Losing your most precious data forever is a concern for anyone, especially those who have never encountered such a problem before and are therefore underprepared. In such cases most people hit Google and download the very first data recovery solution they find, only to be seriously disappointed after finding out that not only does it fail to recover the data they so desperately wanted to get back but that it also managed to make things worse. This is why it’s best to think before acting and turn to those that have expertise in the field of data recovery software and data recovery in general. There aren’t many better places to do just that than on Reddit, the voice of the masses.
The most popular free tools are: Stellar Data Recovery. The free version lets you work with 1GB only, but it's enough to understand if it's a suitable fit for you. MiniTool Power Data Recovery FREE. It has the same limit of 1GB. It is claimed to be.
Free data recovery retrieves only 100 MB of data. No portable version is available, has to be installed on a hard drive. Stellar Data Recovery. Stellar Data Recovery is also easy-to-use SSD data recovery software that can help you get back deleted or lost photos, videos, documents, and a lot more from SSD drive. This free Mac data recovery software can undelete files from exFAT, FAT, as well as the NTFS file system. TestDisk supports DOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows platforms. It can fix MFT (Master File Table) using the backup of the first 4 NTFS system files.
A Site of Many Experts… and Some Eager Beavers
Free Data Recovery Software Mac Reddit Download
Although Reddit is full of questionable topics, the data recovery subreddit is a living proof that user communities can be helpful. In fact, whenever someone asked the regular commenters of this subreddit something, they are always met with understanding and helpfulness no matter how trivial their questions might seem. Many of the Redditors here seem to have an extensive knowledge of computer technology and data recovery in general, meaning that if the problem is described as precisely as possible, then it won’t take too long to get an answer and probably from an expert working at a data recovery company like Data Medics or Datarecovery.com.
Many of these experts often advertise their services in their comments, adding that it’s the only way to make sure that important files are salvaged from a damaged drive. However, apart from a few exceptions – such as an avid Bitwar commenter who was banned for their blatant, off-topic advertising – these professionals are well aware that not everybody can afford hundreds of dollars for a single data recovery session, and so they never insist on turning to their services. Instead, they often provide useful advice to users on what to do or not to do when attempting the DIY approach and alternatives to their services, including data recovery software.
Clone Before Going DIY
There is one thing that these experts constantly insist on no matter what, and that’s the need to isolate the damaged drive from the rest of the device as soon as possible and to never perform data recovery on that drive to prevent further data loss. Instead, Reddit’s data recovery specialists recommend using a drive cloning tool to create a virtual copy of the drive or partition in question and then recover lost data using the cloned drive.
Although this virtual disc imaging feature is often present in paid data recovery software, the preferred method of Redditors for performing this task is in fact Ddrescue, a program that is not only open source – and therefore free of charge – but also has a thorough user manual in a separate subreddit.
The Ultimate, Reddit-Approved Program
As always, the first question most Redditors ask is how possible it is to have a data recovery solution that is free of charge. When this question pops up in any comment thread, most Redditors cast their votes on TestDisk and PhotoRec, two open-source solutions developed by CGSecurity. However, from time to time they also recommend trying out the free versions of commercial programs such as ReclaiMe, EaseUS, and Recuva. Speaking of Recuva, though it’s usually mentioned in a positive light with only a few comments questioning or downright discouraging users from using the software, its popularity is admittedly dwarfed by the love for a particular solution, R-Studio.
The funny thing about this is that commenters, who usually visit Reddit to get information about free data recovery programs, don’t seem to be too bothered by the fact that both the Windows and Mac versions of R-Studio are pay-only programs, costing $80 each. However, since R-Studio has proven its worthiness to expert Redditors many times before – for instance, by recovering data that TestDisk couldn’t or by being faster and more thorough than its free competitor – it’s safe to say that this program is worth giving a shot for both tech-savvy and inexperienced users alike.
Best Data Recovery Software of 2021
Best Data Recovery Software for PC
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Free Data Recovery Software Download
Best Data Recovery Software for Mac
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