Data Rescue for Windows Review

3.25

Out of 5 Total Score

No. 16 Among all Windows solutions

Price range $79...$399 • Prosoft Engineering, Inc. • Windows

Last update:

Data Rescue is a simple data recovery tool that comes packaged with limited features and an outdated user interface. But, how well can it recover your files? We take an extensive look at what Data Rescue has to offer and how it performs in real-life data loss situations so you understand exactly what it’s capable of.

Data Rescue for Windows – Gallery

Main Pros and Cons of Data Rescue

PROS

  • Two recovery modes. There are two modes of operation for the application: a basic view and a complex view for advanced users. In the easy view, there is nothing to get in the way or distract the user from the goal of restoring data.
  • Disk cloning. Disk cloning has a variety of options for both reading and writing. You can clone your disk to another disk or a IMG file.
  • Zero fill erase utility. This allows you to completely null the disk, so it cannot be recovered later.
  • Speed. The program recovers and scans data at a fairly high speed.
  • Configuration. Options for professionals with a very large number of settings. Each signature and each scanner in the program can be configured.
  • Learning. The software can learn to search for files with unfamiliar signatures. There is a module where you need to add files similar to the one you want to search for.
  • Email notification. There is a function to notify the user by email if read or write errors are found.
  • HEX media. The program allows advanced users to view the HEX of the whole connected disk.
  • RAID. The software can assemble virtual RAID arrays which can help in repairing broken disk sets.
  • Starting sector. For advanced users, it is possible to set the desired start sector from which the program will start the scanning process.

CONS

  • Scanning methods. The program does not know how to use automatic scanning with all methods. For this, the user is given the choice between quick and deep scanning, which must be chosen individually.
  • No convenience with previews. To preview files you must have free space on your hard drive equal to the size of the file you want to preview since it will be extracted to a temporary folder on the hard drive.
  • No thumbnail preview window. You have to click the preview button every time you want to view them, which is very inconvenient for large numbers of files.
  • Outdated interface. The interface is visibly outdated and, in many respects, lacks the features of modern applications.
  • No real-time view. The program does not allow you to see the results or navigate and preview them while scanning.
  • Limited filtering options. There is no way to group data by the type of found files or to filter out files with bad recovery chances.
  • Complicated results. Scan results are quite complicated and it takes some time to understand what the program found after scanning.
  • Constant connection to the internet. The data recovery software requires a constant internet connection because it has to check the license data against its servers.
  • Estimated time remaining. There is no indication as to how long scans will take.
  • Limited scan sessions. Scanning is limited to the number of sessions saved in the program. If the number of saved sessions is more than 15 you cannot start scanning unless you manually delete them all.
  • Scanner limitations. The program can only scan formatted structures on HFS disks. Other file systems are not supported. Only signature analysis will work, which means that directory structures and file names will be lost.
  • Quick scan limitations. Quick scan works on APFS, HFS, NTFS, and partially on exFAT disks. The worst result of Quick Scan recovery was on exFAT disks, where 80-90% of the data could not be found.
  • License pricing. While the pricing structure has been revised, it remains on the pricier side. Instead of paying $19 for 1 file, the Standard license now offers a monthly subscription at $79 per month. The Professional license remains an Unlimited License but is now priced at $399 for 1 year. This new model offers more flexibility for users, but the cost is still relatively high compared to some other solutions in the market.
  • Cannot continue interrupted scans. If you’re scanning a removable device that disconnects, you do not have the option to continue the scan upon reconnection. Instead, you must start again.
  • Bad sector detection. The program can detect that reading from the disk is taking too long, but it will not remember the sectors where it happened and will not let the program build a map of bad sectors.
  • Limitations on the size of the found files. The size limitations for the searched files are set in the options. For example, all video files have a limit of 10 GB. The average user would not know this without first checking the settings, resulting in video files above 10 GB being omitted from the search.
  • The complexity of the scanning settings for the program. It is possible to set the desired options for all available scanning methods. However, there are around 300 options. It wouldn't be a problem if there were optimal settings by default, but for many signatures there are none.
  • RAID limitations. The software can only handle software RAID 0 and JBOD.
  • Limited scan information. The session manager of the scanned device does not give you any information about the scan.
  • Usability. Often the program updates the interface after scanning is finished, so it hides the results of searches. To show what was found, you have to guess to find the session and open it. This is not convenient, because users may think that the program did not find anything when they see a blank screen with the found files.
  • English only. You can only use the tool in English.
  • Tree view only. No possibilities to change the view of found files tree. No thumbnail preview mode either.
  • Choice of scanning source. Choice of a disk to start scanning can be confusing.
  • Sorting results. The program does not have the ability to sort results or disk lists.
  • Search for lost partitions. The program does not allow you to search for lost partitions.

