Data Recovery Software

What Data Recovery Software have you used? What was your experience with the program?

 

For data recovery, I use following programs in sequence/preference:

1. Active Boot Disk Suite 5.0.5
2. Recuva 1.37.488 Slim
3. GetDataBack for FAT-NTFS 4.0.1
4. EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro 5.0.1
5. Glary Undelete 1.6.0.262
6. iCare Data Recovery 3.7.1
7. O&O UnErase 6.0.1899
8. Ontrack EasyRecovery Professional 6.21.02
9. Seagate File Recovery 2.0
10. Unstoppable Copier 5.0 (from CD)

Any of the above program which recover my whole data, I stop there, else continue in above sequence. Most of time, Active Boot Disk Suite, Recuva, and GetDataBack solve my problems.

 

There was a while where iCare was giving their software away for free.

http://pc-babble.blogspot.com/2010/03/icare-data-recovery-give-away-limited.html

 

You can still get the excellent iCare free even though it was supposed to end in July :

http://www.icare-recovery.com/giveaway/data-recovery-hard-disk.html

 

July 15th has gone and passed.

 

Ooooh, the free code still works?

 

File Scavenger

 

Just installed it to my VM now.

 

Oh good, lots to choose from. Does this software detect image files also?

My HD's are 3 years old and I worry about losing my backup images. I use Shadow Protect. My data files I keep on cd's & dvd's.

Thanks guys!!

 

For data recovery, I use Diskeeper's Undelete.

For data backup, just in case...
I use Remote Data Backups for all my important data. (see signature)
No worries about corrupt USB drives, hard drives, disks, etc.. Its all automated, secure and easy as can be.

For imaging, I use Paragon or Norton Ghost and have the image stored on a NASLite server.

 

Hi Capp,

Is this server your own or a paid service?

 

This is a paid service. It's from a company called Iron Mountain, one of the best data security companies around. Their servers are military grade servers with mirrored servers for extra redundancy.
I use their services on my server, home pc, laptop, work server and a few others.

 

That sounds like something I would like. It sounds expensive. Can you explain how this works?

I went to the site and it mention Data Recovery but it didn't say exactly how this works.

 

Sure thing. You install the software, use the explorer style menu to select files/directories you want backed up. Then you select the schedule for backing them up, and a password used for encryption and that is it. After that, its automatic.

As far as data recovery goes, their servers store the encrypted files in the same files structure that is on your system. If you need to restore one or all, you just browse the explorer like menu on the Restore tab, choose what you want to restore and it is back to normal.

Depending on the package size, you can actually have it backup the entire hard drive, OS and all and have it available for restore. And on some of the packages, you can access all your backed up files via the web browser, so you can restore them to a different computer if needed.

And, lets say your entire hard drive crashes. All you would have to do is reinstall the backup software, enter your information and all your files are ready to be restored. So, if you had chosen to backup your My Documents folder, you would see your same file structure on the Restore part, select it and bingo, all your files are back to where they were.

If you are interested, but not sure, download the 30 day trial from the site. No credit card or anything required.

 

Thanks to Comodo Time Machine I lost all my files...

went there:

http://www.recovermyfiles.com/

Got them back..all of them. Respect.

 

@Capp

What if something took your system out and the only image you have is stored at this site. I understand how the files can be restored but not an image....thats where I'm lost.


@korben

Good, glad it worked for you.

 

I assume you are talking fried/unbootable HD with offsite image/clone?

In that case recover what you can by piggybacking borked HD to another box. Get new HD: reinstall skeleton OS and image recovery software: dl image from servers: engage image restore/recovery tools: and

Alternatively: browse image after dl and recover files.

Have to keep a physical record of access details to storage and decryption key if req. ( Heh: on a piece of paper maybe )

Ideally: maybe use same HW for 'easier' recovery/restore from image.

Comprehensive recovery plans might need record of HW, Original install Cds or Nlited type installation CD, ,software keys, isp details, email set-ups, LAN set-ups, Access details for secure storage etc etc

@Rilla: detail a potential disaster -worst case scenario- in your head ( or postulate same here and get advice) and plan out how to recover.

