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Sunday, May 23, 2010

ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro 2010 Reviews

We put ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro Software to the test and discovered that in most cases it passed with flying colors, or in other words it found the files that we were looking for and even found some we didn’t even know we had lost. We also found this recovery software extremely easy to use and it ran easily while we ran other demanding programs.

Sometimes losing data is not a big loss, like when you have to reformat your hard drive after being attacked by a particularly nasty virus. In this case, often remnants of uninstalled software are gotten rid of and your system will run faster. At other time however, certain data like important work documents, tax information or family pictures can cause real stress if they are lost. This is when a product like ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro Software can be a much welcome solution to an all too common problem.

ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro Standout Features:

  • Recovers missing songs from iPod Shuffles, iPod Nanos and iPod Classics
  • Can recover deleted email attachments
  • Recovers files from a reformatted partition

Feature Set:


ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro has nearly all of the features we were looking for, including the abilities to recover a variety of data types from a variety of sources. It can recover most file types including encrypted files, compressed files and emails, and it has a file “preview” so you can get an idea of what the file is before your perform a full recovery.

Data Recovery Pro can scan for files on your hard drive, even reformatted partitions. It can also scan portable devices like iPods, portable hard drives, thumb drives, cell phones, memory sticks and cards and cameras. It only has a few weak spots in this area; it can not perform network recoveries (though few products can) and it cannot yet work with the new iPhone or the iPod Touch, but this functionality is in the works.

Ease of Use:

This kind of software can be a bit intimidating, but we found this ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro easy to use and we conducted several scans and viewed the reports without having to consult the help section. We also found downloading and registering the software incredibly easy, the installation process commenced quickly and we did not experience a single glitch.

We found scanning for compressed and encrypted files on the hard drive and an external hard drive surprisingly simple to perform and the scan went rather quickly. However, when we performed a scan for a file on a reformatted hard drive, it took quite a long time; but this could be for a variety of reasons, such as the size and system demands of the programs running and the system components and not necessarily due to the software itself.

Recovery Effectiveness:

When testing this software we performed three different recovery searches. The first was of an external hard drive, the second was an email search and the third was for a file on a reformatted hard drive. The first was for music files on an external hard drive and it found all of the files easily.

The second test was for an email in Outlook, this recovery was also fairly fast and successful. However, the last test for a file on a reformatted hard drive took quite a while and did not produce results. But to be fair, no data recovery product promises to be able to recover these types of lost files, sometimes they are successful and sometimes they are not.

Search Capabilities:

ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro provides several types of scans and a variety of ways to look for files. You can easily perform a scan on your hard drive, including searches for reformatted partitions and corrupt hard drive sectors. You can even search mounted and un-mounted volumes.

You can also scan the recycle bin, Outlook type emails and just about any type of external drive including cameras, portable hard drives, BlackBerrys, MP3 players and memory cards. However, it is not yet able to work with the new iPhone, the iPod Touch or network files.

It can search for files by file name, by “text string,” by file type or it can even look for files that do not have names. It can look for compressed and encrypted files as well. We were actually quite surprised to discover how many files were on our test computer’s hard drive that did not have file names. Most of these no name files could be removed without being missed to increase hard drive space, lots of them were temporary files from videos and audio files that were viewed or listened to online.

Help/Documentation:

We found ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro’s embedded help section very useful, many of the help pages also include helpful visuals and screenshots to help you easily figure out how to use the features of the program. Online ParetoLogic offers FAQs and a knowledgebase or you can contact technical support by email. However, we would have liked to have seen telephone support offered.

Summary:

After three challenging test scans, we received two recoveries, which for this type of software is actually not too bad. We would have liked to have been able to recover some lost image files on a particular computer, but as mentioned no product of this type can guarantee 100% results, there are just too many variables to deal with.

Despite this one shortcoming we were pleased with the scan and recovery abilities of this software. And to add icing to the proverbial cake, this software is also very well priced and with the current deal it is much less than most recovery products and well worth trying out.

ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro Screenshots


ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro Screenshot

Handy Recovery 2010

Another good data recovery software is Handy Recovery from SoftLogica LLC. This highly-effective data recovery software is fairly easy to use, allows you to search for deleted files by name and comes with all the help support you'll need to get you on your way.

Although Handy Recovery is good at what it does, the combination of a general lack of features and an inability to search by both name and extension are the reasons this software was beat out by our higher ranked data recovery software.

Feature Set:

Handy Recovery allows you to create images of your hard disk, which is something that neither our Gold nor our Silver winning software can do. This ability to create images of a hard disk allows you to save a copy of your files to another drive easily, so you can recover lost files whenever you need. This software also works on the majority of Windows operating systems.

