File and Disk Recover And Restore (Part 2) - PC Tools File Recover, Piriform Recuva, Ubuntu Rescue Remix

PC Tools File Recover

A little too simple

File Recover is as simple as data recovery gets. Where others have several screens to wade through, here everything is provided on just one – the option to choose a quick scan, deep scan, or physical scan; to target only specific file types; and not much more.

It also offers a couple of less common options, such as the ability to target a single filename, and to recover files from a directory to the right-click menu. The latter may or may not be very useful, as it only performs a quick scan; deleted files are likely to have been moved to the Recycle Bin in any event, and therefore will not show up in the search. It also offers no support for cameras or other media devices.

PC Tools File Recover

While File Recover has no trouble digging up an impressive num­ber of files – if somewhat more slowly than many others here – its recovery screen is lacking. There's no way to filter the results of a scan after getting the list, nor to scan to see if it found a specific file. Recovered files are color-coded by how damaged they are, but that's all the detail available – no header information, for example, as in Recuva. Most frustrating, though, is that you can't resize the very small window, leaving the important matter of each file’s location at the mercy of a scroll bar.

File Recover turned in a solid, but unexceptional performance. It’s one of the easier tools to use, and while a bit slower than the others, its recovery performance was up to scratch. You'll probably miss the options on offer elsewhere, though, and it's worth noting that while the price appears much lower than many, it's a year's subscription rather than an outright purchase.

Details
Verdict	5/10
Price	$30 a year
Website	www.pctools.com

Piriform Recuva

A powerful and free solution

Recuva is an amazing tool with only one serious flaw: It can't head back in time and install itself on your PC before disaster strikes. Beyond that, it does everything right. It's fast, it's easy to use, and best of all, it’s completely free.

As with all tools, you get a standard scan and a much slower, deep scan. If you know what you want to retrieve, you can point Recuva toward individual file types, as well as destinations from the Recycle Bin to attached devices. Everything is presented in a simple list that can be sorted and searched. Files are flagged according to their quality: green for perfect, yellow for partially overwritten but possibly still of use, and red for unrecoverable. You might still be able to salvage something from the red camp, but don't expect Recuva to perform miracles.

Piriform Recuva

You can select many files and recover them at once, but there’s no direct way of putting them back where they came from as if nothing happened, although you can obviously do this by hand. As a bonus, you can also securely overwrite any files to prevent them from being recovered (at least without forensic tools), though file­names can still be found.

The only annoyance is when searching through potentially re­coverable files. This is done via a live search box; the sheer num­ber of files it churned through as we typed brought our quad-core i7 test machine to a crawl. On a full search, it’s best to copy and paste queries instead of typing them in one letter at a time.

There’s no good reason not to use Recuva. Other suites may have more tools, but nothing comes close to its value, reliability, and ability to save your bacon.

Details
Verdict	9/10
Price	Free
Website	www.piriform.com/recuva

Ubuntu Rescue Remix

Data recovery for the sysadmin

Ubuntu Rescue Remix is the hardcore solution for bringing your data back to life, with one minor drawback – unless you’re com­fortable with booting from a live CD and only seeing a blinking cursor, it really isn’t for you. There's no pretty GUI and no wizard to talk you through things – just a carefully chosen set of open- source tools with the power to bail you out of trouble.

Those tools are split into three categories: Filesystem, Disk, and Other. These include TestDisk, as seen separately here, along with PhotoRec for pulling back media specifically, and Magic Rescue for more general files. Working as a live CD means that there’s nothing to install, which in turn means that you can pull the plug as soon as you realize you’ve deleted a file and have a good shot at getting it back.

Ubuntu Rescue Remix

They're powerful tools, but choosing the wrong options and fir­ing up the wrong programs can do more harm than your original accident. Together, though, they can do far more than any individ­ual program here, and make for an excellent emergency rescue disc. Documentation is primarily provided in the form of manual pages on the disc itself, along with a cheat sheet, and tutorials on the web page that cover the basics.

If you'd like to try this pack out, the best way is with VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org). Create a new disk, mount the ISO, and play around with the knowledge that you can't harm anything on your real PC. If it proves too much, other boot CDs are available, such as www.ultimatebootcd.com. That one includes TestDisk and Pho­toRec, which are the main tools you'll use for regular file recovery.

Details
Verdict	8/10
Price	Free
Website	Ubuntu-recue-remix.org

File Recovery Software compared

Specifications

	O&O Disk Recovery 7	PC Tools File Recover	Piriform Recuva	Ubuntu Rescue Remix
Website	www.oo-software.com	www.pctools.com	www.piriform.com/recuva	Ubuntu-rescue-remix.org
Price	$99	$30 per year	Free	Free
Number of PCs	1	3	Unlimited	Unlimited
Dedicated Photo Recovery	No	No	Yes	Yes
Requires Installation	Yes	Yes	No	No
Works with Partitions	Yes	No	No	Yes
Integrated File Shredder	No	No	Yes	No
Quick Scan Time on Test PC	00:17:00	06:37:00	01:24:00	N/A**
No, Files Found on Test PC*	57,186	58,057	57,870	N/A**

 

	BinaryBiz VirtualLab	Brian Kato’s Restoration	CGSecurity TestDisk/ PhotoRec	Genie Timeline 2012
Website	www.binarybiz.com	bit.ly/katorestore	www.cgsecurity.org	www.genie9.com
Price	$100 for 500GB	Free	Free	$60
Number of PCs	1	Unlimited	Unlimited	1
Dedicated Photo Recovery	Yes	No	Yes	N/A
Requires Installation	Yes	No	No	Yes
Works with Partitions	Yes	No	Yes	N/A
Integrated File Shredder	No	Yes	No	No
Quick Scan Time on Test PC	00:37:00	04:06:00	N/A**	N/A
No, Files Found on Test PC*	58,131	60,453	N/A**	N/A

 

 

* According to program. This doesn't guarantee successful recovery of detected files.

** No dedicated quick scan available for comparison purposes.

And the winner is...

File recovery is an emotive subject. After all, you'll only se­riously consider it when you're desperately trying to get an essential file back. And you won't be doing it in a calm fash­ion, either. You'll need something that can pinpoint the files in question, give you the good (or bad) news as quickly and clearly as possible, and then get those files back for you. Most of the applications we've looked at here do that to some de­gree or other, but as always, it's the details that matter.

The surprising revelation from this roundup is not so much that some utilities are more capable than others, it’s the vari­ation in pricing models employed. From the simply barking pricing of BinaryBiz's VirtualLab to the power of the utilities that'll cost you nothing at all, if you're looking at getting files back, you really can spend as much as you want to.

For once, paying more doesn't necessarily mean you get a better service, either. The two standout applications for us cost nothing at all, yet boast incredible raw power.

CGSecurity TestDisk/PhotoRec

When a free program wins our Kick Ass award, it can pose a bit of a quandary when selecting a runner-up. We felt that while TestDisk and PhotoRec offer amazing power and features for free, they don't match the user-friendliness of Recuva. You might notice that Ubuntu Rescue Remix scored well, but was only awarded an 8 verdict overall. This is because we just can't recommend it due to its complexity and the harm it could cause if not used correctly.

CGSecurity TestDisk/PhotoRec

Piriform Recuva

It's powerful, full of features, works incredibly well, and is free. Is there anything not to like? While there's usually a catch or caveat following a sentence like that, Recuva manages to avoid such pitfalls. The best thing we can say about it is that it works well, is easy to use, and includes features that even some paid- for applications are missing. If you've lost a file and are look­ing for a quick and easy way to get it back, make sure you use Recuva.