- 2017
- 2016
Overall Product Rating: 4.2
An effective data recovery program with nearly all the features required for professional data recovery. It introduced the largest number of new features added since our last review. Strengths: Support for Windows LDM RAIDs and Linux LVM/LVM2. The best score for file recovery from deleted partitions Weaknesses: Only one interface language (English). Very limited demo evaluation mode; no advanced features (such as RAID recovery) can be tested. Lacks support for Windows Storage Spaces and user-defined RAID layouts. It doesn’t show a disk’s S.M.A.R.T. attributes.
Since our last review: The program can now recognize all tested localized characters.
New features: Support for new file systems: XFS, UDF, and ISO Support for Linux Logical Volume Manager (LVM/LVM2) Some smaller data recovery features
Interface and Features
Localized file name recognition: 6.0Compare
Recognized all tested localized characters in file and folder names, including French*.
In the previously tested version, French characters were not recognized.
Demo version restrictions: 3.5Compare
File preview (up to 10 MB). Recovers files up to 64 KB. No time limit for the demo version.
File preview: 4.0Compare
The built-in previewer can show graphic, office, pdf, and text files. File size limit is 10 MB. Can also view file properties.
Logging: 4.0Compare
Standard logging. The log can be saved to a file. Some parameter sets can be specified: minimal and detailed.
File systems supported for file recovery: 5.5Compare
NTFS, NTFS+EFS, exFAT, FAT12/FAT32, HFS/HFS+, UFS and ext2/ext3/ext4fs, Btrfs, Silicon Graphics XFS, CD/DVD/Blu-ray UDF, and ISO9660*.
File recovery parameters: 4.5Compare
Recovers file names, folder structure, and named streams. Files with the same names can be renamed during recovery.
File search, mark for recovery, sorting: 4.5Compare
Search parameters: “Show only deleted files”, “Show only existing files”, individual file search/mark for recovery, file mask search, file search for date, file search for size, file search for file ID. Files can be sorted within a folder by clicking column names (name, size, data, etc.), similar to sorting in Windows Explorer.
Disk imaging and copying: 4.5Compare
Image types: byte-by-byte and compressed (the extension is dim). Image compression ratio, file split size (chunk size), and bad sector handling can be specified. The program can open various other raw image types (vmdk, vhd, etc.). The user can manually add image parts (chunks) when opening the image.*
File recovery using file signatures (raw file recovery): 4.5Compare
Supports raw file recovery (SuperScan Signatures Recognition). User can select which file types are to be included and can add custom file signatures. Raw file recovery can be started alone (Last Chance), without other data recovery methods.
Deep analysis of disks (disk scan): 4.0Compare
Hard drives and logical disks can be scanned. Scan range, file systems, and bad sector processing can be specified. Scan results can be stored and then loaded later.
Hexadecimal editor: 4.0Compare
The editor has all standard features. Data may be represented in any coding or as hex values. Built-in templates for data interpretation.
Support for disk and volume managers: 3.0Compare
Support for Windows Dynamic Disks (Windows software RAIDs), Linux Logical Volume Manager (LVM/LVM2)*.
RAID recovery features: 5.0Compare
Direct access to a virtual RAID. Only disks, disk areas, and images can be added to a virtual RAID.
Standard RAID level presets: 3.5Compare
JBOD, RAID0 (Stripe Set), RAID-1 (Mirror), RAID5 with all their variants.
Startup version: 6.0Compare
Runtime Live Linux/WinPE 3.1 CD: equivalent in its features to the Windows version.
File recovery performance
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (exFAT file system): 5.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
Almost all files and folders were correctly recovered with correct original names, except the avi file from the root folder.
After QuickScan Plus and After Super Scan:
This file could not be found, even in raw files.
Files that could not be recovered: the avi file from the root folder.
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (FAT32 file system): 4.5Compare
After Quick Scan:
Only files from the root folder were found. After recovery they appeared damaged. Also the four folders from the root folder were found, but they appeared empty.
After Quick Scan Plus:
Files from the root folder and four empty folders were found. In addition, folders Virt_Dir_xxxxxxxxx were found in the ! Lost & Found ! section. They contained the deleted files and folders with correct names, except that some had the underscore instead of the first character. When recovered, they appeared broken.
After SuperScan:
Almost all files were found with incorrect names among Signature Files and correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: all xls and 5 mp3 files.
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (NTFS file system): 5.5Compare
After QuickScan:
All files were found in their original locations with correct names, except for files from the root folder. All were correctly recovered, except the mkv, two xlsx, and four mp3 files.
After QuickScan Plus: The results were the same.
After Super Scan:
The files from the root folder and the mkv file were found in raw files with incorrect names and successfully recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: two xlsx and four mp3 files.
Emptied Recycle Bin (NTFS file system): 5.0Compare
After QuickScan:
The ! Lost & Found ! section contained two Virt_Dir_xxx folders with files and subfolder from the Video folder which were recovered incorrectly . Some files were not found and recovered: 2 avi and the mkv files. The $RECYCLE.BIN folder was also found. It contained 3 folders and files from the root folder, except one jpg file. The folders and files from the root had incorrect names, the rest of the folder structure and file names were correct. They were correctly recovered, except 2 xlsx files, which appeared damaged. The jpg files from the root folder, and mkv and one avi files were found with incorrect names among raw files and correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 2 xlsx and 1 avi
Emptied Recycle Bin (exFAT file system): 6.0Compare
After QuickScan:
All files and folders were found with correct names and correctly recovered, except one png file. This file was found in the Recycle Bin and correctly recovered.
Reformatted disk (exFAT to NTFS): 4.0Compare
After QuickScan:
Nothing was found.
After SuperScan: Only raw files were found with incorrect file names. Almost all of them were correctly recovered. Files that could not be recovered: 5 docx, 2 xls, and 2 xlsx files.
Reformatted disk (NTFS to NTFS): 3.0Compare
After Quick Scan:
Nothing was found.
After Quick Scan Plus:
Files and folders on the partition were found in the $!Lost & Found! section only. Three folders Virt_Dir_xxxxxx were found and contained some folders and files from the Photos and Video folders.
After SuperScan:
The same !Lost & Found! was found. Raw files (Signature Files) contained some of the other lost files with incorrect names. Almost all of them were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 13 mp3, 5 docx, 2 xls, and 4 xlsx files.
Reformatted disk (exFAT to exFAT): 3.0Compare
After Quick Scan:
Nothing was found.
After Quick Scan Plus:
Nothing useful was found. The $!Lost & Found! section contained only empty folders like Virt_Dir_xxxxxx.
After SuperScan:
An exFAT partition of the correct size was found. It contained only raw files (Signature Files) with incorrect names. Most of them were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 1 avi, 5 docx, 2 xls, and 2 xlsx files.
Reformatted disk (NTFS to exFAT): 5.0Compare
After QuickScan:
Nothing was found.
After QuickScan Plus:
Nothing was found
After SuperScan:
Two NTFS partitions were found. One of them contained garbage. The other partition contained almost all files and folders in correct place with correct names. They were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 2 xlsx and 1 mp3
Reformatted disk (FAT32 to FAT32): 3.0Compare
After Quick Scan:
Nothing was found.
After SuperScan:
Only some raw files with incorrect names were found and recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: many.
Damaged partition (HFS+): 5.5Compare
After SuperScan (disk scan):
All files and folders were found with correct names and correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (exFAT): 6.0Compare
Immediately found an exFAT partition of the correct size.
After Quick Scan:
All files and folders with correct names were found and correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (FAT32): 6.0Compare
Immediately found a FAT32 partition of the correct size.
After Quick Scan:
All files and folders with correct names were found and correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (exFAT): 6.0Compare
Immediately found an exFAT partition of the correct size.
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
All files and folders with correct names were found and correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (NTFS): 5.0Compare
After SuperScan:
The previous NTFS partition was found with all files and folders with correct names. All of them were recovered. Also, several extra NTFS partitions were found, some with correct files, some empty.
Damaged partition (ext4fs): 5.5Compare
After SuperScan (disk scan):
All files and folders were found with correct names and correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (exFAT): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan:
All files and folders were found with correct names. All files and folders were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (NTFS): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan:
The previous NTFS partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered. The program also found 3 extra NTFS partitions (30 GB, 32 GB, and 39 GB). They all contained the same folders and files which were correctly recovered, too.
Deleted partition (exFAT): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
The previous exFAT partition was found with all files and folders with correct names. All of them were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (FAT32): 5.5Compare
After SuperScan (disk scan):
The previous FAT32 (status Excellent) partition was found. Also, three incorrect partitions were found: exFAT, FAT32, and NTFS. All files and folders were found with correct names on this FAT32 partitions. All of them were correctly recovered.
Windows Storage Space (WSS) Recovery: 0.0Compare
The program doesn’t support Windows Storage Spaces, and there’s no way to create it directly or indirectly.
Windows LDM RAID 5 Recovery with One Unsynced Disk: 6.0Compare
The LDM RAID5 was immediately found and correctly reconstructed. All file and folders were found and correctly recovered.*
Windows LDM RAID 5 Recovery: 6.0Compare
The LDM RAID5 was immediately found and correctly reconstructed. All file and folders were found and correctly recovered
Linux LVM2 RAID 0 Recovery: 6.0Compare
The Linux LVM2 RAID 0 was immediately found and correctly reconstructed. All file and folders were found and correctly recovered.*
Linux MD RAID 5 Recovery: 0.0Compare
Could not automatically detect and recognize the Linux MD RAID 5.
Automatic RAID 5 Parameter Detection: 0.0Compare
No such feature. The RAID was correctly re-constructed manually.
Speed of SSD disk scan: 5.0Compare
8 min 58 sec (401 GB/h): disk scan (SuperScan) and search for all file systems and raw files. 8 min 35 sec (420 GB/h) – disk scan (SuperScan) and search for NTFS/FAT and raw files search.
Windows Storage Space (WSS) Recovery with One Missing Disk: 0.0Compare
The program doesn’t support Windows Storage Spaces, and there’s no way to create it directly or indirectly.
Overall Product Rating: 4.0
An impressive data recovery program with only a few key professional data recovery features missing.
Strengths: Good data recovery performance. Features the best startup version in our lineup. Support for Windows LDM RAIDs. Tied with DMDE for the best score for file recovery from deleted partitions
Weaknesses: Only one interface language (English). Very limited demo evaluation mode; doesn't allow evaluation of advanced features (such as RAID recovery). Lacks support for Windows Storage Spaces.
New features: Support for a new file system: Btrfs
Interface and Features
Localized file name recognition: 4.5Compare
Characters recognized: Russian, Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese
Characters unrecognized: French (changed to the Cyrillic characters).
Demo version restrictions: 2.0Compare
File preview (up to 10 MB).
Recovers files up to 64 KB.
No time limit for the demo version.
File preview: 3.5Compare
The built-in previewer can show graphic and text files. File size limit is 10 MB. Can also view file properties.
File systems supported for file recovery: 5.0Compare
NTFS, NTFS+EFS, exFAT, FAT12/FAT32, HFS/HFS+, UFS and ext2/ext3/ext4fs, Btrfs.
Deep analysis of disks (disk scan): 4.0Compare
Hard drives and logical disks can be scanned. Scan range and file systems can be specified. Scan results can be stored and then loaded later.
File recovery using file signatures (raw file recovery): 4.5Compare
Supports raw file recovery. User can select which file types are to be included and can add custom file signatures.
Disk imaging and copying: 4.5Compare
Image types: byte-by-byte and compressed.
Parameters specified: image compression ratio, file split size, and bad sector handling can be specified.
File search, mark for recovery, sorting: 4.5Compare
Search parameters: “Show only deleted files”, “Show only existing files”, individual file search/mark for recovery, file mask search, file search for date, file search for size, file search for file ID. Files can be sorted within a folder by clicking column names (name, size, data, etc.), similar to that in Windows explorer.
File recovery parameters: 4.5Compare
Recovers file names, folder structure, and named streams. Files with the same names can be renamed during recovery.
RAID recovery features: 4.5Compare
Direct access to a virtual RAID. Only disks and images can be added to a virtual RAID.
Standard RAID level presets: 3.5Compare
JBOD, RAID-1 (Mirror), RAID0 (Stripe Set), RAID5 with all their variants.
Support for disk and volume managers: 3.0Compare
Support for Windows Dynamic Disks (Windows software RAIDs).
Hexadecimal Editor: 4.0Compare
The editor has all standard features. Data may be represented in any coding or as hex values. Built-in templates for data interpretation.
Startup version: 6.0Compare
Runtime Live Linux/WinPE 3.1 CD: equivalent in its features to the Windows version.
File recovery performance
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (NTFS file system): 4.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were correctly recovered with correct original names, except one folder with the doc and docx files. It was found separately without the folder name in the Lost & Found ! / Virt_Dir_000041) section with all doc and docx files with correct file names. Files in the root folder were not found. - Successfully recovered:
All files, except: - Not recovered (files damaged):
1 docx file.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- Successfully recovered as raw files (without names):
1 mp4 file from the root folder.
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (exFAT file system): 5.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
Almost all files and folders were correctly recovered with correct original names.
- Not recovered (files damaged):
1 mp4 file in the root folder.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
The unrecovered file wasn’t found, even among Raw files.
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (FAT32 file system): 3.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
All folders were found with correct names, except one thing: the first character of all folders (except the mp3_Video folder) was _ . Those folders were empty. Also the files from the root folder were found. - Successfully recovered:
All files from the root folder.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- File and folder structure:
All folders were found with correct names, except one thing: the first character of all folders (except the mp3_Video folder) was _ . Those folders were empty. Also the files from the root folder were found. - Successfully recovered as raw files (without names):
All video files (avi, mpeg, flv, m4v, all mp4), all mp3 files (with file names), and all doc, docx, xls, xlsx, odt, and ods files, 5 pdf files, all jpg files. There were small copies of jpg files (apparently thumbnails).
Emptied Recycle Bin (NTFS file system): 4.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found in Recycle Bin. File names in the subfolders were correctly recovered. Subfolder names and file names in the root folder (2 mp4 files) were not recovered. - Successfully recovered:
2 mp4 files, 6 doc and 6 docx files, 6 mp3 files, 6 video files, 6 pdf files, first 68 jpg files. - Not recovered (files damaged):
All xls and xlsx files, the last 32 jpg files.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
None of the unrecovered files were found, even among the raw files.
Emptied Recycle Bin (exFAT file system): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were correctly recovered with correct original names.
The same files with correct names were found in the Recycle Bin, in their respective folders. Files and folders in the root folder didn’t have their correct names.
Reformatted disk (NTFS to NTFS): 4.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found - Successfully recovered as raw files (without names):
5 pdf files, all doc, xls, xlsx, files, 5 docx files, ods and odt files, all mp3 files (with file names), m4v and 2 mov files, avi, flv, and mpeg files, 2 mts files, all jpg and mp4 files. There were small copies of jpg files (apparently thumbnails).
Reformatted disk (exFAT to exFAT): 3.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found - Successfully recovered as raw files (without names):
5 pdf files, all doc, docx, xls, and xlsx files, ods and odt files, all mp3 files (with file names), m4v and 2 mov files, avi, flv, and mpeg files, 9 mp4 files. There were small copies of jpg files (apparently thumbnails). - Partially recovered as raw files (without file names):
Parts of mts files.
Reformatted disk (exFAT to NTFS): 3.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found - Recovered as raw files (without file names):
all doc, docx, xls, xlsx, and mp4 files, ods and odt files, 5 pdf files, all jpg files, all mp3 files (with correct file names), m4v, flv, mpeg, avi, 2 mov files. There were small copies of jpg files (apparently thumbnails). - Partially recovered as raw files (without file names):
parts of mts files.
Reformatted disk (NTFS to exFAT): 5.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found
After SuperScan (disk scan):
2 NTFS partitions were found with an incorrect size (930 GB). They contained the same correct file/folder structure. Only one partition contained recoverable files. Several waste files with the zero size were found.
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found in correct place with correct names. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered, except: - Not recovered (files damaged):
1 docx file and 1 mp4 file from the subfolder. - Recovered as raw files (without file names):
No unrecovered files were found
Reformatted disk (FAT32 to FAT32): 4.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- File and folder structure:
No files and folders were found - Recovered as raw files (without file names):
all doc, docx, xls, xlsx, and mp4 files, 5 pdf files, m4v, mov, avi, flv, mpeg files, all mp3 files (with correct file names), and all jpg files. There were small copies of jpg files (apparently thumbnails). - Partially recovered as raw files (without file names):
mts files split into 2 pieces.
Damaged partition (NTFS): 5.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
No files or folders were found.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
2 NTFS partitions were found
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names on the second partition. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered.
1 zero-sized mp4 waste file was found in the root folder, with the name of one real mp4 file.
Damaged partition (exFAT): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (FAT32): 5.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names, except: - Not recovered (files damaged):
1 mp4 file from the root folder.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- Recovered as raw files (without file names):
1 mp4 file.
Damaged partition (ext4fs): 5.5Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
Nothing was found.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found. - Successfully recovered:
All files and folders were correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (HFS+): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
- File and folder structure:
Nothing was found.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found. - Successfully recovered:
All files and folders were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (NTFS): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
The previous NTFS partition was found
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
The previous NTFS partition was found
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (exFAT): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
The previous exFAT partition was found
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
The previous exFAT partition was found
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (FAT32): 6.0Compare
After Quick Scan (opening the partition):
The previous FAT32 partition was found
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered.
After SuperScan (disk scan):
The previous FAT32 partition was found
- File and folder structure:
All files and folders were found with correct names. - Successfully recovered:
All files were correctly recovered.
Windows LDM RAID 5 Recovery: 6.0Compare
The LDM RAID5 was immediately found and correctly reconstructed.
After Open Drive Files on the partition:
- File and folder structure:
All file and folders were found. - Successfully recovered:
All files and folders were correctly recovered.
Windows LDM RAID 5 Recovery with One Unsynced Disk: 1.0Compare
The LDM RAID5 was immediately found and reconstructed. Several folders were missing. All files were recovered with correct file names but appeared broken. RAW file recovery couldn’t recover any files correctly, either.Apparently, the RAID was reconstructed incorrectly.
Linux LVM2 RAID 0 Recovery: 0.0Compare
The program could not recognize the Linux LVM2 RAID 0 automatically.
Automatic RAID 5 Parameter Detection: 0.0Compare
No such feature.
The RAID was correctly re-constructed manually.
Speed of SSD disk scan: 5.0Compare
4 min 25 sec
(815 GB/h): disk scan (SuperScan), and search for all file systems and raw files.
4 min 4 sec
(885 GB/h) – disk scan (SuperScan), and search for NTFS/FAT and raw files.
