CNET Editors' review
Disk Drill for Mac is an easy-to-use data-recovery tool with a limited free version and more-robust (and more expensive) Pro, Expert, and Enterprise packages. The free Disk Drill Basic can help you protect your computer from future data loss (whether accidental trashing or as the result of more serious hardware problems), while you'll need to pay for at least Disk Drill Pro if you've already lost data that you need to recover.
What sets Disk Drill apart is its slimmed-down interface and almost painfully user-friendly documentation. If you're looking for a data recovery app with a good feature set and some reassuring hand-holding, Disk Drill is a solid choice--and you can't go wrong installing the free version to take advantage of Disk Drill's "Recovery Vault" feature, which can make recovery much faster and more reliable, by tracking a "smart history" of your files (including file names, locations, and activity). When you're recovering a file, Disk Drill's workflow is dead simple: you switch over to "Recover data mode" (from "Prevent data loss" mode), then with a couple of clicks you can choose the drive and then type of scan you want to run, which vary in terms of speed and thoroughness. As with similar apps, Disk Drill also offers S.M.A.R.T. monitoring, backup to disk images, and both quick and deep scan options. Disk Drill can help you recover data on HFS/HFS+, FAT, and NTFS drives, as well as flash drives and memory cards (although Recovery Vault only helps with HFS/HFS+ and FAT).
If you haven't already experienced data loss, you will--and in the meantime, Disk Drill Basic is a great, free way to help ward off the inevitable. If you've already lost data, one of the paid Disk Drill apps can be a good option for getting it back, especially for less technically inclined users.
Publisher's Description
From CleverFiles:
Disk Drill is a free Mac data recovery software designed natively for Mac OS: easily protect your files from accidental deletion with Recovery Vault and recover lost data from Mac disks. When something is deleted Recovery Vault makes it possible to recover not only the file itself, but also its properties, such as original file name, location, etc. So you will always be able to recover data from Mac files system (HFS/HFS+) & FAT32 partitions. Disk Drill also includes powerful S.M.A.R.T. disk monitoring right out-of-the-box; you can monitor your disks' hardware status and get automatic notifications of potential failures or other issues. If a disk or partition is failing, you can easily backup it into a disk image (DMG) which can later be mounted for recovery. This way there's no need to keep a failing media running until the completion of a Deep Scan for instance.
Disk Drill PRO also features a number of advanced scanning modes for data recovery of FAT, NTFS, HFS/HFS+, other file systems and formatted (initialized) drives. Using Quick Scan you can locate deleted items on FAT and NTFS disks, this scanning method is fast and accurate, but is unlikely to find data deleted long ago. With Deep Scan you can try to recover data from any disk or memory card regardless of their file system. This recovery method is long and thorough, it scans your disk in a binary mode and is capable of finding deleted files even after formatting.
Disk Drill is a professional but extremely simple Mac data recovery software that helps you rescue data on your Mac disks, external or internal hard drives, memory cards, cameras, iPods Classic, etc. So if your hard drive was damaged, or you accidentally deleted your favorite photos, music, videos and other data, no worries about data loss. Disk Drill will recover deleted files on your Mac!
If you don't want someone to undelete what you removed but it's still protected by Recovery Vault, you can specify a Master Password to protect your configuration of Disk Drill, Mac data recovery software by CleverFiles. Additionally, Disk Drill Mac Recovery features convenient scan sessions management, so you can scan a 2TB disk recovery, pause it, save a scanning session and continue it in a couple of days or even weeks (presuming you don't use the target drive to prevent data from being overwritten). You can even install Disk Drill in Portable Mode and run data recovery from your USB Flash drive.
What's new in this version:
- new: Deep Scan now recovers ORF (Olympus raw images), FFF (Hasselblad raw images), IPA (iOS applications), MMAP (MindManager maps), RVT (Revit), FP7 (FileMaker document), ENL (EndNote Library file)
- new: Guaranteed Recovery is a totally new data protection method, and it's free, though in beta for this release; creates invisible copies of deleted files, works as a missing "Recently Deleted" feature in Mac OS
- improved: data recovery from failed hard drives connected via ... See all new features
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All versions:
3.8 starsout of 57 votes
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Current version:
2.2 starsout of 6 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-6 of 6
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"Deceptive "free" version, but Pro version BEYOND useful"
Version: Disk Drill 1.4.137
Pros
Recovered every last one of my lost files
Recovered files that I had given up on a long time ago
Quick scan with filters for convenienceCons
The "free" version doesn't let you do what you assume it will
Summary
While the "free" version of this software may be deceptive, I assure you that purchasing the "Pro" version is worth every penny. I'm a photographer, and I lost thousands of photographs with one tiny little slip. Disk Drill was a champion, and dug through my laptop to find each and every photograph that was lost. I had tried other programs, and they did not offer the same results. While you may hesitate when you see the price of the program, it really is worth it, if you are looking to recover really important files. Plus, you can find coupon codes that can get you up to 30% off the price of the program. Seriously, it is so, so worth it.
