DiskDigger Review – How Much Can It Dig Up?

Name: DiskDigger Review – How Much Can It Dig Up?
Item: DiskDigger for Windows
Rating: 3.37
Author: Jordan Jamieson-Mane

3.37

Out of 5 Total Score

No. 7 Among all Windows solutions

Price range $0...$14.99 • Defiant Technologies, LLC. • Windows

Last update on January 19, 2023

Jordan J.
Content Writer
LinkedIn
Nikolay L.
Approver
LinkedIn

Low-cost recovery tools always raise an eyebrow, as we naturally assume that their recovery abilities must be lacking in comparison to higher-costing recovery solutions. But, this isn’t always necessarily true. So, in this DiskDigger review, we’ve taken a close look to see if that’s the case.

47^%

76^%

47^%

63^%

0^%

Compare In comparison

1 of 8

DiskDigger – Gallery

All screenshots

Top Pros

No installation required. The application always runs in portable mode and does not require installation.
Small application size. The application is only 1.7 MB and can be easily transferred to any storage media.
Partially free restore. The program allows you to restore any number of files. But, when restoring another file, it asks you to buy the program and triggers a 5-second delay before clicking continue.
Good signature scanner. The program recovers files based on their signatures.
Multi-language support. There are many languages to choose from.
Can scan disk images. The application can scan disk images created in other programs.
File type selection. Before scanning, it is possible to choose file types that need to be found by the signature scanner.
Doesn't need many PC resources. The program doesn't need a powerful computer to scan and doesn't consume much RAM.
Works even on Windows Vista. The application is supported across many Windows versions, from Vista to 11.
RAW disks are supported. The program can scan disks that don't have a file system.
Can save scan sessions. You can create and save scanned device sessions.
Can partially estimate file recovery chances. When using a quick scan, the program can predict file recovery chances.
Can continue scanning and recovery during reconnection. If drive is reconnected during scanning or restore, the program can continue operations in manual mode.

Top Cons

Can't create disk copies. No byte-by-byte disk copying.
No support for high DPI. The program does not work well on monitors with high DPI. As a consequence, the interface is blurry and not clear.
The interface language cannot be changed on monitors with high DPI. If a user has a new monitor with a high DPI, it is impossible to change the interface language.
Manual reloading of the disk list. If the user connects a disk while the program is open, they must manually click "Reload Disks" for the disk to appear in the disk list.
Recently deleted files only. The program can scan only recently deleted files (quick scan).
Bad results of a quick scan. The program gives bad results when scanning recently deleted files.
Cannot restore formatted disk structure. If the disk has been formatted, it won't be able to restore folders and file names that were there. Only the signature scanner will work.
Scan type selection is required. It's not possible to start scanning with all scanning methods. You need to choose which of the two available methods it should use.
Can't find lost partitions. If a disk partition is lost the program can't find it since it doesn't support this type of scanning.
Cannot select all files for recovery. The program divides all found files by their types and doesn't let you select all found types - you have to recover each type individually.
Limited preview. The preview feature only supports a small number of files.
No SMART analysis. The program is unable to show the health status of the disks.
Additional functionality. The program lacks any additional features included in other modern data recovery applications.
Loading sessions. The session loading menu is hidden and very inconvenient to use. You have to search for it everywhere in the program.
Slow recovery. The process of writing the recovered files to a new location takes a long time.
No auto-update. There is no updater and you have to check for updates manually.
Smart behavior. There is no warning to indicate that writing the files to the same drive you’re recovering from could cause data corruption.
End of recovery. There is no indication of success or failure once the recovery process has finished.
Slow preview performance. The preview feature takes a long time to show the files.
No file repair. The program does not have a module that would repair files that do not open after scanning.

View all pros and cons

Top Competitors

Disk Drill

Score 4.54 35%

Best choice for Windows users

Compare In comparison

DiskGenius

Score 3.72 10%

More than just regular data recovery

Compare In comparison

PhotoRec

Score 3.37

Intimidating but rewarding at the same time

Compare In comparison

DiskDigger – Overview

In this review, we’re going to take an in-depth look at DiskDigger for Windows to see exactly what it has to offer its users in terms of recovery performance, features, and overall usability.