Data Rescue Summary

👍 Worth a try

Data Rescue is a decent option if you need to recover some of your lost data, but it has some shortcomings that cause it to fall behind other data recovery tools on the market. Starting with its strengths, it’s a trusted data recovery tool that has been continually improved upon since 2002. It has a range of customer support channels if you need assistance, as well as an extensive knowledge base available on its website. Furthmore, it has support for RAID- and JBOD configurations and displays a good ability to recover a lot of data from certain file systems.

Now some of its weaknesses. It’s quite expensive compared to other options on the market with similar (or better) functionality. Its ability to restore data using file system records following the loss or format of a file system is limited to HFS+ partitions only. Similarly, the only file system it could recover recently deleted data from with ease is NTFS, with some (but limited) support for FAT32/exFAT, HFS+ and APFS. It does have the ability to recover data by signature, but overall the results are mediocre (with an exception to document formats, where it had some promising results).

At the end of the day, the software can be useful or recovering data, but only in specific situations. If you’re trying to recover some work or school documents, the program is a good choice at it has great support for common document formats. But, if you’re a photographer trying to recover some lost photos, it’s best to go with a recovery tool that has better support for raw photo formats.

TitleResult
Compatibility Excellent
Recovery Rate Good
Usability Good
File Type Support Good
Scan Speed Good
Free Trial Yes
Starting Price $79.00 / month
Money-Back Guarantee No

Other Options Besides Data Rescue

popular
Disk Drill Logo
Disk Drill

Score 4.55 40%

Best choice for Windows users


Compare
Recuva Logo
Recuva

Score 3.04 6%

Good for basic data recovery jobs


Compare
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Logo
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

Score 3.85 18%

Popular for its trial recovery capabilities


Compare
Data Rescue for Windows

Prosoft Engineering, Inc.

Visit website

Best choice for Windows users

Disk Drill Logo

Disk Drill for Windows

40%

4.55

Good for basic data recovery jobs

Recuva Logo

Recuva

6%

3.04

Popular for its trial recovery capabilities

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Logo

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Windows

18%

3.85

What is Data Rescue for Windows?

 #

Prosoft Data Rescue is a data recovery tool that’s used to recover your lost or deleted files. It was developed by Prosoft Engineering, Inc. in 2002 and has seen multiple releases since then. The team behind Data Rescue, Prosoft Engineering, Inc., have a good track record of keeping the application up-to-date to ensure it runs smoothly on updated operating systems. This attention is a good reflection of Prosoft Engineering’s efforts to keep customers satisfied. Let’s take a quick look at the specifications of the tool before we break down each section.

Data Rescue Factsheet

RequirementsWindows 7-11
Latest version 6.0.8 • Released 28th Jul, 2023
Download size28.0 MB
CategoryData Recovery Software
UI languagesEnglish

Sibling version

Data Rescue for macOS

3.26

Data Rescue for Mac is a trustworthy data recovery application developed by a company that has been around for a long time, but the latest version leaves a lot to be desired in terms of how much value it provides. Read full review

No. 8 Among all macOS solutions

Data Rescue Logo

How Much Does Data Rescue Cost?

Distributed as Freemium Some features are provided free of charge, but money is required to unlock the rest
Trial version availableTrial version available
Trial version limitations

With trial version you can:

  • Scan and Preview lost files
  • Free Data recovery up to 1GB (New Users Only)
Paid plans
  • Standard
  • Professional
Price range $79.00...$399.00
License model Subscription
No credit card to tryNo credit card to try
Money back guaranteeMoney back guarantee

In terms of pricing, Data Rescue has updated its pricing structure. The Standard license is now offered as a monthly subscription at $79 per month. The Professional license remains an Unlimited License but is now priced at $399 for 1 year. The Standard license now charges based on a monthly subscription, not the number of files. This new model offers more flexibility for users who need to recover data regularly. Data Rescue now offers a trial mode where users can recover up to 1 GB of data for free, providing an opportunity to test the software’s capabilities before committing to a purchase.

