The Bottom Line
Recuva is, without a doubt, the very best free file recovery software available today. Recuva is very easy to use and is as or more effective as any other freeware or premium file recovery program out there.
At some point or another all of us have deleted something we shouldn't have deleted. Usually the solution is to simply restore the file from the Recycle Bin but what if you've already emptied the Recycle Bin? In that case, a file recovery program like Recuva can help.
If you try only one file recovery program, make Recuva that one program. I highly recommend Recuva.
Pros
- Extremely easy to use
- Very small download
- Comes in both installable and portable versions
- Contains a simple wizard and advanced options - perfect for everyone
- Wide range of Windows operating systems supported
Cons
- Full Recuva installation also installs the Yahoo! Toolbar though it can be optionally deselected
Description
- Recuva's easy to use wizard asks the important questions and does the hard work behind the scenes.
- Frequent updates to the program by Piriform and a long history of success keeps Recuva at the top of many lists.
- Recuva is available in a portable version making installation unnecessary - a very important advantage.
- A quick standard scan and an optional "Deep Scan" cover all the technological bases in the search for recoverable files.
- Recuva can recover files from hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, and even MP3 players, including the iPod.
- Support for Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and even Server versions of Windows.
- 64-bit version of Recuva available for optimal operating in 64-bit versions of Windows.
Guide Review - Recuva v1.42.544
Recuva is the very best free file recovery software program available. I base that opinion mainly on my personal and professional use of the program but also from many comments from associates and readers.
Note: Piriform, the company that developed Recuva, also developed a few other wonderful freeware utilities - CCleaner and Defraggler - that I highly recommend you check out.
To get started with Recuva, visit the program's website linked at the bottom of my review. Once there, click the Download now hyperlink corresponding to the download type you prefer. You can choose between Installer, Portable, PortableU3, or Slim.
Important: I highly recommend you use the portable (not PortableU3) version of Recuva! You should use the portable version of Recuva because it's important to avoid installing anything after discovering that you need to recover a file. You don't actually have to put the portable version on a flash drive to use it.
A file recovery program can only recover a file deleted from your computer if the same space on the hard drive hasn't already been used by another file. Every time something is saved or installed, the chance that your file will be recoverable decreases.
When Recuva starts, you're presented with a wizard where you choose what kind of file you're looking for and where it was last located, neither of which you need to know but will help in the search for deleted files if you do.
After a quick scan, you're presented with a list of recoverable files. Recovering one of the deleted files is as easy as selecting it and clicking Recover....
At any time you can switch to Advanced Mode which reveals a number of options and additional sorting abilities.
If a file has gone missing, either from your mistake or even from a virus infection or system crash, I recommend you use the Recuva free file recovery program. There's no guarantee that Recuva can successfully recovery any particular deleted file but it's certainly your best bet!
