Help files are limited
TestDisk and PhotoRec are a couple of Useful files to recover tools that come as a set. Do not be fooled by the name: PhotoRec recovers much more than just photos. It works with a wide range of file systems and media, from hard drives to CD / DVD, USB flash drives and memory cards, and there are compilations for Mac and Linux, which give you the flexibility to recover data from a different computer if necessary . 19659002] He also has in-depth knowledge of more than 200 file formats, which helps to reconstruct lost files, and comes packaged with TestDisk, which can be used to recover partitions.
The main complication is the user interface: it is a matter of command line, without mouse support. At first glance, this seems complicated, but the program guides it through the process through a series of menu screens , and as it mounts the destination unit in read-only mode, there is no danger of losing data if it takes an incorrect turn. For example, you can not write data to the disk from which you are recovering.
Restoring a lost partition complete with MiniTool Partition Recovery Free
5. MiniTool Partition Recovery Free
Lost a complete partition? This free recovery application can save the day
Recovers lost partitions
Simple interface
May be slow
One of the most frightening data loss experiences is when a complete drive or partition is missing. Often this can be traced to an accidentally deleted partition or one where the partition header has been corrupted.
If the problem is simple, recovering the partition can be done quickly and easily without leaving Windows using MiniTool Partition Rec
overy Free. [19659002] Just turn it on, select the drive that contains your lost partition, and then choose whether you want to scan the entire disk or just a part of it (say the part where the missing partition should be). Choose between full and quick scans, then sit back and let the program do its job.
Do not panic if you do not seem to respond, just be patient and eventually list all the partitions detected on the disk. Select all of them, including the missing partition, and click & # 39; Finish & # 39; to restore it.
You can also double click on a partition to see the contents of your file, perfect to verify that it is what you are looking for.