10 Ways to Restore Lost Data with Easy Recovery Essentials Alternative

If you ever find yourself in the unenviable position of needing to restore lost data, you’ll be happy to know it really is possible with the right tools. As long as your hard drive is healthy and not corrupted, there are a lot of great utilities out there that can help bring back your data. We’ve compiled some of our favorite free data recovery software so they’re easy for you to access.

The first part of this article reviews EaseUS Data Recovery Software Free Edition and R-Studio, two top contenders for the best free data recovery programs on the market today. Next is a review of two free online software-based data recovery programs, DriveSavers Data Recovery Wizard and Acronis True Image. Note that the open-source tools listed below are not recommended for use by beginners without some prior experience with computers or computer hardware.

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1. EaseUS Data Recovery Software Free Edition

This free product from EaseUS is an easy-to-use data recovery program offering, standard file integrity check, a 3-step scanning process, easy to follow graphical user interface with step-by-step scan options. If you have any doubts about whether or not Easy Recovery Essentials can restore your lost data, you can always do a test scan before purchasing the full version of the software. This software is one of the best software for recovering lost data easilly.

The program is compatible with Windows® XP, Vista, Windows®7, Windows®8, Windows®10.

EaseUS Data Recovery Software Free Edition License: free (limited functionality)

Supported OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7/8/10 (32 bit and 64 bit)

Data checked by EaseUS? Yes; all drives; local drives; network drives; USB drives; SD cards; memory cards (MMC, SDHC); hard disks (3.5″ standard and 2.5″ small), solid-state drives (SSD), etc.(MFM, SATA I/II/III/IV); CD / DVD discs.

File or storage device to scan: Local disk; Network disk; External drive; USB flash drive; SD card; MMC card; Memory stick; Hard drive

Data recovery options: Lost Partition Recovery, Damaged Partition Recovery, Formatted/Re-Formatted Recovery, Deleted File Recovery (NTFS/FAT/exFAT/Ext2/Ext3 file system), Overwritten File Recovery (NTFS5 file system), Unallocated Space Recovery, Raw Data Recovery (RAID 0 / RAID 5 / RAID 6)

Supported file systems: FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS5

File recovery languages: English / French / German.

Data search options: Recover to a specific location, Recover to a folder, Recover to a file, Image file to file system.

2. R-Studio

This well-known free product from R-Studio is a reliable data recovery program perfect for both novice and experienced users. The software is compatible with Windows Vista®, XP, Windows 7/8/2012 (32 bit and 64 bit), Windows Server 2008/2012 (32 bit and 64 bit), Windows Server 2008R2 (64 bit).

The program comes with two main interfaces: interactive and command-line interactive modes. The majority of the program’s functions are available in both interfaces.

R-Studio License: free (limited functionality)

Supported OS: Windows Vista/7/8/2012/2008/2008R2 (32 bit and 64 bit), Windows Server 2008/2012 (32 bit and 64 bit)

Data checked by R-Studio? Yes; all drives; local drives; network drives; USB flash drives, SD cards.

File or storage device to scan: Local disk; Network disk; External drive; USB flash drive; SD card

Data recovery options: Lost Partition Recovery, Damaged Partition Recovery, Deleted File Recovery (NTFS/FAT/exFAT/Ext2/Ext3 file system), Overwritten File Recovery (NTFS5 file system), Unallocated Space Recovery, Raw Data Recovery (RAID 0 / RAID 5 / RAID 6)

Supported file systems: FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS5 (note the following restrictions apply when using NTFS5 file system): can recover files larger than 4 Gb only if the block size is 64.

File recovery languages: English, Russian, German, French

Data search options: Recover to a specific location, Recover to a folder, Recover to a file.

3. DriveSavers Data Recovery Wizard

This utility from DriveSavers is a free online data recovery program that allows you to recover deleted files and lost partitions from your hard drive or memory card (SD cards and CF cards), as well as damaged and formatted drives. This program is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8, 10.

DriveSavers Data Recovery Wizard License: free

Supported OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 (32 bit and 64 bit)

Data checked by DriveSavers? Yes; all drives; local drives; network drives; USB flash drives; SD card; Memory stick; HD (Hard disk); CD / DVD disc.

File or storage device to scan: Local disk; Network disk; External drive; USB flash drive; SD card We recommend keeping your data on an external hard drive or memory card (SD cards and CF cards) if they are not damaged.

