How we test data recovery software

Per-scenario protocols

Every loss scenario (deletion, format, deleted partition, corruption) follows a reproducible protocol. The detail below lets a technical reader replicate our measurements on their own bench.

1. P1

   P1 — Shift+Delete deletion

   PowerShell Remove-Item -Force on 100 random files on a Samsung 870 EVO SSD with TRIM disabled (fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 1). Test conducted immediately after deletion to avoid garbage collection. Witness dataset: 12 GB mixed (Office, JPEG, MP4, PDF, ZIP, source code).

2. P2

   P2 — NTFS quick format

   format X: /fs:NTFS /q /y from an elevated cmd. Test on a WD Blue 1 TB HDD WD10EZEX (firmware 80.00A80), capturing rates at 5 / 30 / 60 minutes post-format to quantify the recovery window before system writes start.

3. P3

   P3 — Full exFAT format

   format X: /fs:exFAT /y (no /q) — actual zero-write across all sectors. Test on HDD to measure the physical limit: no tool should exceed 5% real recovery, control scenario to detect marketing false positives.

4. P4

   P4 — Deleted partition via diskpart clean

   diskpart → select disk N → clean (wipes the partition table without touching data). Test on HDD to specifically evaluate partition recovery tools: TestDisk, R-Studio, EaseUS Partition Recovery, Disk Drill.

Software and tools used

We bought 8 licenses as an anonymous customer — no NFR (Not For Resale) licenses or press access that could introduce version or privileged-support bias.

• EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard 17.2

  Consumer license purchased at $89.95. Our affiliate partner — disclosure visible on every product page.

• R-Studio 9.4

  Perpetual license $79.99. Pro-grade, steep learning curve, deep filesystem parsing (NTFS, ext4, HFS+).

• Stellar Data Recovery 11.5

  Annual license $79.99. Photo / RAW specialty (CR2, NEF, ARW), strong scoring on SD cards.

• Disk Drill 5.4

  Perpetual license $89. Accessible interface, mixed feedback on deep scan, strong on Mac.

• Recuva 1.53 (Piriform)

  Free + Pro $24.95. Market veteran, aging codebase, no updates since 2023.

• Wondershare Recoverit 12.5

  Annual license $79.95. Heavy marketing, average real-world results on P1/P2 scenarios.

• TestDisk 7.2 + PhotoRec 7.2

  GPL free (cgsecurity.org). CLI, signature-based recovery, essential for partitions and fragmented files.

• dd + ddrescue + FTK Imager

  Forensic tools for RAW cloning of a suspect disk before any manipulation. dd if=/dev/sdX of=image.img bs=4M conv=noerror,sync.

Test bench

Scoring system

Each tool gets four independent scores per scenario, aggregated into a weighted rating out of 5.

• Raw recovery rate

  Files returned / files deleted, expressed as a %. Median of 5 runs to reduce variance. A tool returning a file but corrupted scores 0 here.

• MD5 integrity

  MD5 hash of recovered files compared to the witness dataset source. A corrupted file (partial or modified) scores 0 even if the tool returned it — recovery must be actually usable.

• Scan duration

  Minutes measured between launching the deep scan and the end of a usable listing. Measures the operational cost for the end user, especially on 1 TB+ HDDs.

• RAM / CPU usage

  Peak measured via Process Explorer (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS). Indicates whether the tool will saturate a modest machine during multi-hour scans.

Final score = recovery × 0.5 + integrity × 0.4 + scan time × 0.05 + RAM × 0.05. Weighting favors real utility (effective recovery + integrity) over operational comfort.

Stated limits

Our editorial principles

• No score below 3/5 accepted as "recommended"

  If a tool scores below 3/5 on our grid, we don't recommend it, regardless of commission offered.

• Drawbacks listed in black and white

  Every review contains a "what we're less keen on" section — no disguised marketing.

• Quarterly minimum update

  Tools evolve: scan engines, prices, new format support. We re-test every recommended tool at least every 3 months.

• Transparency about compensation

  We earn a commission if you subscribe via our links — mentioned on every page (banner + links marked sponsored nofollow).