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 / 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.
More Popular System Utilities downloads
- Glary Utilities
230,823 downloads
- MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition
52,838 downloads
- Auslogics Disk Defrag
41,350 downloads
- Pandora Recovery
19,555 downloads
- Glary Utilities Pro
13,481 downloads
-
All versions:
3.4 starsout of 112 votes
-
Current version:
1.6 starsout of 14 votes
-
My rating:
Write review
-
"cant trust CNET anymore"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
cant trust CNET anymore
Cons
cant trust CNET anymore
Summary
cant trust CNET anymore
-
"TOTALLY USELESS GET PANDORA INSTEAD"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
NONE AT ALL
Cons
ITS JUST A HUGE SCAM!!!
-
"Basically non-functional"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
Shows a concept, does not work for real sized-files
Cons
Trickware, does not really work unless you show the money
Summary
You get a semi-non-functioning 'demo' that shows what it would recover. Please don't waste our time with bait and switch, it's free, but wait, you have to pay to get a really working version. Fail.
-
"Freeware very limited. Full version needed!"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
Very easy and quick to use. Does the job well.
Cons
Freeware is not extensive enough. You really need the full version which costs £30
-
"Sorry i ordered it"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
It uninstalls easily to make room for something worthwhile.
Cons
Company slow to deliver key after duping me into actually paying for the so called freeware. I'm surprised that CNET would allow such a company to do business on it's website. I'll never buy anything else that doesn't have positive user reviews.
-
"Can't find anything on drive after a basic hdd format"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
At least I wasn't duped into buying the full version. Had the trial found even a fragment of a file, I probably would have wasted my money (as others here have done) and bought at least the "personal" version.
Cons
With the latest build, it appears someone forgot to check in the MAIN FUNCTION of this software - UNDELETE()
The price is also wrong on this page. If you go to the "buy" page, the lightest version is listed as $39.99 (not $29.99 as it is listed here at the time of this review).Summary
Useless (as so many have already stated). I did a simple test. I had some large original HD video files taken with my camera. I formatted the drive and then tried to get them back using this software. Not ONE file was found. Not even a fragment. WOW!
-
"Absolute garbage - huge scam!"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
What? Seriously? Um... well, I killed a half day finding out it was a scam...
Cons
1. It doesn't actually work, even if you pay for it
2. it FAKES finding files (I KNOW what was on the corrupted disc, AND NONE OF THE FILES it said were found ever existed anywhere near that computer or on the disc)
3. It THEN tells you that for $79, you can get the files recovered. Well, $79 poorer, and the files are STILL unreadable!!!!!Summary
I'm royally pi$$ed off about this. How can CNET give these guys a good review? I'm done with CNET forever. See ya, guys... too bad you take payments from the companies you review, now - maybe you always did, but this takes that cake - you might as well run for Congress!
-
"Don't waste your time. Look elsewhere for undelete tool"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
Easy interface. Found missing files.
Cons
Can do almost nothing with paying $40. CNet should pull this download or put it under a "fee required" classification.
Summary
Complete waste of time.
-
"Completely Useless"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
Found a lot of files (none of which you can recover however)
Cons
CNET states "Still, this effective freeware works so well it should be in every user's toolbox."
Really CNET, Really? Since it won't let you recover anything larger than 25 kb without buying the program and you really have no idea if it will do it correctly until after you pay than I don't think anyone could honestly call this "freeware" in any sense of the word.
The program waits to tell you about this lovely restriction until AFTER you have had it do a full scan and have marked files you want to undelete. Total bait and switch.Summary
Don't know if the CNET reviewer is on their payroll or what but for once ignore the review and don't buy a product from a company that tries to trick or coerce you into buying it in this manner
-
"USELESS Trial Version!"
Version: Recover Files 3.27
Pros
None that I can see!
Cons
Only a 30-day trial. And, unable to test usefulness because trial only able to undelete files 25kb or smaller.
Summary
What a crappy trial version! It will only undelete very minute text files (>25kb). To really check the utilities' usefulness, the trial should at least be able to test entire folder undeletes, or very large file sizes (several megabytes). This was a worthless waste of time!
Add Your Review
Submit your reply
E-mail this review
Report offensive content
See more CNET content tagged:
Previous Versions:
