- 2018
- 2017
Overall Product Rating: 5.0
A very decent professional data recovery program with good recovery features and performance. Strengths: One of the best sets of supported file systems. Very good data recovery performance, always among the top scores. Excellent raw file recovery. Support for logical disk manager recovery. Support for the newest Apple file system: APFS. Weaknesses: Limited file search and preview capabilities. It also doesn’t show the disk’s S.M.A.R.T. attributes.
Added since our last review: Support for new ReFS/ReFS2, ZFS, ESX(i), VMFS, APFS file systems. Supports for Apple RAID
Interface and Features
Localized file name recognition: 6.0Compare
Recognized all tested localized characters in file and folder names.
Supported interface languages: 3.0Compare
Setup languages: English, German, Ukrainian. Also available for download: French, Russian, Japanese, Korean. (7 languages) Interface languages: English, German, Ukrainian. Language management: Language change requires program restart.
Demo version restrictions: 3.5Compare
Recovers files up to 768 KB. Some limitations in its built-in hex editor. No time limit for the demo version.
File preview: 3.0Compare
Graphic, pdf, and txt files can be previewed. The program can also show file properties.
File recovery using file signatures (raw file recovery): 6.0Compare
This feature can be used in three modes: built-in IntelliRAW rules enabled, built-in IntelliRAW rules in propriety, enable post-processing of incomplete IntelliRAW types. Using the IntelliRAW technology, the program can recover fragmented files in some cases. This feature can be disabled, if necessary. Custom file signatures can be stored to and loaded from a file. Users can use a special standalone IntelliRAW Editor to create their own file types.
Disk imaging and copying: 5.0Compare
Image types: byte-by-byte (plain disk image file, the extension is img). Partial images can be created.
Deep analysis of disks (disk scan): 5.0Compare
Versatile scan parameters: Scan range, file systems to search for, file name encoding options, index existing file system (for partition scan), enable multi-thread scan, ignore small FAT12 file systems, ignore file system with only “system” files, use “Recycle Bin” extension for Windows file systems. Supports partial disk scans deletion of unnecessary partitions. Various types of scans: scan for lost data, search undeleted partitions by metadata, etc. Scan results can be saved and loaded later.
File systems supported for file recovery: 6.0Compare
NTFS, FAT/FAT32/exFAT, Apple HFS+, SGI XFS, Btrfs, Ext2-Ext4, Linux JFS (JFS2), ReiserFS, UFS/UFS2, ReFS/ReFS2, ZFS, ESX(i), VMFS, APFS.
Disk parts/regions: 4.5Compare
A region can be specified manually on a disk. An area to an imaging scan can also be specified (in sectors).
File recovery parameters: 5.0Compare
Recovers file names and folder structure. Support for Encrypted NTFS (EFS), recovery of extended attributes (HFS+). HFS+-specific attributes can be saved in “AppleDouble” format. The program can delete recovered files with read/write errors. Empty folders can be excluded from recovery. Duplicate file conflict actions can be specified. Recovered files can be saved with a filter (Save with filter).
File search, mark for recovery, sorting: 3.5Compare
Search parameters: file name and/or extension, mask, date, deleted/existing, and size. The same parameters can be specified for file recovery. Files can be sorted within a folder by clicking column names (name, size, data, etc.), similar to sorting in Windows Explorer. A list of found files can be saved.
Support for disk and volume managers: 4.5Compare
Support for Windows Dynamic Disks (Windows software RAIDs), Windows Storage Spaces, Apple Software RAID, Linux mdadm RAIDs and Logical Volume Manager (LVM/LVM2). Recovery Explorer Professional can assemble these objects automatically, even when their service data is slightly damaged. Objects can be added /disconnected manually if the service data is severely corrupted.
RAID recovery features: 5.0Compare
Direct access to a virtual RAID. Any object can be added to a virtual RAID.