Pricing

Distributed as	Freemium Some features are provided free of charge, but money is required to unlock the rest
Trial version available
Trial version limitations	Trial version shows ads during recovery
Paid plans	Personal
Price range	$0...$14.99
License model	Lifetime
No credit card to try
Money back guarantee

DiskDigger is available for free with some limitations. With the free license, users are able to recover as much data as they want but are limited to one file recovery every five seconds. Additionally, free users have access to the preview function and scan session manager, where you can save scan sessions and load them at a later time.

If you want to remove the five-second cool-down so you can recover all of your data in one go, you can grab yourself a DiskDigger personal license for $14.99 (currently down from $19.99 at the time of this review), which will give you lifetime access to the full application. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee and payments are made through their website which is protected by SSL.

Pricing details

1	Price	$14.99
2	Details	Unlocks all of diskdigger features and functionality

Developer — Defiant Technologies, LLC.

DiskDigger is developed by Defiant Technologies, LLC, a small software company that creates software for digital forensics and data recovery. The company was founded in 2010 and DiskDigger for Windows, Linux, and Android remains its primary focus.

1% 38% 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).

6200 63.8% than avg

Brand name popularity

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

Although the company isn’t currently known for any other software outside of DiskDigger, it is currently developing a suite of forensic tools, as well as other recovery utilities.

Developer website	diskdigger.org
Support email	info@defianttech.com
Founded	2010 • 13 years on market
HQ location	P.O. Box 550066 North Waltham, MA 02455
Phone	+1-440-655-9756
Social media	Facebook

DiskDigger isn’t as heavily marketed as other alternatives on the market that you will often see competing in search results. It has a Facebook page, but nothing is posted there.

If you have an inquiry, the company has a public-facing email address that you can contact. A phone number is also available, though it isn’t listed as a contact method. The DiskDigger website hosts a number of tutorials on how to use DiskDigger, which is a helpful starting point for new users.

Data Recovery with DiskDigger for Windows

Tested on: Windows 11 (22H2)

When we test a data recovery application, we have a standardized process we follow to ensure it’s given a fair score. Our testing process is very comprehensive, and we will break down what each stage looks like shortly.

How We Test

Below you will find each step we take when evaluating a data recovery application. This process has been refined to a point where we believe we can provide a practical, unbiased assessment of any data recovery tool to ensure users know exactly what to expect.

#	Step	Description
1	Installation	Nobody likes a lengthy installation process filled with unnecessary steps. We assess how easy the installation process is and what sort of options are given to the user.
2	Source selection	Once installed, we take a look at how easy it is to select the device we're trying to scan. Is it hidden in another area of the application? Does it allow scanning of the partitions or will it scan the entire disk? These are some questions we intend to answer.
3	Scanning process	Not all data recovery tools scan your drive in the same way. Moreover, some applications will have a more efficient scanning process to others. Overall, we look at how fast and easy the scanning process is.
4	Managing found data	Once the scan is complete, the data is compiled for the user to review. We measure how easy it is to navigate the recovery screen and select the data you want to recover, as well as what other options or features are included to help make this process easier.
5	Recovery and post-processing	When the files are ready for recovery, we look at how easy it is to complete it and whether or not the application warns against saving the data to the same drive you're recovering from. Once the files are recovered, we review how much of the data was recovered and how much of it is in a usable state.

This five-step process encompasses the entire data recovery procedure to show you what a typical recovery looks like.

Step 1

Installation

Installation of DiskDigger is as simple as it gets. Since the program is completely portable, the installation process only involves downloading the zipped file and extracting it to a suitable location. Once opened, you just need to agree to the terms of use and then you're good to go.

Step 2

Source selection

Once you open the DiskDigger, you're immediately taken to step one, which is source selection. You will be presented with a simple list of your drives and their associated capacity.

If you connected your drive while DiskDigger is open, you must click Refresh list before being able to select it, as it will not automatically appear. Once you're ready, you can click Next to proceed to step two.

Step 3

Scanning process

For step two, you must choose what type of scan you'd like DiskDigger to perform. There are two scan types: Dig Deep (scans for recently deleted files) or Dig Deeper (scans the whole disk). It is not possible to start a scan with both scan types at once. Select your preferred scan method, then click Next.

Before the scan begins, you also need to select what file types you want to recover as part of step three. You're presented with a list of every file type DiskDigger can recover. There are Select all, Select none, and Invert buttons at the top to help with selection.

Once you've selected the file types you want to scan for, click Next.

Step 4

Managing found files

As the scan progresses, the file section will populate with recoverable files. Recoverable files are split into different tabs based on their file type. This allows you to see all files of a particular type at once, but makes recovery troublesome as you cannot select all files for recovery. Instead, you must go into each tab and recover the files by file type.