All Data Rescue Pricing Options

1Price $79.00
2Details
  • Unlimited software access for 30 days
  • Unlimited Data Recovery
1Price $399.00
2Details
  • Auto Renew, Cancel Anytime
  • Unlimited software access for one year
  • Unlimited Data Recovery

Discounts and coupons

DiscountDescriptionLink
-10%
10% off Data Rescue 6 Professional

Get the Deal
Have you found a better discount coupon and would like to share it with our readers? Then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, and we’ll update this section promptly.

Developer — Prosoft Engineering, Inc.

Data Rescue was developed by Prosoft Engineering, Inc., which was established in 1985. It wasn’t until 2002 that Prosoft moved into the data recovery industry and began developing the Data Rescue line. Its mission is to produce data recovery solutions for computer users of all levels while providing US-based support and services.

1% 16.2% than avg

Online market share

Reflects the share of online traffic within the niche occupied by data recovery software, based on data taken from ahrefs.com (from Google US search engine).

6600 143.6% than avg

Brand name popularity

Based on the number of brand-related search queries on Google US according to ahrefs.com.

After seeing success in the data recovery space, Prosoft opened a data recovery center called The Data Rescue Center in Livermore, California. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, this center has been closed until further notice.

Developer website prosofteng.com
Support email support@prosofteng.com
Founded

1985 • 39 years on the market

HQ location

5424 Sunol Blvd Suite 10-253 Pleasanton, CA 94566

Phone 877-477-6763
Social media LinkedIn YouTube

Prosoft doesn’t maintain an active presence on social media, with many of its social media accounts being inactive for years. Instead, it tries to focus on providing a good customer service experience by offering support across email, phone, and live chat channels. 

How to Use Data Rescue for Windows

Tested on: Windows 11 (version 21H2)

To give you a fuller understanding of the software, we’ve included instructions on how to use Data Rescue. This will help better visualize what it’s like to use the software first-hand.

Step 1

Installation

The installation file for Data Rescue is relatively small at 28 MB. The installation process is very fast, wasting no time with unnecessary screens and options, only really requiring you to choose an installation path and agree to their terms of use. The whole installation process only takes a few seconds.

On the final screen, you have the option of going straight from the setup wizard into the full application.

Step 2

Source selection

The welcome screen will present you with three options. You can choose to recover your files, view previous scan results, or clone a drive. Bear in mind that this is what you see in Standard mode. Professional mode is a lot more hands-on and gives you more control over the process.

After choosing the recovery option, you will then be presented with a list of your drives, as well as their partitions. Simply select your desired drive or partition, then click Next.

Step 3

Scanning process

Again, Data Rescue makes choosing an option simple for you. You can choose between a Quick Scan and Deep Scan based on your needs. Clicking each option will display more information pertaining to that scan type, such as how the scan is performed and how long it will take.

After selecting the type of scan you want to run, clicking Start will begin the scanning process.

Step 4

Managing found files

When the scan is complete, you'll be presented with a list of your files. All data will be presented in a tree view, allowing you to expand or contract folders for better management.

At the top right, you'll find the Preview and Search functions. The Preview function works as you'd expect. However, unlike other data recovery tools that allow you to keep the Preview panel open and click through your files, you need to manually click Preview for each file in Data Rescue, which can be tiresome.

The Search function allows you to customize your search using conditions. While the interface is quite basic, the functionality is good and very similar to what's found in other data recovery tools.

Step 5

Recovery and post-processing

Once you've selected your files, clicking Recover will prompt you to select your desired output folder. Data Rescue will not allow you to choose the same physical partition you're recovering from as the destination for the data. This is a nice touch to prevent users from corrupting their data.

Upon choosing an output location, you will be shown a progress bar that indicates where Data Rescue is in the process. Once finished, a dialogue box will appear showing you whether or not the recovery was successful and how many files were recovered.

Is Data Rescue safe?

97%

Avg score Data Rescue is safe to use

Safe and Trustworthy
👾 Malware
10/10

We didn't discover any malware when scanning Data Rescue.

🔒 Privacy
10/10

The company only collects data it needs.

📊 Data Integrity
9/10

It's good at recovering your data intact, but it doesn't employ read-only algorithms.

👨‍💻 Developer
10/10

Prosoft Engineering, Inc. is a reputable company.