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"Deceptive advertising"
Version: Disk Drill 1.4.137
Pros
Unable to tell
Cons
As others here have noted, the product offers a 'free' version but in a bait move will not actually recover files unless the 'pro' version is paid for.
Summary
I would be willing to pay for a file recovery program that works but the reprehensible way this 'free software' is packaged hardly inspires confidence it will.
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"a phony product"
Version: Disk Drill 1.4.137
Pros
There are no pros to a product that does not work
Cons
CNET should be ashamed promoting this SCAM it does not work and it is a waste of time. No recovery NOTHING!!!
Summary
Don't wast your money.
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"Deceptive is right"
Version: Disk Drill 1.4.137
Pros
None. Nothing. Zero.
Cons
No recovery for free version
Summary
Totally agree with visitor1 above. Just spent 10 hours letting it scan a drive, only to have it tell me no data will be recovered unless I pay. ***? Why bother scanning then? Free version, to live up to it's billing, should recover a small number of files, or a small file size, or something useful to show it can do the work. Deleting this app now and would never purchase.
Let's look at their own website and you'll see this deception in action:
http://www.cleverfiles.com/mac-file-recovery.html
How to recover data from your hard drive:
#1 Download and install Disk Drill [note: this downloads the FREE version, no mention of needing Pro for any of these following steps].
#2 Connect the hard disk.
#3 Choose your disk in the list.
#4 Select scanning method.
#5 Wait...
#6 Have you used Recovery Vault?
#7 Select hard drive data to recover: Once the scanning is complete, you will see the list of found files. Select the ones you would like to recover. You can use Preview feature to find the files you were looking for. Make sure the recovery destination is outside of the hard drive you are trying to recover... and hit the "Recover" button. [FALSE. You don't get any files back by clicking this button ... you only get prompted to buy the product. Shame on CNET for shilling for this boondoggle.]
#8 Deep Scan is about file signatures. -
"Recovered files from an unmountable disk"
Version: Disk Drill 1.4.137
Pros
Excellent support from developer
Good price
Easy to use
Recovers where others fail/freezeCons
Took a long time, but a new version is now out which handles large disks better.
Summary
Retrieved most of my files from a disk that wouldn't even mount on the Desktop. It brought them back in the original folder structure, I just had to save them to another drive then plug it into my Mac and bang, iTunes and iPhoto worked again, once pointed to the new drive.
One price gets you as much recovery as you need, rather than paying more for more GB.
Student and non-profit discount on price - I got a 20% discount as a full-time student.
Try before you buy - check what can (most likely) be recovered then decide to pay if you want.
Read the site carefully to see if what they offer is what you want - there is no hype or deception, you can preview what can be recovered before you buy. To see your 'lost forever' photos and work reappear is a wonderful feeling...
I contacted the developer via the forum and got a fast and helpful response.
This is a solid program which can help you get your files back, and I think it's well worth the money. -
"Never in a million years would I buy this."
Version: Disk Drill 1.4.137
Pros
I cannot list any pros for an application I wouldn't dream of using, given the deception with which it is advertised.
Cons
Deceptive advertising
Summary
The developer's site either says outright—or implies it so strongly that it's the same as saying the same thing—that you can recover some files with the free version. It's a lie. No matter how much they want to harp about the thing not really saying it, legally and technically, the intent is to deceive. They get you to waste a lot of time recovering the files and only then to they announce that you have to pay about 90 bucks to actually get to them.
A further review of the publisher's site indicates they may have stopped directly hyping this as free, but it's still implied, given they offer a Pro version. They obviously still want you to think you can do at least basic recovery free. "Recovery" should mean you recover your files; but you don't because they won't give them to you unless you pay--which they spring on you as a surprise.
I despise this kind of deception so much that I'd rather lose all my pictures than to given this company one cent for this application.
And I'd happily pay 3 times as much to a different company for the same service that isn't hyped by deception.
Updated on Aug 8, 2011
NOTE: the issues isn't that it should be free, the issue is deceptive advertising.
Right here on CNET, the publisher (CleverFiles) is quoted as saying "Disk Drill is a free Mac data recovery software...: easily ... recover lost data from Mac disks. ... makes it possible to recover not only the file itself, but also its properties, such as original file name..." The quote describes the Pro features as being more complex operations.
If CleverFiles has changed its marketing plan, then it should withdraw such hype about "free" from the many sites that can be found in less than one second on Google.
Results 1-6 of 6
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