DiskDigger has a preview window you can use to see the contents of the files. However, it does take a moment to bring up a preview. You can also switch between a list view and a thumbnail view. Once you've selected the files you want to recover, start recovery by clicking the Recover selected files... button.

Step 5

Recovery and post-processing

To complete recovery with DiskDigger, you must select a folder where the files can be restored to. If you're using the free version, you will need to continue clicking the Continue unregistered button after each file is recovered. There is a five-second cool-down before you can click it again. Otherwise, with a license, you can recover them all immediately.

Once finished, the output location you specified will open in File Explorer where you can view the recovered files.

Tutorials

DiskDigger for Windows – Tutorials and Other Videos

Here are some supplementary videos you can watch to familiarize yourself with DiskDigger.

DiskDigger - Recover files from any type of media - Download Video Previews

DiskDigger is a compact, self-contained utility that can recover lost, damaged, and deleted files from any media that your PC can read.

DISKDIGGER- How To Recover Deleted Files ( from PC, HDD, USB, Memory Stick)

How To Recover Deleted Files ( from PC, HDD, USB, Memory Stick)

DiskDigger for Windows – Full Review

Now that we’ve taken a brief look at what your typical recovery looks like with DiskDigger for Windows, it’s time to break down each part of the application to see what it has to offer its users. This is the same criteria we use for each data recovery tool we review to see how close it can get to a perfect score.

47^%

Karma

12 rating criteria

Although DiskDigger has been around for quite some time, the company behind it hasn’t done much in the way of marketing it. Furthermore, if you need help with something related to the application, the only support avenue available is email. Much of this, however, can be attributed to the fact that it’s a one-person project, so it’s necessary to manage expectations. Despite that, the software is updated at least every 6 months and includes a changelog that covers all of the changes made. It’s also compatible with the latest version of Windows, which is a huge plus.

#	Feature	Result
1	Update frequency	Every 6 months
2	Updated recently	Yes
3	Changelog available	Available (View full update history)
4	Latest Windows release supported	Yes, all good
5	Genuine or clone?	Genuine
6	Brand name popularity	Unpopular
7	Online market share	Poor
8	Maturity	Mature
9	Extensive knowledge base	Not available
10	Helpdesk support	One-person project
11	Live chat	Not available
12	Phone support	No

76^%

Bang for the buck

8 rating criteria

DiskDigger is very competitively priced. Since you can technically recover an unlimited amount of data with the free version, your typical user will never need to upgrade if they don’t mind the 5-second cool-down between the recovery of each file. If you did want to upgrade though, you can do so for the super low price of only $14.99, currently discounted from $19.99 at the time of this review. This will give you a lifetime license that grants unlimited access to the software.

Commercial rights are not included with the cheapest license. And, the application doesn’t support clever scanning, which means it loses some points in terms of the price-quality ratio.

#	Feature	Result
1	Competitive pricing	Unlimited recovery with the trial version. Cheap personal license.
2	Price-quality ratio	No clever scanning. Mediocre quick scan.
3	Free trial	Endless free trial (with cool-down between recoveries).
4	Is it free?	The tool is offered on a trial basis. Otherwise, a personal license is required.
5	Pricing policy	Lifetime licenses.
6	Unlimited recovery in full version	Yes.
7	Free upgrades	Yes.
8	Commercial rights in the cheapest license	Commercial rights are not offered with the license.

63^%

Usability

18 rating criteria

DiskDigger managed to score pretty high in terms of usability. Sure, the interface isn’t as sleek and modern as others, but everything you need is easy to find without the need to scour through endless menus. Well, at least for most. If you have a monitor with a high DPI, you may encounter issues, such as not being able to change the interface language. It also has some useful features behind-the-scenes, like the option to auto-resume scans of drives that may disconnect and reconnect as the scan is in progress. Scan results can be broken down by file type and whether or not the files were deleted or already existed on the drive. Lastly, the application comes ready with a multitude of languages to choose from.

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

47^%

Recovery performance

120 rating criteria

Quite possibly the most important factor of any data recovery tool: recovery performance. Even though DiskDigger allows for free recovery (which is undoubtedly a plus), it still has some work to do if it wants to compare to other tools on the market. Firstly, it doesn’t support clever scanning, only quick and signature scans. Its quick scan delivered poor results when scanning Windows (FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS) and Linux (EXT4) partitions, as it was unable to find most of our lost data. It’s also unable to scan for lost partitions or BitLocker-encrypted drives. However, it does support most devices and its signature scan abilities are decent, which is hopeful at least.