SUMMARY

Our audit of Data Rescue's safety and trustworthiness returned good results. The software is malware-free so you don't need to worry about viruses. Some data is collected and shared with vendors (as mentioned in its Privacy Policy), but only when necessary. We found that much of our data was intact upon recovery, but the lack of non-intrusive read-only algorithms may have returned better results (and provided extra peace of mind). Prosoft Engineering, Inc. is a trusted company in the data recovery space, having gained a good reputation over the years.

Data Rescue - Full Review and Analysis

After seeing how Data Rescue works on Windows and evaluating its trustworthiness, let’s move on to the criteria we used during our testing to form our final rating of the product.

74%

Karma

12 rating criteria

Despite Data Rescue not being as popular as other data recovery tools on the market, Prosoft does a good job at making sure it’s updated regularly and compatible with the latest versions of Windows, giving it an above-average Karma score of 74%.

It has been a trusted product since its release in 2002, which is reflected in the large number of reviews found online from professionals and casual users alike. Additionally, customer support is also of high importance, as they offer support via phone, email, and live chat channels.

#FeatureResult
1Update frequency Every 6 months
2Updated recently Yes
3Changelog available Available (View full update history)
4Latest Windows release supported Yes, all good
5Genuine or clone? Genuine
6Brand name popularity Unpopular
7Online market share Poor
8Maturity Mature
9Extensive knowledge base Available
10Helpdesk support Available
11Live chat Available
12Phone support Yes
29%

Bang for the buck

8 rating criteria

While Data Rescue has revised its pricing structure, the value proposition remains a point of contention. The monthly subscription model for the Standard license offers more flexibility, but the overall cost, especially for the Professional license, is still on the higher side compared to other tools with similar or more features.

The trial mode has seen improvements, allowing users to recover up to 1 GB of data for free. This provides a better opportunity to test the software’s capabilities before committing to a purchase. However, considering the price point, the efficiency and breadth of recovery features should be closely evaluated against competing solutions.

#FeatureResult
1Competitive pricing No
2Price-quality ratio Bad
3Free trial 1 GB of free recovery for new users
4Is it free? No
5Pricing policy Per recovery or subscription
6Unlimited recovery in full version Yes
7Free upgrades Minor
8Commercial rights in the cheapest license No
33%

Usability

18 rating criteria

Data Rescue also scores quite low in regards to Usability. For an application that’s updated regularly, the interface definitely deserves a facelift. While performing a scan is straightforward and easy, the recovery screen could use a lot of work. Inclusions like a dedicated preview panel, sorting options, and additional view modes really help contribute to a richer user experience.

However, in Professional mode, you do gain access to more features if you know what you’re doing, such as hex view. You can also build a virtual RAID to assist with recovery from broken RAID configurations. 

#FeatureResult
1Modern user-friendly interface No
2Dark mode Yes
3Easy-to-locate features Yes
4Automatic implementation of multiple appropriate scanning methods without user interaction No
5Auto-resuming scans of failing drives No
6Auto-resuming backups of failing drives No
7Convenient source selection on start So-so
8Convenient file-by-file preview of recoverable items So-so
9Convenient thumbnail preview of recoverable items No
10Mount recoverable items as disk No
11Built-in updater Yes
12Multiple view modes in scan results No
13Hex view for recoverable items Yes
14Filter recoverable items by type No
15Search recoverable items by file names Yes
16Sort results No
17Multilingual UI No
18Simple deployment Yes
43%

Recovery performance

122 rating criteria

Recovery performance can be considered the most important factor to some. It represents the recovery tool’s ability to search for and recover lost files quickly with little to no errors. In that regard, Data Rescue received a below-average score of 43%.

It had varying success based on the type of scan used and partition scanned. As it also has a counterpart for Mac, Data Rescue supports the scanning of HFS+ and APFS partitions.  However, Linux users will be disappointed to find that it cannot recover data from EXT4 partitions.

In terms of overall success, Data Rescue did ok, but not great. It gives you two scanning options: Quick Scan and Deep Scan. We tested them both to see how well they performed. Here are the results.

#FeatureResultDescription
1Quick scan FineQuick scan worked well, especially on NTFS partitions. However, a lot of files were missed on our ExFAT partition.
2Deep scan BadWe only managed to recover some files from HFS+ partitions.
3Signature scan FineThe software had the most success recovering videos and documents.
4Additional scan features FineDeep scan works well, but you cannot scan for lost partitions.
5Device support FineSupport for a wide range of devices.
6Other notable recovery features BadSupports byte-to-byte device backups, but not much else.

