GetDataBack for Windows

User Reviews

• Has saved me over a dozen times!

  rrothkopf11/20/2017

  Pros

  - Simple to use - 4 different "Scan Modes" increasingly take longer, but also increasingly find more files - Has saved me many many times! Simply put -- it works.

  Cons

  No option to just recover the NTFS directory information (e.g. 1000x quicker!). I understand this is a "safety" thing, but I can't help but think that sometimes all that needs to be done is a directory fix.. why make users go the long-route every time?

  Summary

  GetDataBack (the latest version is "GetDataBack Simple") has been a life-saver for me over and over again. I edit videos professionally, swapping full-sized HDDs (in external enclosures) all the time between editing workstations. Despite having backups, sometimes we need to get data off of a drive, and having the dreaded "Unable to read drive" error used to be way more horribly upsetting before we started using GetDataBack. Simply put -- it works.

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• If you aren't a GEEK or even a partial GEEK, FORGET IT!

  blec76227/31/2016

  Pros

  Downloading the program is easy

  Cons

  Then you must know about sectors, partitions, etc. All I want is to FIND A FILE!!

  Summary

  I dont recommend it for the faint hearted!

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• Recovered Files not recoverable by other programs

  fenstalkerstudios11/11/2015

  Pros

  I tried a number of free/open-source programs. Most of them pulled file fragments off my broken drive (usually the first part of a file), but this wasn't helpful. Most images and videos would be corrupted after recovery. GetDataBack must take a different approach to data scanning because it found the folder structure, showed it to me, then gave me the option to restore all files in selected folders. It costs $79 to actually recover the files but it's well worth it. I had to hold my drive at a weird angle due to the specific problem with my drive, but that has nothing to do with the software. GetDataBack, when presented with a partially functioning drive, was able to pull all accessible data and that's awesome.

  Cons

  Can't think of any.

  Summary

  I would highly recommend this, but make sure you're downloading the official program from runtime.org. I think there are a few scam versions out there using the same name.

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• Easy recovery, but not really free

  Jonathan Sage4/24/2015

  Pros

  Program immediately found files. Program successfully recovered the vast majority of files. Program displays excellent directory structure options so that you can target where it's searching to recover files. Free to download for file discovery mode.

  Cons

  Not free for actual file recovery ($79). Copied files from my external to my SSD pretty slowly averaging 600 KB/sec, so be prepared for a lengthy recovery if you have a lot of data. I don't think it recovered 100% of the files, closer to 95%.

  Summary

  I just bought a WD 3TB usb external drive to backup a system running a dual boot of windows and linux prior to a motherboard replacement and OS reinstall. The windows portion of the backup became corrupted and I (stupidly) let check disk run on it. The final output stated that the affected files were moved to a Found folder. While this is true, it also deleted the Found folder after creating it (No it wasn't just hidden, it was fully deleted. Fun times, chkdsk, fun times.). So I downloaded this software which was marketed as free. It found all of my files very quickly (on the order of maybe 5 minutes). Unfortunately, recovering the files apparently requires a license which was $79. At least you get to see whether or not it finds anything before you buy it. It did manage to recover what seems like almost everything though, so I'm not disappointed in that regard.

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• Disappointing

  yrubinucf12/25/2013

  Pros

  This software did nothing for me.

  Cons

  The software claims to be able to identify a hard drive even if windows does not recognize it. Understandably, I wouldn't expect this feature to work if the drive is broken. Unfortunately, the feature doesn't even exist for drives that should be able to be recognized. In addition, when I pointed out the false advertisement to their support staff, I received a response from a person named Uwe ***** telling me not to lecture him. Needless to say, he and his software were useless.

  Summary

  The software was useless and their customer service was horrible.

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• There's nothing like GetDataBack !

  MYmlclmtan12/6/2013

  Pros

  -Saved all my RAW Filesystem data's life -Scan the drive in high speed -User friendly UI

  Cons

  -Need to pay (Still worth it)

  Summary

  YOU WONT REGRET!

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• Worked great for external USB HDD with busted MFT

  canadian1234561/18/2013

  Pros

  How easy can it get? Windows 7 can't see my USB HDD. It appears the master file table (MFT) is busted. I download the NTFS version, install it. It shows me my files and the folders using secondary MFTs. I buy the licence with credit card, get the code immediately, register the code in the software and IMMEDIATELY I restore my precious files. It worked beautifully for me. Your mileage may vary of course. Example : I restored 60Gb in ten minutes (a USB 3 drive). I think if your drive is damaged, it could take longer, I don't know. Maybe I'm just lucky (sort of).

  Cons

  79$USD is a bit expensive. Whatever. Give me back my files please...... :-) Beautiful software is worth it. Still, I took a half star off.

  Summary

  If your drive fails and you haven't any physical damage on the drive, don't attempt to write anything on it. Just stop. Use this software and it can help you, especially on an external device. Arguably if your C: drive with Windows boot is damaged, then it can get trickier, with or without this software. Make sure you have a WindowsPE bootable solution to be able to restore files. Good luck!

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• Didn't find the data I was looking for

  michaelrhcnet12/6/2012

  Pros

  Easy to install and use

  Cons

  On an old IDE drive, program didn't find anything, although disk had not been wiped. Saw only 7.9GB partitition on 80GB drive, though all of disk had been used.

  Summary

  Easy to try; unsure utility.

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• saved my computer! 2 hard drives restored fully! thanx!

  jamesgrosenhead10/15/2012

  Pros

  just got home from holiday to find 2 out of 3 hard drives in my desktop corrupted somehow. no idea how it happened. no operating system working. installed new drive with windows, but explorer could not read either old drive - it said they need formatting. getdataback fully restored all the files on both drives, with the file names! excellent!

  Cons

  had to install both the ntfs and fat versions separately - why not put them together?

  Summary

  excellent, my saviour!

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• works like sheer magic!!

  yakyakbig3/6/2012

  Pros

  does what its says to be doing

  Cons

  just wish it wouldn't cost a mint!

  Summary

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