Standard RAID level presets: 5.5Compare
JBOD (Volume Set), RAID0 (Stripe Set), RAID 1(Mirror), RAID3, RAID4, RAID5, RAID5 with parity delays, RAID6 (Reed-Solomon), RAID6 (Double Xor), with all their variants. Parity delay support for all applicable levels.
User-defined RAID layouts: 5.0Compare
The user can specify very complex RAID layouts using a special language for RAID description files.
Hexadecimal editor: 4.5Compare
The editor has all standard features. Data may be represented in any coding or as hex values. Excellent navigation. Only disk objects (real or virtual) can be edited.
Startup version: 6.0Compare
No such feature for Recovery Explorer Professional. However, the same vendor provides a separate UFS Explorer Backup and Emergency Recovery CD, which is equivalent in its features to the Windows version of UFS explorer (which later became Recovery Explorer Professional).
File recovery performance
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (exFAT file system): 4.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
Four deleted folders Document, Music, Photos, Video from the root folder were found in the $LostFiles/$Group100… section on the exFAT partition. They contained all respective subfolders and files with correct names. They all were recovered correctly. 1 pdf and 2 jpg files from the root folder were found in their original places. All of them were recovered correctly.
Files that could not be recovered: the avi file from the root folder.
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (NTFS file system): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
All files with correct names were found on the NTFS partition, except one avi and 2 jpg files from the root folder and the mkv file. These files were found in raw file with incorrect names and correctly recovered.
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (FAT32 file system): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
Almost all files were found in their original locations with correct file and folder names. Some files and folders had the ~ character instead of their first letters. All were correctly recovered.
Emptied Recycle Bin (NTFS file system): 5.5Compare
After opening the partition:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
3 folders and files from the disk root folder were found in Recycle Bin with incorrect names. The rest of folders and files were found in Recycle Bin with correct names and folder structure. The $LostFiles/$Group10000…1 section contained some orphan folders and files. One avi and one mkv files could only be found among raw files, with incorrect names. All files were recovered correctly.
Emptied Recycle Bin (exFAT file system): 5.0Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
All folders from the disk root were found in the $LostFiles/$Group10000…1 section on the ExFAT partition. Only one folder (Video) had its correct name, but they contained subfolders and files with correct names. The Recycle Bin contained files from the root folder with incorrect names. All files and folders were correctly recovered.
Reformatted disk (exFAT to exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
All folders from the root folder were found in the $LostFiles/ $Group1000… section in the ExFAT section. They had incorrect names $Folderxxxxxxxx but contained all files and folders with correct names. They were correctly recovered. Raw recover results contained 2 jpg and 1 pdf files from the root folder. They were also correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: one avi file from the root folder.
Reformatted disk (FAT32 to FAT32): 5.0Compare
After Scan for lost data:
Two folders $Folder10000… and $Folder00025285 were found in the $LostFiles/ $Group1000… section. They contained all files and folders with correct names, except files from the root folder. Those files were found in the Extra Found Files section with incorrect names. Overall, all files were correctly recovered. Files from the root folder were recovered with incorrect names.
Reformatted disk (exFAT to NTFS): 6.0Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
The previous exFAT partition was found. All files and folders were found in the correct place with correct names and were correctly recovered.
Reformatted disk (NTFS to exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
The previous NTFS partition was found. Almost all files and folders were found in correct place with correct names and were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 2 xlsx and 1 mp3
Reformatted disk (NTFS to NTFS): 3.0Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
Files and folders on the partition were found in the $LostFiles/ $Group1000… section only. Three folders $Folderxxx… were found and contained some folders and files from the Photos and Video folders. Raw files (Raw scan results) contained some of the other lost files with incorrect names. Almost all of them were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 1 jpg, 17 mp3, 1 doc, 7 docx, 4 xlsx, 6 odt, 2 ods files.
Damaged partition (NTFS): 3.5Compare
After opening the partition:
The partition was shown as Unknown partition. File and folder structure: No files and folders were found.