However, Handy Recovery is missing a few of the features that we feel high-quality data recovery products should have, including its inability to recover deleted or lost emails, data over a network or even data that's located on removable media and RAID disks. These are the reasons why this software scored so poorly in this category.

Ease of Use:

When compared to our top products, Handy Recovery's design is simply not as user friendly for the novice user. However, once you've spent some time with this program, you'll find it quite easy to work with.

To recover files with this program, simply select the drive that you are trying to extract the data from and then click on the analyze button. The software then scans the drive and displays what's available on it. Once you've located the file you're looking for, simply press the recover button—the program will do the rest.

We didn't have any problems installing Handy Recovery—it was simple and easy to do.

Recovery Effectiveness:


Handy Recovery found and restored all the files that we tested it against. We found it extremely effective at data recovery.

Search Capabilities:

Handy Recovery's search engine is extremely good—giving you the ability to search for files by their name. However, this program does not allow you to search by file extension, size or its creation date.

Help/Documentation:


SoftLogica supports Handy Recovery in several different ways, including a built-in help section that expertly covers all the major questions one might have with this software, tips for using the program, a link to their support page, email support and a telephone support line.

Summary:

Handy Recovery by SoftLogica is good-quality data recovery software that combines above average search and support tools with some of the most effective data recovery capability we've seen. But, with an unimpressive feature set and screen designs that would stop most data-recovery novices dead in their tracks, Handy Recovery simply doesn't measure up to our higher ranked products.

Handy Recovery Screenshots

Handy Recovery Screenshot


Recover My Files 2010 Reviews

Recover My Files from GetData Software Development Company has an easy–to–use interface and a robust, highly effective feature set. If you choose this data recovery software, you will be fortunate to have proficient help support available.

With Recover My Files you can search by keyword, file name or file extension. As a matter of fact, it can search by file content, so whether the file extension is labeled as JPEG, jpeg or jpg it can find it. This program now supports RAID drives, which it didn't in prior versions.

Standout Features

  • Safe Recovery
  • Full File Preview

Feature Set:


Offering one of the largest feature sets around, Recover My Files allows you to recover encrypted and compressed files, videos, photos and deleted emails. It can also recover data from camera cards, USB drives, zip drives, floppy discs, iPods and more. This software also attempts to recover files that have been deleted from the recycle bin, from a formatted hard drive and even files that have been lost due to power failures and virus attacks. Plus, you can choose to add a RAID drive to the scanning process, which is a feature we didn't see in previous versions of this program.

You can also recover a hard drive in the event of an accidental format, Windows reinstall, system restore or corrupt or missing drive letter. As with the file recovery options, you can choose for it to automatically recover your files or pick from a list of file types it can scan.

Ease of Use:

We had no problems using Recover My Files. The process couldn't be easier. All you have when you open the program is a screen that says "Recover Files" or "Recover a Drive." If you click on either one, you're sent to an easy to follow, step-by-step wizard to get that particular process done. Everything is explained in thorough detail to eliminate any potential confusion from inexperienced users.

Recovery Effectiveness:

Recover My Files found and recovered all of the files we tested it against. We found this product not only easy to use, but very effective at what it does. We were astonished at the sheer amount of files we had deleted days, even weeks earlier, that it located without a problem.

Search Capabilities:


With Recover My Files you can search by filename, date, size and keyword. We feel great software should offer both types of searches. Each option has two different search options, which are usually to have the program recover the files automatically or go to a list of file types and choose what you want it to find.

Help/Documentation:


GetData Software provides embedded help, an online FAQs page and email support. As we used this product, all of our questions were answered and we were able to figure out everything we needed to successfully recover our deleted files. They also provide telephone support in Australia and sales support by phone in the U.S.

Summary:

With Recover My Files you can stop panicking and start recovering your files immediately. Data Recovery even offers a free file detection download – so you really have nothing to lose, get your files back today. You won't regret taking a chance on this program.

Recover My Files Screenshots


Recover My Files Screenshot



Recover My Files Screenshot


DT Utilities Digital Rescue 2010 Reviews

For the best in data recovery, we recommend DT Utilities Digital Rescue Premium (formerly Migo). This data recovery software offers the unbeatable combination of a user-friendly design, a hefty feature set and one the most effective data recovery capacities we've seen.

DT Utilities Digital Rescue Premium also brings to the table one of the most extensive search capabilities we've seen, allowing you to search for lost files by name, not just by extension. And if email is your life, this program takes the cake by allowing you to easily find and recover emails that are prematurely deleted from your Outlook or Outlook Express program.

