Recommended forensic/ file recovery software (free)

Hi,
I've recently had a catastrophic error with a hard drive which meant I had to erase my hard drive and reinstall OS X fresh. I have a number of files, specifically photos, that I need to recover and I'm familiar with some Windows (boo... hiss) products such as Disk Digger but there appear to be a bit more sparse for OS X.
the only product I can find that gets some recommendations is EaseUS but it's not cheap @ $99. That said, I'd pay it if it really does do the business. As there is an abundance of free Windows alternatives I'm hoping there is something that will do the job for free.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thanks

Try their free option first
http://www.easeus.com/mac-data-recovery-software/
If it works, $89 is cheap if it recovers needed files.
Having to use a data recovery specialist can easily cost you hundreds of dollars if not more.

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Deleted File Recovery software?

Is there deleted file recovery software which is cheap or has a limited demo or something?
I accidentally deleted some files, but they're not worth hundreds of dollars to me. I'd just like to get them back if I could.
I downloaded some software which says it can find them, but I have to pay -- so, how do I know it will actually work after I pay?
I'd like to get some samples, like, have it just retrieve ten files or something, just to prove it works!
Mac OS X (10.3.8)

Hi John,
As Kurt suggests, Data Rescue is a commercial product that you will have to purchase to retrieve your files if you choose but it at least allows you to test the demo first to see if it can scan and find your files and to test to see if it will retrieve one file of 500k in size.
Dr. Smoke, of the X-Lab, has an excellent FAQ explaining data recovery that can be found here.
One major point, if you're not aware, is that you should not use the affected drive until you recover the files as the more you use the computer the more chance that the files will be overwritten and unretrievable.
hope that helps some,
littleshoulders [:-)

Recommended File Recovery Softwar

Hi,
Any recommendations for a file recoversy software?
I'm looking at the following, but i don't know which one's the best... 'hope you guys out there can help me decide... thanks in advance...
-Techtool pro
-Boomerang
-FileSalvage
-DiskWarriior
any other?
thanks,
zurc

There's no best. Search the forums or google for those and see what others say about them. In addition to what you posted, I've heard good things about DataRescue.

Any recommendations for a recovery software for my lost photos on my external drive?

Would like recommendations for a reputable recovery software for my lost photos from my external drive that I used with my MacBook Pro.

General File Recovery
If you stop using the drive it's possible to recover deleted files that have not been overwritten by using recovery software such as Data Rescue II, File Salvage or TechTool Pro. Each of the preceding come on bootable CDs to enable usage without risk of writing more data to the hard drive. Two free alternatives are Disk Drill and TestDisk. Look for them and demos at MacUpdate or CNET Downloads.
The longer the hard drive remains in use and data are written to it, the greater the risk your deleted files will be overwritten.
Also visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on Data Recovery.

File Recovery Software

A software bug has apparently erased one of my email folders. I don't use Apple Mail.
Can anyone recommend a good, reliable file recovery program that might be successful in recovering the previous file?
I'm avoiding that partition in hopes of preventing any overwriting of the deleted data.
Thanks.

a brody wrote:
If the mail was stored on the server, ask the internet provider for their tape backup. Any messages you didn't open between the time it arrived and was taped will be safe.
If the mail was stored on the server, but was checked before it was taped, the internet provider might be able to do a data recovery on their own machine to see if they can find a trace of it.
If it was stored locally, you need to know the local file name of where it was stored, and recover it to the location that it stored it.
Definitely stored locally. I've become very security conscious, and avoid almost everything cloud related. This year, plan on doing taxes and next years records on an OS many have never seen, and not connected to the internet. So, it's been a lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ong time since anything identity related has been stolen from me.
This isn't the first time I'm used recovery software, but the first time on a Mac. First experience doing it was on an Atari 800.
What e-mail program did you use? These programs can recover such files, if not too much else has been written to the hard disk since the file was lost:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1689
Leaving the machine on lessens the chances it can be recovered locally.
I use Thunderbird, but I seriously consider switching if I could find an equivalent program. That has been a fruitless search.
The attempts at recovery using TB quite possibly overwrote the needed file at the outset. It all depends on how the filesystem selects the vacant sectors to write changes to.
Have you used any of the programs listed in the article?
I've opted to not try to recover the data, and have installed a back up from Time Machine. But, because I was troubleshooting issues copying massive amounts of data between hard drives, I'd turned off Time Machine, so the back up is missing some emails for all accounts. But, I have the accounts set to leave messages on the server, so just have to learn how to get those messages. I'd forgotten I'd done that, so hopefully there will be a way to just get the ones that are missing.

