Many a times, we tend to permanently delete files from our computers only to realize we need them later on. If you’ve ever faced this scenario, it will be a good idea to check out the two best free file recovery software for Windows 10.
What is file recovery, basically?
File recovery is a major part of computer forensics. It refers to the ability to recover inaccessible data. It may be due to files getting corrupted, or storage media being damaged physically. File recovery techniques are also applied when data cannot be accessed due to logical damage to hard drives, SSDs, flash drives and even CDs and DVDs i.e. when the problem does not lie in the hardware but in the software. This requires software-based solutions.
Apart from the aforementioned scenarios, you might need file recovery in events of system malfunctioning or accidental deletion of data. Accidental deletion is when you delete a file from your computer only to realize it was of some value to you later on and you’re kicking yourself as to how you’ll ever get that file back. That is where file recovery comes into play.
When you delete a file, it is removed from your view but it actually still persists on your hard drive. File recovery software makes use of memory references to those deleted files in order to recover them. Similarly, in case of system malfunctioning or drive failures, file recovery software manipulate memory addresses to get your valuable data back. It is one of the most ingenious of all developments that have made life easier and carefree for us.
Now you know what file recovery really is so without further due, lets delve into the two best free file recovery software for Windows 10.
Recuva: the best file recovery software for Windows 10
I just cannot thank Recuva enough. A helpful companion in tough times, it has always kept my back whenever I needed deleted files back. Where other third party file recovery software scans have failed, Recuva has stood above all of them with a broad chest. I’ve been using Recuva for a year now and not even for once has it disappointed me. I personally loathe complex software that require you to do this then that and then they’ll get to work but Recuva was no less than a helpful angel eager to get to work.
Lets start with its UI. Its not something you’d relate to typical Windows apps but it is good enough to look at and easy enough to use. When you install it, it automatically imports your computer’s specifications and displays it at the top of the program as shown in the image below.
Recuva has received world wide acclaim for its supreme ability to salvage inaccessible data that has been permanently deleted from a computer and dubbed as free space by the operating system. One of it’s intelligent features is that it intuitively renames files if it is recovering two files with the same names. While most other file recovery software works by tracking referenced data, Recuva works on the principle of looking for de-referenced data which make it’s scanning and recovery powers even more commendable.
Recuva is extremely easy to operate. The file itself is just 4.2 megabytes in size but contains a beast of a file recovery software. Once installed, open it and it will ask you to let it scan your computer. Once the scan is complete, it displays all the deleted files and you can select them from the list and then click on the Recover button to recover them. It can recover all sorts of file formats.
The only thing I wish Recuva had was a search feature as going through the entire list and finding your desired programs can be quite painful. However, one really does not tend to remember names of deleted files hence the developers at Piriform cannot be blamed for not including this feature in the program.
If you liked what you heard from us about Recuva, here’s the link to get it.
Download Recuva file recovery app for Windows 10 [Piriform website]
Active File Recovery: a good alternative
Active File Recovery is our second featured app in our compact list of the best free file recovery software for Windows 10. It’s an outstanding appwith everything you’d like to have in a file recovery software. It is a healthier app when compared to Recuva with a size of 15 megabytes. Using it was a pleasureful experience as it functioned beautifully, humbly doing everything I wanted it to do. So, in a nutshell one can simply have no complaints when using Active File Recovery.
Active File Recovery provided stiff competition to Recuva. Both of the apps have a similar looking UI but Active File Recovery shows much more in it’s display than Recuva does as shown in the image below.
The toolbar consists of various icons that offer users Quick Scans, Super Scans etc. which the users can exercise according to their needs. Active File Recovery, upon installation, separately lists all your partitioned drives in a list. You can either choose to perform a quick scan on each drive individually or you can use the super scan to scan all of the drives.
Quick scanning a particular drive brings up all the deleted files from that drive only whereas super scan brings up deleted files from your entire computer. This is a handy feature as if, by chance you remember in which drive your required deleted file was saved in, you can quick scan that file and retrieve your precious deleted data. Extremely easy to use with a little bit of file organization, Active File Recovery is definitely second to none. Get it for free from the link below!
Active File Recovery Download [Official website]
Tough one to choose between the two, isn’t it? Both are worthy candidates with everything that a user wants from a file recovery software. The only reason why I use Recuva is because it is smaller in size and is much more straightforward and simple to use. Plus, I prefer lesser complex programs so Recuva was the easier choice for me.
Active File Recovery is by no means is a push over. It has mostly everything Recuva has, functionally speaking. The choice between these two software simply goes down to what an individual prefers. Both will work fine and will do you a world of good so making a blind choice will not hurt at all! In fact, it’s probably worth trying both if you can’t find your file with one of them.
The post Two Best Free File Recovery Software For Windows 10 appeared first on Windows Clan.