#	Feature	Result	Description
1	Deep scan	Bad	DiskDigger does not support clever in-depth scanning.
2	Quick scan	Bad	DiskDigger was unable to find the majority of our data. For example, it was could not locate 77.9% of the data on our exFAT partition.
3	Other types of scan	Bad	It does support signature scanning and scanning of disk images, but it cannot find lost partitions or recover from BitLocker-encrypted drives.
4	Device support	Good	The only devices that aren't supported are iOS and Android devices, as well as RAID arrays.
5	Real-life recovery challenge	Fine	It is able to recover a decent number of file types based on their signature.
6	Other notable recovery features	Bad	The application doesn't have many other notable recovery features aside from scan session management and recovery chance prediction, which we found to be inaccurate.

Clever scan

#	Feature	Score
1	FAT32 partitions
2	exFAT partitions
3	NTFS partitions
4	EXT4 partitions
5	HFS+ partitions
6	APFS partitions

Clever scanning is not supported by DiskDigger. As a result, you will not be able to recover files and folders with their original names or structure from disks that have been formatted, become raw, or lost their partition structure. The application can only scan drives using a quick scan or signature scan.

Quick scan

23%

#	Feature	Score
1	FAT32 partitions
2	exFAT partitions
3	NTFS partitions
4	EXT4 partitions
5	HFS+ partitions
6	APFS partitions

DiskDigger supports Windows (FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS) and Linux (EXT4) partitions, but not Apple (HFS+ and APFS) partitions. Our tests determine that the application really struggled to locate most of our lost data with its quick scan. It was unable to find 77.9% of the lost data on our exFAT partition and 47.3% of the lost data on our NTFS partition. Our EXT4 partition didn’t fare much better, as 96.2% of the data was not found and remained lost.

Other scan types

26%

#	Feature	Score
1	The number of formats supported by deep scan
2	BitLocker support
3	Windows shadow copies scanning
4	Scan for lost partitions
5	Recovered files' labeling
6	Partial file recovery
7	Disk images: scan and recovery

In total, DiskDigger supports 210 file signatures with its signature scan. It also allows for partial file recovery and the ability to scan and recover data from disk images. However, it does not allow you to recover data from drives encrypted with BitLocker, nor is it able to scan for any partitions that have become lost. You’ll also find that if the disk has been formatted, the application will be unable to restore the original file names and folder structure.

Device Support

69%

#	Feature	Score
1	Internal and external HDD
2	Internal and external SSD
3	USB thumb drives / Classic iPods (non-iOS) / FireWire devices
4	Memory cards
5	iOS devices
6	Android devices
7	Recovery from RAID1, 0, JBOD
8	Unmountable partitions

Most common devices are supported, such as internal and external hard drives and solid state drives, USB drives, and memory cards (like SD cards, microSD cards etc). You can even recover data from unmountable partitions. Mobile devices, like iOS and Android, are not supported by the DiskDigger for Windows (although you can recover data from Android devices using DiskDigger for Android). Likewise, you will not be able to recover data from RAID arrays.

Real-life recovery challenges

59%

#	Feature	Score
1	Raw photo recovery
2	Video formats recovery
3	Document formats recovery

Raw photo recovery

72%

#	Feature	Score
1	3fr (Hasselblad 3F raw image)
2	arw (Sony alpha raw)
3	bmp (bitmap image file)
4	cr2 (Canon raw version 2)
5	cr3 (Canon raw version 3)
6	crw (Canon raw CIFF image file)
7	dcr (Kodak digital camera raw)
8	dng (digital negative lossless raw image)
9	CinemaDNG (Blackmagic, Penelope, Pocket)
10	erf (Epson raw file)
11	exr (high dynamic-range file format)
12	fff (Hasselblad raw image)
13	gpr (GoPro raw format)
14	heic (high efficiency image file format)
15	iiq (intelligent image quality raw Leaf, Phase One)
16	insp (panoramic image Insta360)
17	jp2 (bitmap image format JPEG 2000)
18	jpg (joint photographic experts group compressed image)
19	kdc (Kodak digital camera raw image)
20	mef (Mamiya raw image file)
21	mos (Leaf and Mamiya raw image file)
22	mpo (multi picture stereoscopic object file)
23	mrw (Konica Minolta raw image format)
24	nef (Nikon raw image file)
25	nrw (Nikon raw image file)
26	orf (Olympus raw format)
27	pef (Pentax raw image file)
28	raf (Fujifilm raw image file)
29	raw (native digital camera file)
30	rw2 (Panasonic LUMIX raw image file)
31	rwl (Leica raw image format)
32	sr2 (Sony raw 2 image file)
33	srf (Sony raw file)
34	srw (Samsung raw image file)
35	tiff (tag image file format)
36	x3f (Sigma camera raw picture file)
37	x3i (Sigma super fine detail picture file)