Scan results

Summary of our scan results

This table presents a quick summary of the scan results we gathered when testing the data recovery software

#FeatureQuick ScanRecovery of recently deleted filesDeep ScanThe ability to restore data upon file system reformatting or loss
1HFS+ partitions35
2APFS partitions30
3FAT32 partitions11
4exFAT partitions11
5NTFS partitions41
6EXT4 partitions00
36%

Quick Scan is designed to find recently deleted files on a device. This score reflects the overall software's effectiveness of recovering permanently deleted files across various file systems

Average Score

15%

Deep Scan is primarily designed to recover data from formatted devices, and lost partitions. This score reflects the overall software's effectiveness of recovering data from various file systems after reformatting

Average Score

#SignatureDescriptionScan Score
13FR

Hasselblad 3F RAW Image File

0
2ARW

Sony Alpha RAW File

3
3BMP

Bitmap Image File

5
4CR2

Canon RAW Version 2 File

3
5CR3

Canon RAW Version 3 File

0
6CRW

Canon RAW CIFF Image File

2
7DCR

Kodak Digital Camera RAW File

3
8DNG

Digital Negative Lossless RAW Image File

3
9CinemaDNG

Adobe Industry-wide Standard File Format for Digital Video Files

0
10ERF

Epson RAW File

2
11EXR

High Dynamic-range File Format

0
12FFF

Hasselblad RAW Image File

2
13GPR

GoPro RAW Format File

0
14HEIC

High Efficiency Image File Format

0
15IIQ

Intelligent Image Quality RAW File

2
16INSP

Panoramic Image Insta360 File

0
17JP2

Bitmap Image Format JPEG 2000 File

2
18JPG

Joint Photographic Experts Group Compressed Image File

5
19KDC

Kodak Digital Camera RAW Image File

5
20MEF

Mamiya RAW Image File

5
21MOS

Leaf and Mamiya RAW Image File

0
22MPO

Multi Picture Stereoscopic Object File

0
23MRW

Konica Minolta RAW Image Format File

3
24NEF

Nikon RAW Image File

4
25NRW

Nikon RAW Image File

0
26ORF

Olympus RAW Format File

3
27PEF

Pentax RAW Image File

3
28RAF

Fujifilm RAW Image File

3
29RAW

Native Digital Camera File

3
30RW2

Panasonic Lumix RAW Image File

2
31RWL

Leica RAW Image Format File

0
32SR2

Sony RAW 2 Image File

0
33SRF

Sony RAW File

2
34SRW

Samsung RAW Image File

0
35TIFF

Tag Image File Format

3
36X3F

Sigma Camera RAW Picture File

3
37X3I

Sigma Super Fine Detail Picture File

0
36%

Most modern digital cameras and an increasing number of mobile devices allow their users to capture raw image data in a variety of raw file formats. This score reflects the software's ability to recover photos in these formats using their unique signatures

Average Score

#SignatureDescriptionScan Score
1360

GoPRO 360 Degree Video File

5
2ARI

ARRI Professional Digital Video Camera File

3
3ARX

ARRI Professional Digital Video Camera File

0
4AVI

Audio Video Interleave Multimedia Container with GoPRO CineForm Intermediate Codec

4
5AVI

Audio Video Interleave Multimedia Container with MJPG, H.264, MSMPEG4 v2 Codecs

5
6BRAW

Blackmagic RAW Video File

4
7INSV

Insta360 Panoramic H.264 Video File

3
8INSV

Insta360 Panoramic HEVC or HVC1 Video File

3
9MOV

QuickTime File Format with Apple ProRes 422 Proxy, LT or HQ Codec

3
10MOV

QuickTime File Format with Apple ProRes 4444 Raw or HQ Codec

3
11MOV

QuickTime File Format with H.264 Codec

4
12MOV

QuickTime File Format with CineForm HD Codec

2
13MOV

QuickTime File Format with HEVC or HVC1 Codec

3
14MP4

Digital Multimedia Container Format with H.264 Codec

4
15MP4

Digital Multimedia Container Format with HEVC, HVC1 or Apple ProRes Codec

4
16MXF

Material Exchange Format for Professional Digital Video and Audio Media with H.264 Codec

0
17MXF

Material Exchange Format for Professional Digital Video and Audio Media with DVCPRO HD Codec

0
18MXF

Material Exchange Format for Professional Digital Video and Audio Media with ARRI RAW or Apple ProRes Codec

0
19MXF

Material Exchange Format for Professional Digital Video and Audio Media with XDCAM HD422 or HD35 MPEG2 Codec