Data recovery options: Lost Partition Recovery, Damaged Partition Recovery, Formatted/Re-Formatted Recovery, Deleted File Recovery (NTFS/FAT), Overwritten File Recovery (NTFS5 file system), Unallocated Space Recovery, Raw Data Recovery.

Supported file systems: FAT12, FAT16, FAT32

File recovery languages: English and Spanish. However, the Wizard is available in many languages including Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. The application interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible.

Data search options: Recover to a specific location, Recover to a folder, Recover to a file.

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4. Acronis True Image 2020 Data Recovery Software

This free data recovery program from Acronis is easy to use and requires no installation or reboot. It allows you to recover files from your hard drive, memory card (SD cards and CF cards), as well as damaged and formatted drives. This product is compatible with Windows XP, Vista/7/8/10 (32 bit and 64 bit).

Hard Disk Acronis True Image 2016 License: Free (limited functionality)

Supported OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 (32 bit and 64 bit), Windows Server 2008/2012 (32 bit and 64 bit)

Data checked by Acronis? Yes; all drives; local drives; network drives; USB flash drives, SD cards. Note that the program will not list hard disks that are not supported by your operating system. Make sure that you have installed your Windows OS.

File or storage device to scan: Local disk; Network disk; USB flash drive; SD card.

Data recovery options: Lost Partition Recovery, Damaged Partition Recovery, Formatted/Re-Formatted Recovery, Deleted File Recovery (NTFS/FAT/exFAT/Ext2/Ext3 file system), Overwritten File Recovery (NTFS5 file system), Unallocated Space Recovery.

Supported file systems: FAT12, FAT16, FAT32. Note that the program can not recover files from the NTFS5 file system.

File recovery languages: English, French, German. However, the Wizard is available in many languages including Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. The application interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible.

Data search options: Recover to specific location Recovery to a folder Recovery to a file Recovery to a removable disk (USB)

5. FreeUndelete

FreeUndelete is another free data recovery utility for Windows that allows you to recover deleted files from hard drives (internal or external), USB sticks, or memory cards (SD cards and CF cards). FreeUndelete is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista/7/8/10 (all 32 bit and 64 bit), Server 2003/2008.

FreeUndelete License: free

Supported OS: Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP (all 32 bit and 64 bit), Windows Server 2008/2008R2/2003

Data checked by FreeUndelete? Yes; all drives; local drives; network drives; USB flash drives, SD cards. Note that the program will not list hard disks that are not supported by your operating system. Make sure that you have installed your Windows OS.

File or storage device to scan: Local disk; Network disk; External drive; USB flash drive; SD card We recommend keeping your data on an external hard drive or memory card (SD cards and CF cards) if they are not damaged.

Data recovery options: Lost Partition Recovery, Damaged Partition Recovery, Formatted/Re-Formatted Recovery, Deleted File Recovery (NTFS/FAT), Overwritten File Recovery (NTFS5 file system), Unallocated Space Recovery, Raw Data Recovery We recommend keeping your data on an external hard drive or memory card (SD cards and CF cards) if they are not damaged.

Supported file systems: FAT12, FAT16, FAT32.

File recovery languages: English, Portuguese, Turkish. However, the application interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible.

Data search options: Recover to a specific location, Recover to a folder, Recover to a file. Free Undelete 6.4 6 Data Recovery 6.4 6 Data Recovery 6.4 FreeUndelete is another free data recovery utility for Windows that allows you to recover deleted files from hard drives (internal or external), USB sticks, or memory cards (SD cards and CF cards). FreeUndelete is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista/7/8/10 (all 32 bit and 64 bit), Server 2003/2008.6.4 FreeUndelete is another free data recovery utility for Windows that allows you to recover deleted files from hard drives (internal or external), USB sticks, or memory cards (SD cards and CF cards). FreeUndelete is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista/7/8/10 (all 32 bit and 64 bit), Server 2003/2008.6.4

Free Undelete is a small application that allows you to recover deleted files on a hard drive from both internal and removable media. It supports Windows 7 / Vista / XP / 2000 / ME / 98, with both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures. You can use it to undelete files from FAT12, FAT16, FAT32 file systems.

FreeUndelete has a nice and clean interface, and even if it is small, it can be suitable for undeleting files from SD cards and CF cards. This data recovery program can undelete files of any type (documents, pictures, videos, etc.).

6. PC Inspector File Recovery

PC Inspector File Recovery is a free file recovery program that can recover deleted or lost files from hard drives (internal or external), USB flash drives, memory cards (SD cards and CF cards), and devices connected to USB ports on your PC. File Recovery also supports RAID and all Windows Operating Systems (Windows Vista/7/8/2003/2008).

PC Inspector File Recovery License: free

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7 / 8 / 10 (32 Bit and 64 Bit), Windows Server 2003 R2 / 2008, Vista x64

Data checked by PC Inspector? Yes; all drives, even if your operating system does not support this. Note that the program does not have a RAW recovery mode on its own – you have to first open a file to be able to delete it. Before using this application, please make sure that you have first made a backup of your data on a removable device or a data drive. Make sure that you have installed your operating system correctly and correctly configured your hardware drivers.

File or storage device to scan: Local disk; Network disk; USB flash drive; SD card (recommended).

Data recovery options: Lost Partition Recovery, Damaged Partition Recovery, Unallocated Space Recovery.

Supported file systems: FAT12, FAT16, FAT32. Note that the program can not recover files from the NTFS5 file system.

File recovery languages: English, Danish (only in the evaluation version), Dutch (only in the evaluation version), German (only in the evaluation version), Spanish (only in the evaluation version). However, the application interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible. The application interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible.

Data search options: Recover to a specific location, Recover to a folder, Recover to a file.

7. Recuva

Recuva is another free data recovery utility for Windows that allows you to recover deleted files from hard drives (internal or external), USB sticks, or memory cards (SD cards and CF cards). This tool is specially designed for recovering deleted files on NTFS partitions. It supports Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 (32-bit and 64-bit).

Recuva License: free. There are no limitations to its use.

Supported OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 (all 32 bit and 64 bit), Windows Server 2003/2008. Note that the program can not recover files from FAT12, FAT16, FAT32 file systems.

Data checked by Recuva? Yes; all drives; local drives; network drives; USB flash drives, SD cards. Note that the program will not list hard disks that are not supported by your operating system. Make sure that you have installed your Windows OS correctly and correctly configured your hardware drivers. Before using this application, please make sure that you have first made a backup of your data on a removable device or a data drive.

File or storage device to scan: Local disk; Network disk; USB flash drive; SD card (recommended).

Data recovery options: Lost Partition Recovery, Damaged Partition Recovery.

Supported file systems: NTFS4, NTFS5. Note that the program does not recover data from FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32 (FAT) file systems. Again, if you do not see your hard disk format in the list of supported file systems, this means that there is no chance to recover files from it.

File recovery languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch (only in the evaluation version). However, the application interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible. The program interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible.

Data search options: Recover to a specific location; Recover to a folder; Recover to a file.

8. GetDataBack for FAT & NTFS

GetDataBack for FAT & NTFS is another free data recovery utility for Windows that allows you to recover deleted files from hard drives (internal or external), USB sticks, or memory cards (SD cards and CF cards). GetDataBack can recover data from volumes formatted with FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS file systems. It supports Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7.

GetDataBack for FAT & NTFS License: free. There are no limitations to its use.

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 (32 Bit and 64 Bit). Note that this application is intended to be used with hard drives which are formatted using the NTFS or FAT file system only. Also note that the program does not support RAID or Microsoft Cluster File System (MSCFS).

Data checked by GetDataBack: Not supported.

File or storage device to scan: Local disk; Network disk; USB flash drive; SD card (recommended).

Data recovery options: Lost Partition Recovery, Damaged Partition Recovery, Unallocated Space Recovery.

Supported file systems: NTFS, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32. The program can not recover data from the NTFS5 file system. Also, note that the program does not support RAID and Microsoft Cluster File System (MSCFS) partitions and drives.

File recovery languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch (only in the evaluation version). However, the application interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible. The application interface will default to your operating system’s language if possible.

Data search options: Recovery to a specific location; Recovery to a folder; Recovery to a file.

9. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac OS X

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is another free data recovery utility for Mac OS X that allows you to recover deleted files from hard drives (internal or external), USB sticks, memory cards (SD cards and CF cards), or SSD drives. It supports Mac OS X 10.8-10.12. However, the program does not support RAID drives, APFS, HFS+, NTFS partitions, or UEFI volumes.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard License: free. There are no limitations to its use.

Supported OS: Mac OS X 10.8-10.12 (all 32 bit and 64 bit). The program can not recover data from hard disks that are not supported by Mac OS X (like FAT32). Again, if you do not see your hard disk format in the list of supported file systems, this means that there is no chance to recover files from it.