March 03, 2023
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As a fast and easy solution to recover deleted or lost files on Windows which debuted in 2007 , Recuva always enjoys large popularity. It has discontinued update since 2016, but to our surprise, it comes back to a regular update last year in 2022, and the latest version is V1.53.2083 released on 15 Jun 2022.
In this Recuva Review, we will give all the answers about users’ concerns on using Recuva, such as its safety, free limitations, its pros & cons, how to use Recuva to recover files, and how to pick between Recuva Free or Pro.
Best Data Recovery for Windows and Mac
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Free DownloadFirst thing first, what is Recuva?
Well, Recuva is a Windows program allowing users to find and recover files both on internal or external storage device. It is available in both Free and Pro version. Following is a list of its main features:
Main features:
Yes. It is safe to use.
Many users have doubt onto the safety of Recuva, mainly for the reason that Recuva offers a totally free version for all users, which make users believe that a free app always comes with something annoying or malicious.
However, it is 100% clean and safe to use Recuva, there is no virus or bundled malware. Though there is advertisement for in-app purchase of its Pro version, it offers the best free data recovery service and open all its basic features to users for free.
In addition, Piriform Software, the developer of Recuva, is also the owner of CCleaner (system optimization freeware), has a long history of creating great freeware since 2004, with millions of users all over around the world, all these things together prove Recuva to be safe for your Windows.
Yes, it is free, it offers a standalone free version.
The free version is free of charge and can be used for data recovery, users cannot only scan file for free, but also recover all data without limited amount of data, unlike other free data recovery programs that allows 1 or 2 GB data recovery.
However, the Free Recuva has limitations in terms of recovery rate, auto update, technical support and features. If you want additional advanced features, there is also a Professional Version.
( Recuva is only available for Windows users, to use Recuva Mac or Recuva Android, you will need to find an alternative）
On the download page of Recuva, there are 2 options: FREE RECUVA and RECUVA PROFESSIONAL. Before making a final decision, just have a look at the following table:
| Features | Recovery Rate | Auto Update | Support | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recuva Free | Recover different files; Recover from computer, media card, document folder, recycle bin, etc.; |
30%~65% | No | No | Free |
| Recuva Pro | Recover different files; Recover from computer, media card, document folder, recyle bin, etc.; Recover from virtual disk; |
50%~80% | Yes | Yes | $24.95 |
Actually, the biggest difference between Recuva Free and Pro lies in the recovery rate and support of recovering from virtual disk. While, it is not necessary for a great part of users to recover from virtual disk. If you want to try Recuva service, we recommend using Recuva Free, based on following reasons:
So, if you want to try Recuve service, try Recuva Free first, but if you want a higher recovery rate, try a Recuva alternative instead of paying for Recuva Professional.
Recuva installer is lightweight with a size of 11.3MB and the installation is quite easy thanks for its smart wizard. You will be guided to choose the file type and location where you want to recover the files.
But for Recuva Professional, since it allows users to recover file from hard drive, there is an extra step guiding users to create disk image in the Wizard.
A user-friendly interface can make things easier and this is what Recuva do for its users. The interface is neat but informative to give enough information for next step. Especially the interface for Wizard, scanning and analyzing process, it helps users to proceed easily. While for its Recovery interface, it may be a little clustered, yet it is still considerate to accommodate all the features for better user experience.
After Recuva Wizard, you will be able to search/scan deleted files. If you have chosen the file type or location for scanning in the Wizard, the scanning process will be done faster.
The scanning includes 3 stages: scanning drive, analyzing damages and analyzing file contents.
The feature that makes Recuva different from other data recovery programs is that it helps to analyze damage and file contents of found deleted files. Therefore, on the Recovery interface, Recuva will display the status of these found files, to tell if they can be easily recovered or not, or if they can be retrieved or not. Though the accuracy of this feature is still controversial, it tells something.
When comparing to other priced data recovery software, Recuva processes scanning much slower, also the name of scanned files are weird, not in their original names. Still, users cannot resume scanning if they find the scanning is going to last for some time.
Recuva will find and locate numerous deleted files from your computer or card. In order to fast find and recover the preferred files, Recuva offers various options for smart recovery.
You may have noticed the “Switch to Advanced Mode” button on up-right corner. If the basic recovery mode fails to recover your files, you can switch to this mode.
Under advanced mode, users can freely choose location to scan, choose to scan files or contents, select a file type for accurate scanning, even set up scanning rules for best recovery result.
Also, it allows users to preview the files, though some files cannot be previewed in this program.
Yet, under Advanced Mode, Recuva will push its Pro version after each recovery, which is quite annoying.
Yes, it does helps to recover files on your Windows PC, it really works, but not works all the time. There are occasions you fail to recover a file using Recuva, especially when your files are lost for a long time. Also, you are always recommended to use Advanced Scan if you want Recuva works better for you.
The latest version of Recuva is V1.53.2083, there are 2 ways to download Recuva officially.
System Requirements
Windows 10, 8.1, 7, Vista and XP. Including both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, but not RT tablet editions.
Download Address
https://filehippo.com/download_recuva
https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva/download/standard
Upgrade to Recuva Professional
You can only download the Recuva Free to recover files for free, if you want to download Recuva Professional, you need to upgrade the Free version to Pro:
Users have discussed a lot on Recuva data recovery tool in different platforms. And here we list some Recuva reviews from other tech authorities, so that you can get a better understanding if Recuva can help you with your deleted files.
1. Lifewire Says
2. Techradar Says
3. Cnet Says
4. Softonic Says
Being a free desktop program to recover deleted files from Windows, Recuva Free has proved its advantages over other free data recovery tools. But if you are looking for a program with higher recovery rate, an alternative to Recuva for Mac or Recuva for Windows would be a better choice.
Connie has been writing for Mac productivity and utility apps since 2009. Each review and solution is based on her practical tests, she is aways energetic and trustworthy in this field.