0
20R3D

Red Digital Camera Company RAW Video File

2
21WMV

Windows Media Video Image with Pro RAW 9 Codec

3
51%

Video file formats have undergone significant evolution during the past decade. This rating assesses the software's effectiveness in recovering various video files using its signature scanner

Average Score

#SignatureDescriptionScan Score
1ACCDB

Microsoft Access 2007+ Database File

0
2DJVU

Scanned Document File Format Intended For Scanned Images

0
3DOC

Microsoft Word 97 – 2003 Document File

5
4DOCX

Microsoft Word 2007+ Document File

5
5FB2

FictionBook 2.0 eBook File

0
6KEY

Apple Keynote Office Application File

3
7MDB

Microsoft Access 97 - 2003 Database File

0
8NUMBERS

Apple Numbers Office Application File

3
9ODP

OpenDocument Presentation File Format

3
10ODS

OpenDocument Spreadsheet File Format

5
11ODT

OpenDocument Text Document File Format

5
12PAGES

Apple Pages Office Application File

3
13PDF

Portable Document Format File

5
14PPT

Microsoft Powerpoint 97 - 2003 Presentation File

5
15PPTX

Microsoft Powerpoint 2007+ Presentation File

4
16RTF

Rich Text Format File

2
17XLS

Microsoft Excel 97 - 2003 Spreadsheet File

4
18XLSX

Microsoft Excel 2007+ Spreadsheet File

5
67%

Documents are among the most commonly recovered file formats because their importance can be tremendous, especially when they're related to work or school. This score indicates the software's proficiency in recovering different document types based on their signatures

Average Score

Attention

Feeling puzzled by terms like "Quick scan" and "Deep scan"? This link explains the different scan modes and their specific purposes.

Data Rescue excels at recovering recently deleted files from NTFS partitions. It had waning success with doing the same for HFS+ and APFS, but it had the most trouble with exFAT and FAT32 partitions where only a small number of our files were recovered. When it came to restoring data using file system records left by the lost or formatted file system, it could only do so with the data on our HFS+ partitions. When we performed the same tests on ext4 file system, the software could not find anything.

When we tested its ability to recover data by file signature only, the results varied significantly. Documents seemed to have the most success, as the software was able to recover many common file formats intact, such as DOC, DOCX, PDF, PPT, PPTX, XLS, and XLSX. It handled video formats ok, with great results for 360, AVI, and MP4, but others were either unsupported or difficult to recover with proficiency. For photographers, seeking alternative solutions may be advisable, as the software struggled to recover many raw photo formats to a satisfactory level.

Additional scan features

Other notable scanning features and their performance These advanced scanning features expand the software's capabilities, adding flexibility to scanning process and allowing it to recover data from a wider range of data loss scenarios
35%
Average Score
#FeatureScore
1The number of formats supported by deep scan3
2BitLocker support0
3Windows shadow copies scanning0
4Scan for lost partitions0
5Recovered files' labeling0
6Partial file recovery5
7Disk images: scan and recovery5

The ability to scan for lost partitions is a feature found in a lot of other data recovery tools. Unfortunately, Data Rescue does not support it, nor does it support recovery from BitLocker-encrypted drives. You are, however, able to recover data from disk images, allowing you to recover data from copies of your drive if you don’t want to risk further data loss by recovering from your drive directly.

Device Support

Supported internal and external storage devices Ideally, data recovery software applications should be able to recover from internal and external hard drives, external USB flash drives, memory cards, smartphones, and other commonly used storage devices
59%
Average Score
#FeatureScore
1Internal and external HDD5
2Internal and external SSD5
3USB thumb drives / Classic iPods (non-iOS) / FireWire devices5
4Memory cards5
5iOS devices0
6Android devices0
7Recovery from RAID1, 0, JBOD3
8Unmountable partitions5
9NAS (Network-attached storage) RAID devices0
10Remote SSH (secure shell protocol) Linux based devices recovery0

Data Rescue has good support for devices, including external and internal hard drives and solid-state drives, USB drives, and memory cards. Mobile devices, like iOS and Android devices, are not supported. Recovery from RAID0 and JBOD configurations is also possible through the use of Professional mode, but RAID1 setups are not supported.