Raw photo recovery was one of DiskDigger’s strong points. It has great support for a wide range of formats and has a decent chance of recovering most of the ones it does support. Formats like CR2, JPG, and SRF yielded great results. It did struggle with some Kodak formats, notably DCR and KDC. There were some that it didn’t support at all, such as CRW, MRw, X3F, and X3I. Overall, the results for raw photo recovery were decent.

Video formats recovery

43%

#	Feature	Score
1	360 (GoPRO 360 degree videos)
2	ari (ARRI professional digital video camera)
3	arx (ARRI professional digital video camera)
4	avi (GoPRO CineForm intermediate codec)
5	avi (MJPG, H.264, MSMPEG4 v2 codecs)
6	braw (Blackmagic raw video file)
7	insv (Insta360 panoramic AVC H.264 video file)
8	insv (Insta360 panoramic HEVC HVC1 video file)
9	mov (Apple ProRes 422 Proxy/LT/HQ)
10	mov (Apple ProRes 4444 Raw/HQ)
11	mov (advanced video coding H.264)
12	mov (CineForm HD codec)
13	mov (HEVC, HVC1 codecs)
14	mp4 (advanced video coding H.264)
15	mp4 (HEVC, HVC1, Apple ProRes codecs)
16	mxf (advanced video coding H.264)
17	mxf (DVCPRO HD codec)
18	mxf (ARRI raw, Apple ProRes codecs)
19	mxf (XDCAM HD422, HD35 MPEG2 codecs)
20	r3d (Red digital camera company raw video file)
21	wmv (pro raw 9 codec)

DiskDigger had some trouble recovering a lot of video formats. Even though it was great at recovering common formats like AVI, MOV, and WMV, most other formats either had poor recovery results or weren’t supported at all. For example, it couldn’t recover all MP4 files (which is considered quite a common format) and it outright didn’t support new formats of this codec. ARRI (ARI, ARX), Blackmagic (BRAW), and MXF formats were all unsupported and therefore yielded no results.

Document formats recovery

64%

#	Feature	Score
1	accdb (Microsoft Access 2007+ database file)
2	djvu (compressed image format)
3	doc (Microsoft Word 97 – 2003 document file)
4	docx (Microsoft Word 2007+ document file)
5	fb2 (FictionBook 2.0 File)
6	key (Apple Keynote)
7	mdb (Microsoft Access 97 - 2003 database file)
8	numbers (Apple Numbers)
9	odp (OpenOffice presentation file format)
10	ods (OpenDocument spreadsheet file format)
11	odt (OpenDocument text document file format)
12	pages (Apple Pages)
13	pdf (portable document format)
14	ppt (Microsoft Powerpoint 97 - 2003 presentation file)
15	pptx (Microsoft Powerpoint 2007+ presentation file)
16	rtf (rich text format)
17	xls (Microsoft Excel 97 - 2003 spreadsheet file)
18	xlsx (Microsoft Excel 2007+ spreadsheet file)

Document recovery seemed to be another area where DiskDigger did an alright job. All of the document formats that we test for were supported, but some had varying success. Common formats like DOC, DOCX, ODS, XLS, and PPTX were easily recovered. Other formats, like ACCDB, ODP, PPT, and XLSX had some issues. Moreover, it seemed many of the recovered files were corrupted, and therefore unusable. So, while it does support a large range of document formats, keep this in mind as you may need to find a way to repair them once recovered.