File Recovery Software - Cheaper than Subrosasoft?

Is there any software for recovering accidentally deleted files that is cheaper than subrosasoft.com ($80)?
Or demo software with a fully functional demo period (that lets you save what you've found)?
Or ideally shareware/freeware!

Data Rescue II has a demo. It will only allow you to save one file no bigger than 500k. It cost more though for a full working version.

PDF File Recovery

I had accidentally installed Windows over a Data Drive. I have since had the Data recovered. The most important documents were in the My Documents folder. Hundreds of PDF files were recovered. I'm attempting to open them, but most of them are saying the following:
"Adobe Reader could not open '<filename.pdf>' because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged (for example, it was sent as an email attachment and wasn't correctly decoded)."
Is there an Adobe Product available that can recover PDF Files? If not, can someone recommend a PDF Recovery software? These are all Data PDFs and receipts printed in PDF format.
Thank you.

Try to open one in WORD or other text editor (but do not edit or save). Does the PDF start with "%PDF-1.". If not, then there may not be much you can do.

Possible file recovery for Excite AT300

Unfortunately my AT300 started freezing up during startup and I had to face the invetiable and do a factory reset after two years of usage. Unfortunately I didn't back up anything. My main concern was after resetting it was that I had lost text files of writings etc. I am wondering, however, is if it is even possible to recover anything after a factory reset? The only thing I could think of would be to attemp to connect the tablet to a laptop and try to use file recovery software if the laptop can even acknowledge the AT300. Has anyone attempted this?

30 day trial, no money spent.
So why would anyone buy this Keith, if they could get full use out of it for up to 30 days, when just 30 hours would probably do ? Excuse the rhetorical question.
What is noticeable about the various file recovery programs is they let you sample them but mostly require payment if you want to seriously use them.
It is remarkable in the software universe of freeware, and OpenSource ware, that software recovery are the exception and give no free lunches, or at least none that I know.
*I suspect you will have to pay for this app to facilitate your file recovery*.
I'm not sure which one, but there is one that lets you restore one file, just to prove itself, but to get the rest you have to buy the software. Can't remember which one that is but see if you can find it, at least to prove something is recoverable before you fork out the money.
On the matter of creating a backup image using Disk Utility, did you do it according to these procedures?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1553
Still, if it has no mountable file system, I doubt if it can be created after the fact.
Sorry to be unable to throw some sunshine on your problems, but gee you are gonna have a great backup strategy in place after this. ...a little ray there.
P.S. You need to contact the providers of these software to clarify things - your expectations, payment, whatever.
Message was edited by: roam

Photo recovery software for the 3G?

recently lost all photo files from my iPhone 3G and am looking for any file recovery software that is compatible with it...

If the photos were taken on the phone, did you not transfer them to your computer? They may be in your iTunes backup on your computer, check with MobileSyncBrowser (Google it).
If you're taking about pics in the Photo Library, those were synced from your computer and should stil be on your computer.

OSX recovery software

What recovery software have you used?
Would you recommend it?

Recovery software for recovering what? If you have been using Time Machine that is your best bet for recovering lost data, apps etc.. If you haven't been backing up then you are about to learn why that's critical!
If you suffered a HD crash and are attempting to recover your data you can take your HD to a data recovery service or you can attempt recovery using Data Rescue 3 available at:
http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php

Free Recovery Software?