Other notable recovery features

Additional recovery features and their performance These additional recovery features are what often separates average data recovery software solutions from those that can satisfy the needs of professionals and power users
24%
Average Score
#FeatureScore
1Overall non-intrusive read-only algorithms0
2Network recovery0
3Effectively filters out corrupted scan results0
4Byte-to-byte device backups5
5Bootable recovery drive creation0
6Convenient scan session management2
7Bad sector management0
8Recovery chance prediction0
9RAID reconstructor3
10Disk vitals monitoring and tracking during scan0
11Data protection0
12Links to in-lab recovery service for physically damaged devices0
13Scan speed3
14Scan free space only0
15Start file recovery without interrupting the scan0
16Preview recoverable items without interrupting the scan0
17Forensic features0

Data Rescue doesn’t include a lot of other notable recovery features. The ability to make byte-to-byte backups is a welcomed addition, as well as the ability to reconstruct your RAID setup virtually to perform recovery. In the future, it would be nice to see other additions that complement recovery, such as recovery chance prediction and bootable recovery drive creation.

20%

Extras

10 rating criteria

In addition to data recovery, a good data recovery tool includes extra features that aid with monitoring and maintaining your hard drive. This way, rather than reacting to your drive failing, you can act early to ensure your data is backed up and safe before disaster strikes. In this regard, Data Rescue doesn’t have a lot to offer, as seen below.

#FeatureResultDescription
1Disk space mapping NoData Rescue for Windows does not support disk space mapping.
2Disk clean up NoYou cannot perform disk clean ups using Data Rescue.
3Corrupted video repair tool NoCorrupted videos cannot be repaired using this software.
4Corrupted photo repair tool NoCorrupted photo repair is not supported by Data Rescue.
5S.M.A.R.T. YesData Rescue does not support S.M.A.R.T. monitoring.
6Duplicate finder NoYou cannot search for duplicates using this tool.
7Built-in disk space secure eraser YesData Rescue for Windows does include a built-in disk space secure eraser.
8Disk cloning YesYou can clone your drive using Data Rescue.
9Disk surface test NoYou cannot perform a disk surface test using this software.
10Secure data shredding NoData Rescue does not support secure data shredding.

Data Rescue does allow for cloning and disk space erasing, but that’s about it. It doesn’t do much else outside of data recovery, therefore, we recommend other data recovery solutions if you want software that has additional functionality. At most, we would like to see basic S.M.A.R.T. monitoring to stay on top of your drive’s health. 

What Users Say about Data Rescue for Windows

While Data Rescue is both efficient and effective, it’s not the only option out there. For example, both Disk Drill and MiniTool Partition Recovery offer free trials for recovery data up to a certain limit (e.g., 500 MB). It’s also missing some useful features that others have included: simplified lost partition recovery, for example, and data loss prevention tools like support for back-up or file-system monitoring. 

Christian Rigg (techradar.com)

Data Rescue is, put simply, one of the best data recovery software suites on the market today. In my mind, the only real problem is they seem to know that, which is why the Professional version of their product costs $299 a year, rather than the standard flat fee that almost every other provider in the space charges instead.

Chris Stobing (comparitech.com)

As with any recovery software it isn't guaranteed and isn't always 100% effective. On occasion it might recover a lost file but the file still wasn't usable. This was not the norm but what happen on occasion.

Andrew H. (capterra.com)

When you buy their software and they update it to a newer version, your old one stops working and they ask you for an upgrade. Literally unheard of! I have 10 year old software that still works with the serial number I received when bought, their Data Rescue software just stops working.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS, unless you want to "rent it" for the full price

Konstantin (trustpilot.com)

Video Resources for Data Rescue: Tutorials and Helpful Guides

To help familiarize you with Data Rescue and the team behind it, here are a few videos mentioning the product.

The Data Rescue Center Awards and Customer Reviews

The Data Rescue Center is a data recovery service that is focused on customer service and affordable pricing options. We have received excellent customer reviews and won several awards.

The Best-Selling, Most Awarded Computer Recovery Software

A new breed of hard drive recovery!!! Hard drive crashed? Virus taken over? Need to recover deleted files?

Bottom line

Data Rescue did a below-average job at recovering our files. It did a good job at recovering common file types but struggled terribly with less common ones. Even so, Prosoft does a good job of keeping the application updated and providing customer support across many channels.

Outside of data recovery, though, there’s not much else going for it. While it does support byte-to-byte backups and recovery of some RAID configurations, it doesn’t include basic features like S.M.A.R.T. monitoring which helps combat data loss by giving you a heads up of when your drive is on its last legs. The software is also expensive, making it difficult to justify the price tag.