After Scan for lost data:
Only raw files were found with incorrect names. Some of them were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 1 flv, 1 m4v, 17 mp3, 1 doc, 7 docx, 2 xlsx, 6 odt, 2 ods files.
Damaged partition (exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
The partition was shown as exFAT but without any files or folders.
After Scan for lost data:
The damaged exFAT partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
The partition was shown as exFAT but without any files and folders.
After Scan for lost data:
The damaged exFAT partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (HFS+): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
All files and folders were found with correct names and correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (ext4fs): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
All files and folders were found with correct names and correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (FAT32): 5.5Compare
Immediately found a FAT32 partition of the correct size.
After Explore file system:
The partition was shown as FAT but without any files and folders.
After Scan for lost data:
The damaged exFAT partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (NTFS): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data: The previous NTFS partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (FAT32): 5.5Compare
Initially, a 2TB Unknown partition was found. After Scan for lost data A FAT partition was found. All files and folders were found in this partition with correct names and were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (exFAT): 5.5Compare
Initially, a 2TB Unknown partition was found.
After Scan for lost data:
A FAT partition was found. All files and folders were found in this partition with correct names and were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
An exFAT partitions was found with all files and folders with correct names. All of them were correctly recovered.
Windows Storage Space (WSS) Recovery with One Missing Disk: 5.0Compare
The program detected WSS but with incorrect size and without a valid file system.
After Scan for lost data:
All files and folders were found with correct names and correctly recovered.
Linux MD RAID 5 Recovery: 6.0Compare
The Linux MD RAID 5 was immediately found and correctly reconstructed. All file and folders were found and correctly recovered.
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. The program showed the unsynced disk.
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.
Automatic RAID 5 Parameter Detection: 0.0Compare
No such feature. The RAID was correctly re-constructed manually.
Windows Storage Space (WSS) Recovery: 5.0Compare
The program detected WSS but with incorrect size and without a valid file system.
After Scan for lost data:
All files and folders were found with correct names 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.
Speed of SSD disk scan: 5.5Compare
6 min 58 sec. (516 GB/h) – disk scan and search for all file systems and raw files search.
6 min 6 sec. (516 GB/h) disk scan and search for NTFS/FAT without raw files search.
Mac RAID 0 Recovery: 6.0Compare
The Mac RAID 0 was immediately found and correctly reconstructed. All file and folders were found and correctly recovered.
Overall Product Rating: 4.5
Very decent professional data recovery software. It has good recovery features and performance. Strengths: One of the best sets of supported file systems. Very good data recovery performance, always among the top scores. Excellent raw file recovery. Support for Windows LDM and Linux MD RAIDs, and LVM/LVM2 manager. Weaknesses: Limited file preview capabilities. It also doesn’t show the disk’s S.M.A.R.T. attributes.
Interface and Features
Supported interface languages: 3.0Compare
Setup languages: English, German, Ukrainian. Also available for download: French, Russian, Japanese, Korean. Interface languages: English, German, Ukrainian. Language management: Language change requires program restart.
Localized file name recognition: 6.0Compare
Recognized all tested localized characters in file and folder names.
Demo version restrictions: 3.5Compare
Recovers files up to 256 KB. Some limitations in its built-in hex editor. No time limit for the demo version.
File preview: 3.5Compare
Files are previewed by saving the file to a temp folder and launching in its native application. Can also view file properties. Also, the program can show graphic files.
File search, mark for recovery, sorting: 3.0Compare
Search parameters: file name and/or extension, mask, modification time, and size. The same parameters can be specified for file recovery. Files can be sorted within a folder by clicking column names (name, size, data, etc.), similar to sorting in Windows Explorer. A list of found files can be saved.
Disk imaging and copying: 5.0Compare
Image types: byte-by-byte (plain disk image file, the extension is vrfs).
Disk parts/regions: 4.5Compare
A region can be specified manually on a disk. And an area to scan can be specified (in sectors).