I was cleaning out my external drive, and I accidentally deleted a few image files that are important to me. I know not to save anything new on that drive, and I downloaded data rescue 2 and blew my "free" download on a file that was not the one I needed.
Is there any kind of app that will let me recover these files without emptying my wallet? These pics were important, but are not worth the $99 cost of data rescue II
Thanks,
Jon
Powerbook G4 1.25 Ghz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Hi, Jon.
I know of no free recovery software. Data Rescue happens to be the best available short of professional data recovery services, as covered in my "Data Recovery" FAQ.
If you haven't emptied the Trash, the files are still in the Trash and can be moved from such to your desktop. If you've emptied the Trash, then you need data recovery software.
You can look for other solutions by searching MacUpdate or Version Tracker. Frankly, you should spend the money as Data Rescues is a good utility to have.
You should also consider implementing a comprehensive Backup and Recovery solution. If you had a backup, you'd be in better shape. For advice on the backup and recovery solution I employ, see my "Backup and Recovery" FAQ.
Computing without a comprehensive Backup and Recovery solution is like driving without auto insurance. If you don't have a Backup and Recovery solution that you're using regularly, you're essentially accepting the risk that at some point all of your data may be lost.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

Recommendations for best disk recovery software

I'm reading up on various reviews on disk recovery software, but just wanted to get some of your opinions and recommendations.
I use to use Nortons back in the old days of System 7 and beige G3s but haven't need to use such software until now, so i'm a bit out of the loop.

As far as Recovery is concerned I would say Data Rescue is pretty good.
http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php
More important as I am sure you are aware however is a good cloning and or backup plan. I have a Lacie d2 external with three partitions (clone, data and emergency boot). I use Super Duper for the cloning, also manually backup very important files on data archive. Both the clone and emergency boot partitions are bootable.
And, I also burn very, very important files to CD/DVD.

Two weeks into owning my iMac and I trashed a bunch of files. I see "recovery" software advertised. Anyone know anything that would be helpful?

I'm embarrassed to admit somehow emptied my trash with hundreds of files. I see on the web "recovery" software advertised. I don't dare pursue until I'm sure it's safe. In all the years using a PC I never did such a stupid thing. All the data lost are documents I transferred ffrom the PC -- Word docs, Excel docs, photos, personal stuff. The good news is these are all on my PC in the cellar. Any words of wisdom out there?

If you still have them on the PC, that's by far the best way to recover them.
There are several recovery software options, but mostly quite expensive and none of them can guarantee that files can be recovered in a usable form.
Even when they are recovered, they won't be organised - it'll just be a collection of files which you'll need to check for integrity and then re-organise.
They also require an external HD to recover to - preferably a bootable one.
Having used a couple of them in anger myself, I'd consider them a last resort if the alternative is merely inconvenient.
And of course, it is wise to always have a backup; preferably a bootable clone kept up to date, but TM is a minimum reccomendation.
Please don't use the trash as a storage area - you can't delete selectively from there; it's all or nothing.

Hard drive corrupted, recovery software threw iPhoto info files everywhere

Ok, so my hard drive got corrupted, and I got some of the data off of it, but not all. I think there is a lot of iPhoto files scattered about the folders in a "Lost Folder(s)," which the recovery software decided to do. (I used Stellar Phoenix) I watched the process of recovery happen, and I also looked through all those Lost Folders and saw that there was a few things that may be related to iPhoto.
I would like to know what files to look for and how they are organized in the iPhoto Library package. I do not want to rebuild my entire library like I already have to do with iTunes, especially with Faces.

I would like to know what files to look for and how they are organized in the iPhoto Library package. I do not want to rebuild my entire library like I already have to do with iTunes, especially with Faces.
You don't have a choice. There is no way you can reconstruct the Library - database files, Data, Original and Modified versions in precisely the correct locations and so on - from the assembled bits.
Regards
TD

I want to transcribe one audio file of a lecture into text. I don't have a need for extended use so can anyone recommend how to do this free? Thanks

I want to transcribe one audio file of a lecture into text. I don't have a need for extended use so can anyone recommend how to do this free? Thanks

Mike,
I was successful, in a test I just conducted, to get Siri to record your problem statement in a Note file on the iPod as I used the Edit > Speech feature in Safari to play the text. I don't see why dictation wouldn't work as well. Why not give it a try?
If you don't have an iOS device to try this with, you could write your audio file to a CD and use an external player to get audio to the Mac.
Jerry

Recommended forensic/ file recovery software (free)

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