An Evaluation To Compare and Review Data Recovery Software

This article, to compare and review data recovery software programs, is designed for those wanting to recover deleted data.

Accidentally losing files is something we hope won't happen to us... but inevitably it does!

Often, when the cause of data loss is hardware malfunction, data recovery is either impossible or requires advanced technology that involves high costs.

However, data recovery software will normally suffice for...

• accidental file deletion
• a hard disk crash
• recovery from the effects of a damaging virus
• or even forensic examination to undelete deliberately erased data to guard privacy

When I review software, I always base my comments on my own use and testing, combined with reviews from professional journals and independent testers.

In the case of this review, two of the commercial reviews are based on my own use. The reviews of the free products and the third commercial product are based on technical journal comments and independent testers.

Here's what we'll be covering...

1. Free Software
2. Licensed Software

3. Forensic Software
4. Other Articles On Data Recovery

2. Compare and Review Data Recovery Software...
Free Software

I'd recommend these two...

1. PC Inspector's File Recovery supports most file systems, recovers files with the original time and date stamp and will recover to network drives, if required
2. Restoration scans for all files that may be recovered and will also do the opposite... wipe found files beyond simple recovery

Both of these programs have different capabilities and -- although they might not be extremely useful on a larger scale or for more complex purposes -- they do the job for smaller issues.

For a fairly major loss of data, or the above programs don't do the job, then you'll find what you require in one of the following commercial programs...

3. Compare and Review Data Recovery Software...
Licensed Software

So, if you want something that's both efficient and professional, you're better off spending that extra and getting a licensed product.

Let's take a look at three of the most effective and popular data recovery products out there and what they have to offer. The order they are in is my order of preference...

Compare and Review Data Recovery Software...
I. Soft Logica's Handy Recovery

This is one of two programs that I use and will meet most -- if not all -- of the home, home office or small office requirements.

And, as one of the cheapest products on the market, it's great value.

Here's just a few of the many pluses offered by Handy Recovery...

• It can create virtual images of your hard disk partitions. This allows you to save copies of your files to a different drive... a feature that even a lot of top notch data recovery programs fail to deliver
• Recovers files from deleted and formatted partitions
• It browses the content of the drive so you can see current as well as deleted files
• A handy feature is it tells you the probability of successful recovery for each file

Two downsides are that Handy Recovery is not able to recover data over a network and it's unable to recover lost e-mails.

However, if you use MailWasher Pro like me, that won't be a problem, as this antispam program enables email recovery.

As the least expensive program here, when it comes to search capability and data recovery effectiveness, Handy Recovery can go head-to-head with much more expensive products.

For a trial download, just click Handy Recovery Trial . This goes straight to the program download box. If you want to order, then go to Handy Recovery

Compare and Review Data Recovery Software...
II. System Mechanic

System Mechanic is the second program I use, but, unlike the other programs, it is not a stand-alone data recovery tool... it's a suite of tools that maintains my PC to keep it in tip-top condition.

Amongst many of its features, it...

• Fixes system errors
• Defragments the hard disk and partitions
• Cleans the Windows registry
• Detects and removes spyware

As it's not a program that's specifically dedicated to the task of recovering lost data, System Mechanic might be missing some of the details of a number of the specialized programs. Even so, for most data recovery tasks it can go head to head even with those.

As it offers so many maintenance tools to the computer user as well as it's data recovery engine, it's great value for money.

You can read more about what it has to offer at System Mechanic

Compare and Review Data Recovery Software...
III. StompSoft'sRecover Lost Data

Recover Lost Data from StompSoft is also ranked highly by journals and Web sites that compare and review data recovery software.

Some of the best features of Recover Lost Data include...

• A wide array of supported file systems and advanced search capabilities that allow you to look up lost files by name, extension, size and so on
• Recovers Email
• You can preview files, pictures and documents prior to recovery
• It's user-friendly

For more details and a free trial, visit Recover Lost Data

4. Compare and Review Data Recovery Software...
Forensic Software

Encase is the computer forensic industry's benchmark software, but at a cost of over $2,000, the home/small office user is not going to invest the money or technical training required to use this complicated software.

This software is for the domain of the police, tax and crime investigation authorities, or specialists who will hire out their expertise to you.

However, you may want to know more about this technology and so I refer you to the review I wrote, Encase vs Evidence Eliminator.

Evidence Eliminator is considered to be the best software for securely deleting data on a computer so that it can never be recovered. But will EnCase do the job?

5. Compare and Review Data Recovery Software...
Other Articles

1. Recovering Digital Evidence From Hard Drives
2. Compare And Review Data Recovery Software Programs
3. Encase vs Evidence Eliminator

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