looking for good free/inexpensive data recovery software

[stevf]

i have a friends USB drive that I am trying to get data off it. the drive is an older 160gb wd I put in an external closure for them a while back. the other day it took a tumble from on top the mid tower case to the carpeted floor while on and now it has issues. Both windows (xp & vista) recognize it but cant access it. Tried chkdsk /f from command line - will run and see things but doesnt do much beyond that. Linux (ubuntu, knoppix live cd) will see the drive but wont let me mount it to go any further.

been looking at data recovery software but dont see any obvious free software. See lots of stuff that let you try to see if it sees your data but you have to pay to get the data. played with a program called file scavenger that has a demo that lets you restore files up to 64kb but you have to pay to get anything else. it worked and saw and recovered most of the files (the ones on the obvious damaged area are bad, no suprise there) but as noted it only saved the small files and truncated all the bigger ones (don worry - didnt try writing them back to the bad drive)

Anyone know of a good free program that will do the same thing or a good pay one that is inexpensive? most are 69 to 89 and a few are much more. the file scavanger one is only 49 - anyone have any experience with that one?

dont mind paying if I have to but free is always better

Thanks in advance

Steve

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: stevf
the other day it took a tumble from on top the mid tower case to the carpeted floor while on and now it has issues.

Free software can't overcome physical damage.
STOP! Don't do anymore tinkering with the drive...
It's time to call in 007. :laugh:

 

[stevf]

uhhh - yeah - neither me or my friends are that rich - i can tell from the results i have so far that I can get most of the stuff off the drive using cheaper solutions - just looking for a few suggestinos

 

[subflava]

I've used Ontrack software in the past to recover data off 2 damaged/dying drives and it worked great. It is a bit pricey though depending on which version you need.

Ontrack

A better alternative could be this software from a company called EASEUS
EASEUS

I haven't used their recovery software, but I love their disk cloning tool so if their other software is anywhere near as good as their cloning tool, I'd go with them. Much cheaper too.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: stevf
i can tell from the results i have so far that I can get most of the stuff off the drive using cheaper solutions

What are those results?

 

[stevf]

as i mentioned i used one of the trial packages and it did see everything on the drive and recovered it fine, it is just that package would only give you files smaller than 64kb and those that I opened look fine. there is a damaged area on the drive that the program gave errors for but most of the data seems retrivable without sending it to one of those services.

 

[Blain]

I've used File Scavenger before and was happy to pay for it.

 

[stevf]

thanks - will probably pay for that one then - the price is less than the others i have seen so far

 

[RebateMonger]

Yeah, I'd go with what you started with. You don't know if/when that drive is going to completely die. Another scan with another data recovery software could kill it completely. You just don't know.

 

[Blain]

File Scavenger may have changed this since the version I bought, but...
I couldn't recover files with their names intact. File Scavenger assigned file names in some kind of numbering system.

 

[stevf]

it looks like it keeps the original name now - it mirrored the directory structure and names for me my current destination drive.


Thanks again