- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
- Date added: May 13, 2008
- Total Downloads: 394,501
- Downloads last week: 6,882
- See full specifications
A newer version of Pandora Recovery is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 323 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
The name Pandora originates in Greek mythology, and it means "all-giving." It's an appropriate name for Pandora Recovery, which can give you back files you've deleted--even those removed months ago.
Pandora functions on NTFS-formatted volumes by scanning the hard drive and building an index of existing files and deleted file markers. This, in turn, allows the dead files to be brought back to life--as long as the file format is currently supported by the computer. Users can browse for deleted files, search for specific ones, preview certain file types like images, and get an estimate on the chance of recovery and the amount of time the procedure will take.
The program offers a guidance wizard to make sure that you're able to find deleted files. Pandora cautions you to recover deleted files to a separate drive from the one which they're being recovered from--sound advice, and the program makes it easy to recover to an external hard disk or portable drive. The interface isn't anything special, but combines Windows XP Explorer-style navigation with its own toolbar for an effective if uninspired layout.
There's also a portable version of the program that usually retails for $40.
Publisher's description
From Pandora :Pandora Recovery is a powerful free tool that provides its users an effective way to attempt recovery of permanently deleted files. And that does not mean restoration of a file from Recycle Bin. Pandora Recovery actually recovers files permanently removed from Recycle Bin, files originally deleted using Shift + Delete keys bypassing Recycle Bin and files deleted from DOS prompt. Pandora Recovery lets its user browse, search preview and recover deleted files. It successfully handles archived, hidden, encrypted and compressed files and recovers Alternate Data Streams (ADS). Pandora Recovery features classic interface wizards, hints and context-sensitive help. Pandora Recovery allows user to browse the tree of deleted files where show deleted items only button comes handy. It also allows user to search the tree. Finally, it has ability to scan drive clusters, picking up files whose MFT record has been reused by OS, damaged or recreated (it can pick up files from formatted drives).
Version 1.4.3 improves multi-language support.
What's new in this version:
Version 1.4.3 improves multi-language support.
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User reviews of Pandora Recovery 1.4.3
- Average user rating: 4.2 stars out of 323 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 20 user reviewsSee all 20 user reviews
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: Pandora Recovery 1.4.3
"Good recovery software for NTFS partitions..."
Pros: It's free and it worked almost 90% of times i used
Pandora.
You must also notice it is working only with NTFS partitions. Everything else you try to restore will fail!
Of course ... like any other recovery software out there depends on the files you are trying to restore not to be overwritten by other files. However I managed to restore a partition deleted with fdisk under msdos using Pandora. I also managed to restore over 10 directories and hundreads of files deleted by mistake. The key to success of restoring your files is to stop creating any files on the partition you want to restore the files from!
Cons: The only file system this program can handle with the proper results is NTFS. If you are trying to restore FAT32 or other file systems Pandora will fail.
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Pandora Recovery 1.4.3
Pros: Thanks so much for putting out this product. I recovered a deleted JPEG of my friend's b-day. It would have been sorely missed. Thanks again.
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Version: Pandora Recovery 1.4.3
Pros: No doubt, this is recovery software, nicely programmed and considering, it's size isn't all that bad. It does what it can.
I'll make this clear. As someone stated, deceptive description, and another, could not find/recover many files. Well, there is a reason for this and one that shouldn't be forgotten, and that is all files cannot be recovered 100% as once their data is written over & fragmented naturally, that alone is almost enough to halt a "perfect" recovery.
I have had and tried the best reovery systems software available and not one proved to be supernatural in it's ability of putting data back together that it can't find without any AI intervention, and that would be a mamouth task in itself.
For recovery software and it's cost (free) it can't be beat. Truth is I have a larger program that didn't come cheap and I'll most likely dump it for this. That expensive piece can do no better in general recovery and it weighs in at a larger size of uneeded little things.
No more paid updates when software as this is available for free.
Cons: Nothing that hasn't been said. But to cut a star for buffering the truth isn't the right thing to do either. So my 4, with all my knowledge should of been 5. But then I'm not perfect - I'm human!
:)....
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0 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Version: Pandora Recovery 1.4.3
Pros: I havent tried it and don't have to because I know it's a lie! Permanantly deleted files means it has been written over by windows or security software. this is mearly another recovery software.
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Pandora Recovery 1.4.3
Pros: It is the most popular free recovery tool on this site. I also tried RecoverFiles program that is at the second place in popularity rating, but PandoraRecovery offers much better functionality, from my point of view.
- See all 20 user reviews Write review
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