Feature Set:

Digital Rescue allows you to recover almost any type of deleted file you can imagine, including emails, photos, videos, music and more, as long as your computer uses one of the many, common file systems supported by this software (i.e. FAT 16, FAT 32 or NTFS).

A couple of lesser features that this software lacks include the capacity to recover files from a network and the ability to create image files.

Ease of Use:


Using Digital Rescue Premium is truly a snap; its opening screen provides you with three basic options to choose from: Recover Lost Files, Recover Lost eMail, and Permanently Delete Data. Each option then offers you additional instructions on the options available and is accompanied by a help button—all offering little room for error.

We also didn't encounter any problems or errors while installing Recover Lost Data.

Recovery Effectiveness:

We were impressed that Digital Rescue Premium found and recovered every deleted file that we tested it against. Although this doesn't guarantee it will work every time, we're confident in saying that it's easily one of the best we've seen.

Search Capabilities:


The program's search capability is one place where DT Utilities Digital Rescue really shines. To find a lost file with this program, simply type in the file name and click scan. Most other programs allow you to search by file extension only (i.e. .xls, .rtf and so on). Due to its expanded search features, we found Digital Rescue saved us both time and effort.

Help/Documentation:

Data Transfer does a fantastic job supporting Digital Rescue, offering help in the form of a built-in help section, tutorials, phone support, a FAQs page and email support.

Summary:

When it comes to recovering deleted computer data, Digital Rescue by DT Utilities is simply the best. With more search capabilities, an easy-to-use design, elevated effectiveness and some of the best help support around, this software gives you everything you need to recover your lost files efficiently.

DT Utilities Digital Rescue Screenshots

Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery 2010

Even after taking all the right precautions—staying current with anti-virus software, regularly backing up data, and performing frequent maintenance on your computer—sometimes data gets lost, corrupted, or deleted. It’s an unfortunate fact of modern life. In extreme scenarios, a completely corrupted hard drive can be completely inaccessible. With Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery software, you can avert a personal or professional tragedy by recovering important data from even the most corrupt storage devices. While the full version of Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery is significantly more expensive than many of the competitors, its user friendly, intuitive interface and all-around efficacy make it a sound investment for users that cannot afford to lose crucial data.

Feature Set:

Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery warrants its price tag by offering a thorough feature set. With Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery, you can recover data from hard drives, flash drives, USB flash drives, zip drives, fire wire drives, MMC and SD cards. Even if your drive has been formatted and partitioned, you can still expect to recover any data still contained on it.

Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery supports FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS file systems. That being said, however, many users will probably prefer to opt for one of Disk Doctors cheaper, less versatile programs. Disk Doctors offer separate versions for either FAT or NTFS formats that retail for about half the price.

Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery software provides the ability to make an image file of a hard drive. This function is an indispensable tool to ensure that no further data is lost in the case of drive corruption.

The three separate scan types available on Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery allow users to recover an entire drive, attempt to salvage damaged data, or recover specific file types.

Ease of Use:

Installation of Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery was painless and straight forward. We were up and scanning in a few minutes. A helpful wizard opens by default and assists you in deciding on which type of scan would be most useful.

After a scan is complete, the contents of your drive are displayed in an easily understandable format that mirrors that of Windows Explorer. Actually recovering files is a simple matter of selecting them, clicking the “save” icon, and selecting a target location.

Recovery Effectiveness:

On our test laptop hard drive, we were able to recover all information that had not been overwritten previously. The majority of deleted JPEGs, MPEGs and MS Word files that had been deleted via the recycle bin were nearly all intact. Because not all information is completely recoverable, some of overwritten and fragmented files we recovered were incomplete. None-the-less, Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery managed to uproot both recently lost and long lost files across two partitions.

Search Capabilities:

In addition to the three types of scan available—basic, "turbo" and "file tracer"— Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery allows you to search files by extension, name and size. Whether you’re looking for a .pdf, movie file, or spreadsheet, Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery provides search options that make it easy to find.

Help/Documentation:


Disk Doctors’ onboard help file is supplemented by FAQs, tutorials and an information center on their website. They also have video tutorials on hand for step by step demonstrations of how to use the software. A word of warning though, the English is often very convoluted and rich in jargon. Beginner users will be scared off by the clearly translated language. Users unable to figure things out for themselves or with the help of the wizard have recourse to phone and email support.

Summary:

While Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery itself does not recover network data, nor does it work on Mac or Linux, they have other products that do. Windows users willing to foot the bill for Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery will find it to be a good investment. On our test scans, the software met and exceeded expectations. We can comfortably recommend Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery.

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Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery Screenshots

Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery Screenshot


Disk Doctors Windows Data Recovery Screenshot