Automated data back-ups for biz have been around for a while to dedicated physical servers and now with advent of "the cloud" home back-ups are becoming more common all over.

Lots of options for online back-ups:
http://www.google.com/search?num=20...k-ups&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

FWIW, I like Netgear Vault: built into the ready NAS devices ; which I also like: http://www.netgear.com/readynasvault

Digital Asset Management 1.01:
1. No Single Point of Failure
a) Your data should exist in a minimum of two separate geographic locations
b) You're only as safe as your latest backup
c) “Failures” can occur both in hardware and software
2. Regularly check to ensure all software and firmware is up to date and
functioning properly
3. Regularly check to ensure all hardware is functioning properly
4. Check Integrity of Back-ups.

BlueZ penned a thread here: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1533488&postcount=7 as a 'primer'

Most of the cloud storage providors will charge a fee: some more reasonable than others.
http://www.google.com/search?num=20&hl=en&q=on line storage&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
http://online-storage-service-review.toptenreviews.com/

I have no idea as to which online provider is more reliable, more secure or more likely to still be around in 2 years and there is little info available as to who are just resellers of space elsewhere and who might actually be looking after the actual physical racks.

FWIW,and I have no doubt as to how serious they are in general, but my contract with Iron Mountain ( great name eh ? ) over the last 2 years has been coloured by dealing with at least 4 account managers and playing a lot of catch-up as we piloted a combo hybrid system for a physical storage and scanned images storage/retrieval system for frequently turned over files, then an unexpected cost increase with changes of service delivery which 'arrived' unannounced

To their credit they have not just ditched us as we really are a high maintenance client for a small biz ( = small fees ) and my structure is tailor made and not one they had used before ( but has since served them well as a template ).

No doubt they are happy to just recieve digital files and plonk them on a secure server and they do seem to have a good rep.

Sorry, I got a bit carried away here.
Dont mean to teach u how to suck eggs.

I do like discussions of how/what/why other users here are addressing these important issues; I think for home users there is a wealth of info to be gained from the top-end operators here.

regards.

 

Hey there Longboard,

I'm always in for a good read from you. I was thinking before I seen your post of a fairly simple way to do this and I came up with a plan. I know disaster is coming with a hd failure at some point so I want to be prepared. I agree with everything you said.

I forgot when you install Vista you have a option (so many days I forget if it is 3 or 30) not activate it right away; so I could use that to get up and going then go to the online backup and fully restore with out ever activating the key.

So you are familiar with Iron Mountain. They ditched you because of high maintenance

 

No no, still with them

Just describing a few little glitches.,
Again to the credit of IM, i wanted a very specific combination of physical storage and retrieval of files and web based access to scanned images of those same files.
Pilot project: some issues and overkill identified and rectified.
Just problems with 'dedicated' staff churn and fee changes upwards with reduced options....Ah well.
Mostly IM have been good. Full service point to point, not just 'cloud' services.

Of course: not every OEM are now giving install discs !!
Not everybody smart enough to keep hard copy of some access pathways


PS:

Very kind.

 

With Vista and Win 7, you can use it for 120 days without activating (some commands have to be given)

 

Here is a bit more information on the steps for Backing up, Restoring files, or using the Windows Restore if you need to restore the entire OS.
HTH

http://www.remotedatabackups.com/support/backup.htm#Easy%20System%20Restore

 

@Capp;
That looks like a nice service: good documentation and protocols there: very extendable.
http://www.remotedatabackups.com/index.htm

Thanks for that, some reading there.

 

Very nice indeed. Been using it for years myself, so that is why I decided to partner with them.

Hope it helps someone as much as it's helped me.

 

I just discovered another data recovery utility which is free for home users,it's called Power Data Recovery.It's made by the company behind Partition Wizard so it should be pretty decent :

http://www.powerdatarecovery.com

 

Cool, I wonder if it can be added as a plugin to UBCD4WIN