Best FREE Data Recovery Software [How I Recovered Over 100GB for FREE]

Summary

This video follows a personal journey of data recovery after the creator accidentally deleted over 100 GB of important files, including family photos and videos. Initially, the creator tried several paid and free recovery tools like Hetman Partition Recovery and Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery but encountered issues with non-functional recovered files. After extensive research, they found success with a free tool called 'Rova,' which fully restored their files without any limitations. The video aims to share this experience and recommend Rova to others facing similar data loss situations.

Takeaways

• 😔 Data recovery can be an expensive and frustrating process, often involving high costs.
• 📊 Most data recovery software offers limited free trials, usually between 50 to 500 MB, which can be insufficient for large data losses.
• 😓 The author lost over 100 GB of personal files, including important family photos and videos, due to an error while experimenting with operating systems and partitioning.
• 🧐 After some research, the author tried Hetman Partition Recovery, which appeared promising until it required payment after showing recoverable files.
• 💻 Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery, a free tool available in the Microsoft Store, seemed like a viable alternative but failed to recover usable files.
• 😫 Although Windows File Recovery restored the files’ structure and names, none of the recovered files were functional or openable.
• 🔄 The author tried fixing the corrupted files with other software like VLC but found no success, leaving thousands of files useless.
• 💡 The author then discovered Rova, another data recovery software that claimed to have no limitations and was completely free.
• 🤔 Initially skeptical, the author was surprised when Rova successfully recovered the files without any hidden costs or file limitations.
• 🎉 In the end, Rova was the only tool that fully restored all the lost data, and the author strongly recommends it for those in need of data recovery.

Q & A

What issue did the speaker encounter that led them to explore data recovery options?

The speaker accidentally erased all data on their drive, losing over 100 GB of files, including personal photos and videos.

Why does the speaker emphasize the high cost of data recovery software?

The speaker points out that most data recovery software offers limited free trials and can be very expensive, especially when trying to recover a large amount of data.

What was the first data recovery software the speaker tried, and why did it not work for them?

The speaker first tried Hetman Partition Recovery, which scanned and showed the files, but required payment to recover them. This prompted the speaker to look for free alternatives.

What free recovery tool did the speaker try after Hetman Partition Recovery?

The speaker tried Microsoft’s own free tool, Windows File Recovery, which can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store.

What issues did the speaker encounter when using Windows File Recovery?

Although Windows File Recovery recovered all the files, none of them worked—they could not open any photos, videos, or documents, rendering the recovery process useless.

Why does the speaker suspect that Windows File Recovery failed to recover the files correctly?

The speaker believes that the failure may be due to the nature of how the files were erased, suggesting that if it had been a normal delete, the recovery might have worked better.

Which data recovery software finally worked for the speaker, and why were they skeptical at first?

The speaker found success with a tool called 'Rova'. They were initially skeptical because, unlike other software, it didn’t mention any recovery limits or trial versions, which led them to expect a catch.

What was the speaker's experience using Rova, and how did it compare to Windows File Recovery?

Rova recovered all the files without any issues, making it a better option than Windows File Recovery, which had failed to open the recovered files.

What lesson does the speaker highlight regarding backups after going through this experience?

The speaker acknowledges that it was unwise to store important personal files on the same device where they experiment with operating systems and partitions, especially without any backup.

What advice does the speaker give to others looking to recover large amounts of lost data?

The speaker recommends trying Rova for free, especially when dealing with a large volume of lost data, as it worked for them without limitations.