When it comes to recovering lost data from hard drives, or recovery data from formatted or malfunctioning disks, hard drive repair software is your solution. These programs are designed to restore deleted files from hard disks as long as the data is not rewritten. We have gone through numerous programs and compiled a list of the top 6 free tools to recover hard drive data free. Try looking below.
#1 Free WinfrGUI
Table Of Contents
During our testing, WinfrGUI, a free data recovery tool has proven to be efficient in hard drive troubleshooting and recovery. It has a clean and intuitive user interface, ensuring a trouble-free recovery experience.
To recover data using WinfrGUI, follow these steps:
- Open WinfrGUI and select the desired hard drive location.
- Select the drive you want to recover data from
- The program will start the scanning process. You can stop it if necessary.
- Filter your files by size and type to make sorting easier.
- Search for specific files for faster access.
- View recovered files before after scanning and select the files you want to save. Click on the recover button.
- Select the target location to save the file
Technical specifications:
- Requires Windows 10 version 19041.0 or higher and supports NTFS/FAT/exFat/ReFS file systems.
- Installation requires 56 MB of space.
- Requires at least 2 GB of RAM.
- WinfrGUI has minimal system requirements which make it compatible with most devices. It has plenty of options for hard drive recovery.
Main Properties:
- Supports various data loss situations including accidental deletion of corrupted hard drive and recovery of broken computers.
- Compatible with popular file systems such as ExFAT, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, ReFS, Raid, RAW, JFS, APFS, HFS,HFS+, HFSX, XFS, BFS,BTRFS and EXT4 under Linux operating systems.
- Recover more than 1000 types and file formats including professional videos, unsaved documents and game files.
- Using state-of-the-art scanning algorithms with patented technology.
- Allows users to view pre-recoverable files and automatically repair damaged documents or images during the sample viewing process.
- A 98% success rate.
Advantages:
- Cover a wide range of data loss situations and file types.
- Using advanced recovery technology to improve data quality.
- Free to use with no data recovery limit.
#2 Recuva
Recuva was developed by Piriform Software as a popular file recovery tool recommended for finding missing files from hard drives. Despite its modern interface, Recuva remains one of the best HDD recovery tools. The software allows free data recovery from hard drive, but lacks compatibility with other platforms.
Technical specifications:
- Windows 98 or higher is required.
- Small application size that requires the least space.
Main Properties:
- Helps recover various types of files including documents, photos, videos, music, and so on.
- Rated excellent file quality, which indicates the possibility of a successful recovery.
- Includes a secure file deletion feature to permanently delete data
- Offers a freeware version for basic data recovery.
Advantages:
- Free version provides advanced file recovery for personal use.
- Allow installation and scanning of disk images
- Show file quality in scan results
- Quick and deep scanning options available.
- The Recuva Pro version has an attractive price for inexpensive data recovery.
Disadvantages:
- Old user interface
- Not compatible with Mac or Linux devices
- Could not view file while scanning
- Probably lacking the advanced recovery capabilities found in higher-priced software.
- Performance may vary compared to other data recovery tools.
#3 Free Glarysoft File Recovery
Glarysoft File Recovery is a state-of-the-art and easy-to-use free hard drive recovery program that offers great results. It can recover all your lost data with its fast scanning capability, which will locate recently deleted files. The application’s simple interface makes it accessible to users at all technical levels.
Technical specifications:
- Windows Device Required
- It only takes 10 MB of space.
Main Properties:
- Supports Windows file systems such as FAT, NTFS and NTFS + EFS
- Recover files that have been compressed and encrypted by the user.
- Receive files from computer hard drives and external storage devices
- Receive data from USB hard drives and memory cards
Advantages:
- Easy to use interface
- It’s completely free to use.
Disadvantages:
- Not compatible with Mac or Linux devices
- Mixed results by some users
- Probably lacking advanced features found in higher-priced software.
- The scan process may be slow.
#4 Restoration
Indeed with its name, quick recovery restores any type of file from your hard drive. It has an easy-to-use experience with powerful features. Restoration is a lightweight hard drive recovery program that does not take up much space but can cost the recovery speed.
Technical specifications:
Windows 98 or higher is required.
Main Properties:
- No installation required; can work from Top Programs to Recover USB, CD or disk for convenience.
- Recover files from hard drives with NTFS and FAT file systems
- Allows scanning results to be sorted by name, date, Top Programs to Recover size and folder.
- Find and recover empty files if needed.
- Provides advanced data cleaning options for permanent deletion of files.
Advantages:
- It’s completely free to use.
- A portable solution that doesn’t need to be installed.
- Recover multiple files at once
- Low memory requirements
- Simple user interface
Disadvantages:
- Only single files can be recovered. Not all folders or partitions.
- Limited file type support
- No technical support or regular updates.
- No advanced features found in higher-priced software.
#5 Free iCare Data Recovery
iCare Data Recovery is an easy-to-use and powerful freeware application for hard drive recovery. It has a simple interface and smooth file recovery process. While it is great for permanently recovering deleted files, the recovery procedure may take a long time.
Technical specifications:
- Requires Windows 2000 or higher.
- Requires at least 256 MB of RAM.
Main Properties:
- Use advanced deep scanning technology Top Programs to Recover for thorough file recovery.
- Receive information from PC Top Programs to Recover hard drives and external devices such as USB drivers and memory cards.
- Receives information after formatting, virus attacks, RAW/deleted partitions, and from hard drives inaccessible or corrupted in the Pro version.
Advantages:
- Simple and intuitive interface.
- Advanced Deep Scan for Detailed Recovery
- High efficiency.
Disadvantages:
- Limited Free Version
- Available for Windows only.
#6 Stellar Recovery
Stellar Data Recovery Free is a well-known data recovery tool for both Windows and macOS. It can recover lost data from damaged or damaged hard drives. The software not only recovers lost data, but also features such as SMART drive scans, optical media recovery, and clones. It is especially effective for recovering lost images, but may be slower than other file recovery tools.
Technical specifications:
- Requires Windows 7 or higher.
- Intel-compatible processor requires at least 4 GB of memory and 250 MB of free space.
Main Properties:
- Recover files from internal and external hard drives/SSDs
- Receive information from various data loss situations including disk damage and system failure.
- Works with unbootable and encryptable drives.
Advantages:
- Rapid recovery process.
- Easy to use interface
- Allow specific folders to be scanned
Disadvantages:
- The free version is limited to 1 GB of data.
- The professional version is expensive.
- Slow deep scanning.
- Random sampling may be delayed.
Conclusion
Choosing the best hard drive recovery software may be a challenge, but we have tested and reviewed many options to compile a list of the most powerful solutions. These tools have free versions for recovering valuable files from your hard drive without any cost. Among them, WinfrGUI Free stands out as a reliable and versatile option for hard drive data recovery. Just follow the steps described in the article to use Winfr GUI and recover your hard disk data for free.