File recovery parameters: 5.0Compare
Recovers file names and folder structure. Support for Encrypted NTFS (EFS), recovery of extended attributes (HFS+). The program can delete recovered files with read/write errors. Empty folders can be excluded from recovery. Duplicate file processing.
File systems supported for file recovery: 6.0Compare
NTFS, FAT/FAT32/exFAT, Apple HFS+, SGI XFS, Btrfs, Ext2-Ext4 (only limited number of files can be recovered with their names due to the file system specifications), Linux JFS (JFS2), ReiserFS, UFS/UFS2.
Deep analysis of disks (disk scan): 5.0Compare
Versatile scan parameters: Scan range, file systems to search for, file name encoding options, index existing file system (for partition scan), enable multi-thread scan, ignore small FAT12 file systems, ignore file system with only “system” files, use “Recycle Bin” extension for Windows file systems. Supports partial disk scans and saving/loading of scan results to or from a file. Various types of scans: scan for lost data, search undeleted partitions by metadata, etc. Scan results can be saved and loaded later.
File recovery using file signatures (raw file recovery): 6.0Compare
This feature can be used in three modes: built-in IntelliRAW rules enabled, built-in IntelliRAW rules in propriety, enable post-processing of incomplete IntelliRAW types. Using the IntelliRAW technology, the program can recover fragmented files in some cases. This feature can be disabled, if necessary. Custom file signatures can be stored to and loaded from a file. Users can use a special standalone IntelliRAW Editor to create their own file types.
Standard RAID level presets: 5.5Compare
JBOD, RAID0 (Stripe Set), RAID 1(Mirror), RAID3, RAID4, RAID5, RAID5 with parity delays, RAID6 (Reed-Solomon), RAID6 (Double Xor), with all their variants. Parity delay support for all applicable levels.
RAID recovery features: 4.5Compare
Direct access to a virtual RAID. Only disks and images can be added to a virtual RAID.
Support for disk and volume managers: 4.0Compare
Support for Windows Dynamic Disks (Windows software RAIDs), Windows Storage Spaces, Linux MD RAIDs, and Linux Logical Volume Manager (LVM/LVM2).
Startup version: 6.0Compare
No such feature for Recovery Explorer Professional. However, the same vendor provides a separate UFS Explorer Backup and Emergency Recovery CD, which is equivalent in its features to the Windows version of UFS explorer (which later became Recovery Explorer Professional).
Hexadecimal editor: 4.5Compare
The editor has all standard features. Data may be represented in any coding or as hex values. Excellent navigation. Only disk objects (real or virtual) can be edited.
User-defined RAID layouts: 5.0Compare
The user can specify very complex RAID layouts using a special language for RAID description files.
File recovery performance
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (NTFS file system): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
All files with correct names were found on the NTFS partition, except files from the root folder and the mkv file. These files were found with incorrect names in raw files and correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: two xlsx and four mp3 files.
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (FAT32 file system): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
Almost all files were found in their original locations with correct file and folder names, except one avi file. Some files and folders had the ~ character instead of their first letters. All were correctly recovered. The avi file was found among raw files with an incorrect name and correctly recovered.
Files Deleted without Recycle Bin (exFAT file system): 5.0Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
Four deleted folders Document, Music, Photos, Video from the root folder were found in the $LostFiles/$Group100… section on the exFAT partition. They contained all respective subfolders and files with correct names. They all were recovered correctly. The files from the root folder were found in their original places (except the avi file). All of them were recovered correctly.
Files that could not be recovered: the avi file from the root folder.
Emptied Recycle Bin (NTFS file system): 5.0Compare
After opening the partition:
Nothing was found.
