CNET Editors' review
Proving you can sometimes have it all, this freeware tool is not only flexible and powerful, it's also easy to use. Recover File's interface is informative and intuitive. A concise manual explains those details casual users might need brushing up on.
Operating Recover Files takes a bare minimum of steps. On program start, the app displays all drives where files that might be recovered reside. Simply select the drives you want to check and press a single Analyze button. The process isn't lightning fast, but the results are full of helpful information. Recoverable files are listed on a simple spreadsheet with Path, Status, Size, Date Created, and Date Modified information for each. It's incredibly easy to set filters to list only the files you want to see. The app lists categories of file types to further help filtering the file list. Recovery is the easiest step. Simply check each file to attempt to recover and press a single button.
Recover File rates recovery from Overwritten to Very Good, but status is only a best guess. Still, this effective freeware works so well it should be in every user's toolbox.
Publisher's Description
From Undelete & Unerase:
Recover Files is an award winning program that can undelete or recover deleted files after they have been deleted. Recover Files is a professional file recovery software that allows it's user to recover accidentally deleted files. Even files removed from the Recycle Bin, network drive, compact flash card, portable devices, in a DOS window, or from Windows Explorer with the SHIFT key held down. Recover Files is a small, fast, useful, practical and powerful. It has a clean, simple interface. Recover Files will work with Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista operating systems. It can be used to recover deleted files from all NTFS and FAT partitions. The program supports all Windows file systems for hard and floppy drives including FAT12/16/32, NTFS/NTFS5 and image recovery from CompactFlash, SmartMedia, MultiMedia and Secure Digital cards. Recover Files quickly and effectively restore all those files that you may have deleted by mistake.
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All versions:
3.2 starsout of 125 votes
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Current version:
1.6 starsout of 9 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-9 of 9
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"DO NOT DOWNLOAD - ADWARE ALERT"
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
No pros whatsoever. The product plainly does not work.
Cons
Downloads malware on your computer
Product does not scan or detect lost filesSummary
I will never download from Cnet again. The first time I did I explicitly unchecked all the boxes requesting my info or to download miscellaneous files.
Yet still all my toolbars were replaced by some horrible clunky (invasive) software.
Then yesterday I tried to download this "Recover Files" software which received a 5-star rating from editors. Again, I explicitly looked for any warning of unwanted software, and opted out.
Yet STILL I ended up with a "Top Arcade Hits" adware/spyware that corrupted all my browsers. A word of advice to other unlucky downloaders: It's a plug-in that you'll have to remove from all your browsers.
Oh yeah, and the product (after crapping out 3 times) "retrieved" old files from 2010 that I had never heard of, then said I'd have to pay to check/restore them.
If I could give this product (and Cnet) zero stars, I would. -
"Garbage - doesn't do anything unless you pay"
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
None there are zero
Cons
Any file over 25kb it wont do without upgrading - has pop ups. Add garbage without your permission - took an hour to get rid of it
Summary
Move one
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"crashed first time out."
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
none which I found.
Cons
wasted 15 minutes or more, had NO results at all (pgm could not function; stalled w/a looping em, needed Manager to stop it.)
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"Very Slow and very limited Trial Version!"
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
It seems top work, but who knows as the recovery in this trial is limited to files of 25K. Maybe the full product is great, maybe not.
Cons
The slowest scan I have seen, but probably indicates only a deep scan option
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"Very good did what it said it would."
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
Found the files 'Recuva' couldn't. Worked well as far as I was concerned.
Cons
Only used it the once on the recycle bin . So cannot say
Summary
Would have given a donation I was so pleased if they accepted Papal.
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"Let me see if this thing actually works."
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
It seemed to scan quickly and told me the condition of the files found.
Cons
Limited functionality=no functionality. I'm NOT going to pay money unless I see actual files recovered. It's not like this company has built a name for itself yet. I could see having a limit of three files before paying. It said I have to pay if I want to recover a file over a certain number of bytes. My antivirus also detected malware. Nice.
Summary
I'm really annoyed that my antivirus found malware during installation on top of eight tracking cookies.
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"This Software Stinks"
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
I did not find any pros.
Cons
I uninstalled this software 10 minutes after installing. I have a very fast system; however, this software slowed my computer to a crawl. It also installs the AOL tool bar, and 2 add-ons even though I selected the option not to install. Online slowed to the point it would not even recognize mouse selections nor carry any of them out. My home page was set to AOL even thought I said I didn't want it; I had to disable the 2 add-ons but it didn't offer any speed up. I had a tough time resetting my home page because my system was not responding. I used task manager to close ie because I was unable to get a response to the tools drop down. After running the program; I really didn't know what action to take.
Summary
I will NEVER NEVER NEVER buy or test another product for this company. I was trying to recover a video that I accidently installed but was unable to recover if over a certain size without purchasing. Also, every key stroke made while trying to use the app resulted in a pop-up window telling this was trial software and wanting to have you purchase the full program. If I can't test it, I am sure not going to buy it. BEWARE
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"what a waste of hard-earned money."
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
nothing good to say
Cons
I paid $39 for the 3.3.0.1 version. I had about 100 zip files that were erased off my flash. I did the "undelete files" to my computer. I shows it's on my computer, but when I click on the zip, it said it's invalid. I'll be be getting a refund.
It also installed the incredibar toolbar that I said I didn't want installed.
Oh I hope I have no issues with the uninstall. -
"Beware. adware will hijack your browsers!"
Version: Recover Files 3.29
Pros
I can think of nothing good to say about the Claro Search adware imbedded into this software.
Cons
even after uninstalling the recovery software, (after it wouldn't recover my file because size too big) I am still trying to figure out how to remove the remaining traces of claro search, which came attached.
Summary
recover files program seemed like it would work, if you purchase full version. It found file I wanted to recover, but wouldn't recover unless I purchase full version, said file size was too big. I was more upset, that even though I tried to only install this program, and not the other options given me at install menu, claro search still hijacked my system. Even after uninstalling it, it still was firmly imbedded in my browsers. Last time my computer was hijacked by a search program, (babylon, I finally just did a system restore to get rid of it. hoping I don't have to go this route again. Really disappointed with cnet. The last time I downloaded something from cnet, there was bloatware attached, but it was easily removed. This time, the adware is much more intrusive. Goodbye Cnet.
Results 1-9 of 9