Overall, while it isn’t the lowest-scoring data recovery tool, it definitely needs improvement if it wants to go head-to-head with the competition on the market today.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve searched the internet and answered a list of commonly asked questions about Data Rescue. 

Data Rescue uses an algorithm to scan your computer’s drive for missing data. It uses your file system to piece together the file, along with its original file name, even after fragmentation. Once your files are found, it allows you to restore it to a folder of your choice.

There is currently no way to install Data Rescue to a USB, as there is no portable version available. Therefore, Data Rescue should be installed to a separate partition or physical drive than the one you’re recovering from.

Not hard at all. Once installed, you simply open the application and follow the on-screen instructions. You’ll first be asked what you’d like to do, then what drive to scan, then what scan you’d like to run. Once the scan is complete, you can choose what files you want to recover.

No, in order to recover files using Data Rescue, you must pay for each file you recover or a license that allows for unlimited recovery. You can, however, scan your drive for recoverable data for free.

This depends on the type of scan you do, the state, and the size of your drive. Quick scans, as the name suggests, are fairly quick and only take a few minutes (again, this depends on your drive). Deep scans take more time as they use a different method to find your data which requires a thorough pass-over of the entire drive.

There’s no telling how far back Data Rescue can recover data from, as it depends on the state of the data. In many cases, if the data hasn’t been overwritten, it can be recovered using one of several recovery methods. However, your chances decrease the more you use your drive, as there’s a higher chance that the lost data will be overwritten with new data that’s written to the disk.

Therefore, it’s recommended that you either perform data recovery straight away, or create a byte-to-byte image of the drive to preserve the data in its current state for recovery at a later time.

Once you’ve cloned your drive to an image, you cannot mount it inside Windows.

Instead, this image file can be added in to Data Rescue and scanned. Follow these instructions to scan the image file using Data Rescue:

  1. On the first screen of Data Rescue, click Start Recovering Files.
  2. Click File, then Add File to Scan.
  3. Select your IMG file.
  4. Follow the instructions to scan your IMG file using Data Rescue.

Data Rescue has some decent recovery capabilities. It’s easy to install and use, which is good for users who aren’t familiar with data recovery. It doesn’t offer any data protection features to protect against future data loss, but it has the essentials needed for recovering your data.

👍 Worth a try

Data Rescue for Windows Review
3.25

Out of 5 Total score

No. 16 Among all Windows solutions

In short, Data Rescue leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn’t include many additional features to make it stand out from the crowd and its mediocre recovery capabilities aren’t impressive either. Although Prosoft does a good job keeping it updated, we were left disappointed with its performance and perplexed by its unconventional pricing model.

Visit developer's website
Data Rescue Logo
More Data Recovery Software You Should Also Consider
No. 1
disk drill windows icon

The Windows version of Disk Drill empowers regular users to reliably recover all kinds of lost data with a few simple clicks.

4.55
No. 2
r-studio icon

R-Studio for Windows is a powerful data recovery software application, but regular home users may struggle to master it and put its capabilities to good use.

3.88
No. 3
easeus data recovery windows icon

Easy to use and capable of delivering solid results, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is good at what it does.

3.85
No. 4
cisdem data recovery icon

Cisdem Data Recovery is well-suited for recovering data from a multitude of data loss scenarios, but it won’t satisfy professionals and technicians.

3.8
No. 5
diskgenius icon

DiskGenius is a feature-rich data recovery solution that equips its users with a highly technical toolset to tackle complex data recovery situations.

3.70
View all Windows data recovery solutions
Jordan Jamieson-Mane
Author
  • 42 publishings
  • Auckland, New Zealand
  • LinkedIn

Jordan Jamieson-Mane is a content writer with a focus on technology-related content. He has spent much of his life studying and working with all types of technology. During his time as a writer, he has written countless articles in the field of data recovery, breaking down complex topics into articles that are easy to understand.

When he's not writing articles on data recovery, Jordan enjoys traveling the world, reading books, and building websites.

Jordan’s recent reviews
Jordan’s recent publishings
Nikolay Lankevich
Nikolay Lankevich
Approver

Nikolay Lankevich has over 15 years of strong experience in various fields and platform includes Disaster Recovery, Windows XP/7. System analysis, design, application (Inter/Intranet) development, and testing. Provided technical supports on desktop and laptops on Win-XP and Macintosh for about 2000 employees.

Compare