After Disk scan:
One picture and one pdf file was found in the right place (the disk root). Also, the root folder contained three folders: Documents, Music, and Photos with correct names. All were recovered correctly, except two xlsx and four mp3 files. Six folders with correct folder and file names from the Avi folder were found in the $LostFiles/$Group section. All those files were correctly recovered. The same section contained the folder with all files with correct file names, and all but one file from the Avi subfolder. All were correctly recovered. Raw recovery results contained mkv, 2 mov, 5 mp4, and 22 avi. They were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 2 xlsx and 4 mp3
Emptied Recycle Bin (exFAT file system): 5.0Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data: All folders from the disk root were found in the $LostFiles/$Group10000… section on the ExFAT partition. Only one folder (Video) had its correct name, but they contained subfolders and files with correct names. The Recycle Bin contained files from the root folder, except one avi. All files and folders were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: one avi file.
Reformatted disk (NTFS to NTFS): 3.0Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
Files and folders on the partition were found in the $LostFiles/ $Group1000… section only. Three folders $Folderxxx… were found and contained some folders and files from the Photos and Video folders. Raw files contained some of the other lost files with incorrect names. Almost all of them were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 18 mp3, 1 doc, 7 docx, 4 xlsx, 6 odt, and 2 ods files.
Reformatted disk (FAT32 to FAT32): 6.0Compare
After Scan for lost data:
All files and folders from the root folder were found with correct names in the $00000005 section. All of them were correctly recovered.
Reformatted disk (NTFS to exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
The previous NTFS partition was found. Almost all files and folders were found in correct place with correct names and were correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 2 xlsx and 1 mp3
Reformatted disk (exFAT to exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
All folders from the root folder were found in the $LostFiles/ $Group1000… section in the ExFAT section. They had incorrect names $Folderxxxxxxxx, but contained all files and folders with correct names. They were correctly recovered. Raw recover results contained 2 jpg and 1 pdf files from the root folder. They were also correctly recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: one avi file from the root folder.
Reformatted disk (exFAT to NTFS): 6.0Compare
After Explore file system:
Nothing was found.
After Scan for lost data:
The previous exFAT partition was found. All files and folders were found in the correct place with correct names and were correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
The partition was shown as exFAT but without any files and folders.
After Scan for lost data:
The damaged exFAT partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (HFS+): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
All files and folders were found with correct names and correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (NTFS): 3.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
Only raw files were found with incorrect names. Some of them were correctly recovered. Files that could not be recovered: many.
Damaged partition (ext4fs): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
All files and folders were found with correct names and correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (FAT32): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
The partition was shown as FAT32 but without any files and folders.
After Scan for lost data: The damaged FAT32 partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered.
Damaged partition (exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Explore file system:
The partition was shown as exFAT but without any files or folders.
After Scan for lost data:
The damaged exFAT partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (FAT32): 4.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
A FAT partition was found containing all correct files and folders with correct names. Almost all of them were recovered.
Files that could not be recovered: 4 mp4, 1 mpeg, and 4 mts files.
Deleted partition (exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
The exFAT partition was found with all correct files and folders. All of them were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (exFAT): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
An exFAT partitions was found with all files and folders with correct names. All of them were correctly recovered.
Deleted partition (NTFS): 5.5Compare
After Scan for lost data:
The previous NTFS partition was found with all files and folders. All of them were 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.
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 Storage Space (WSS) Recovery: 1.0Compare
The WSS was immediately found, no scan was required. But the reconstruction appeared incorrect. All files could not be previewed and correctly recovered.
Linux MD RAID 5 Recovery: 6.0Compare
The Linux MD RAID 5 was immediately found and correctly reconstructed. All file and folders were found and correctly recovered.
Automatic RAID 5 Parameter Detection: 0.0Compare
No such feature. The RAID was correctly re-constructed manually.
Windows Storage Space (WSS) Recovery with One Missing Disk: 1.0Compare
The WSS was immediately found, no scan was required. But the reconstruction appeared incorrect. Not all files could be previewed 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
Speed of SSD disk scan: 5.5Compare
4 min 36 sec (783 GB/h) – disk scan and search for all file systems without raw files search. 4 min 37 sec (779 GB/h) disk scan with raw files search and search for NTFS/FAT without raw files search.