Other notable recovery features

17%

#	Feature	Score
1	Overall non-intrusive read-only algorithms
2	Network recovery
3	Effectively filters out corrupted scan results
4	Byte-to-byte device backups
5	Bootable recovery drive creation
6	Convenient scan session management
7	Bad sector management
8	Recovery chance prediction
9	RAID reconstructor
10	Disk vitals monitoring and tracking during scan
11	Data protection
12	Links to in-lab recovery service for physically damaged devices
13	Scan speed
14	Scan free space only
15	Start file recovery without interrupting the scan
16	Preview recoverable items without interrupting the scan
17	Forensic features

Outside of data recovery, DiskDigger isn’t capable of much else. It does include some useful features, like its ability to scan free space only and save/load scan sessions, but that’s pretty much it. This isn’t very surprising though, seeing as it’s a one-man project with a simple focus.

0^%

Extras

10 rating criteria

It’s common nowadays for data recovery tools to include extras that increase the value of the application. DiskDigger doesn’t include any extras and prefers to focus solely on data recovery.

#	Feature	Result	Description
1	Disk space mapping	No	Not supported.
2	Disk clean up	No	Not supported.
3	Corrupted video repair tool	No	Not supported.
4	Corrupted photo repair tool	No	Not supported.
5	S.M.A.R.T.	No	Not supported.
6	Duplicate finder	No	Not supported.
7	Built-in disk space secure eraser	No	Not supported.
8	Disk cloning	No	Not supported.
9	Disk surface test	No	Not supported.
10	Secure data shredding	No	Not supported.

Although including extra features isn’t essential, it’s a great way to remain competitive and gives users more of a reason to choose your tool over others. These features typically complement data recovery. Unfortunately, at this time, DiskDigger doesn’t have much else to offer us.

What Users Say about DiskDigger for Windows

From youtube I knew about this application. By using this application I get 2 years old delete pictures. I search many application for getting old deleted pictures but at last I get this application and get those photos. There is a date by date searching technique means one date between another date's pictures is absolutely 90% I get the pictures. This is my opinion and my experience I shared. It is one of the best application that I have used. Love this all the time "Diskdigger".
Thanks!

mdebraj330, mouthshut.com

When I used this software, it did not have the options it said it would. I had no way to direct the search just to screenshots. It's unclear if the basic free version can look for screenshots. As it scanned, it showed me files that maybe weren't deleted, which made me nervous. The screen that allows you to narrow down the dates of the materials didn't allow me to change the dates. The new dates just would not input. The Disk Digger website makes repeated references to rooted devices. I wasn't sure what that meant. Overall, this was a confusing, user-unfriendly, nervous-making episode when I needed it least.

Tea & Crumpets, trustpilot.com

Does anybody know how to recover the data (PDFs) in our flash disk that were inadvertently deleted in our #Android?
I've tried: CMD, Dr Fone, PDF Recovery, Diskdigger, and Recuva, but those apps gave me zero results. I need these papers (around 60) back

Entomology_ID, twitter.com

Great free file recovery tool.
It searches your media sector by sector looking for files. It found my sister's photos and was able to salvage most of them. No installation required, just unzip and run!
Pros: sector by sector search. 1GB SD card on a USB 1.1 reader took 20 minutes to find and recover. You save the files to a directory on a different drive preserving the disk contents. Highlight and save the files you want
Cons: Directory structure appears to be lost. Its just a group of files you're saving to a directory

From comments on softonic.com

Bottom line

DiskDigger is a competitively-priced data recovery tool, with users even being able to recover an unlimited amount of data if they don’t mind waiting between the recovery of each file. It has a slightly outdated user interface, but all of its features are easy to find, making the recovery of data easy, even for a beginner. In terms of its ability to recover data, it saw the most success with its signature scan abilities, most notably with raw photo recovery.

It does not support clever scanning, and its quick scan left us fairly disappointed, as the majority of our data wasn’t even found. If you are looking for a program that is packed with other useful features, it’s best to look elsewhere as DiskDigger only really focuses on data recovery.

It’s important to remember that DiskDigger is a one-man project, so it naturally won’t be able to compete with other tools that have the backing of big teams. This is especially important in terms of product support. Even so, while DiskDigger was able to deliver some decent recovery results with its signature scan, it definitely has some areas of improvement and wouldn’t be our first pick in cases where we need the best chance of recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve searched the internet for the most frequently asked questions surrounding DiskDigger and provided some answers to them below.

DiskDigger is a data recovery tool that allows you to scan your drive for recoverable data and restore it to a working storage device.

Follow these steps to recover data using DiskDigger:

Download and install DiskDigger (not to the same drive you’re recovering from).
Select the drive you want to scan and click Next.
Select the scan you’d like to perform and click Next.
Select the file types you want to recover and click Next.
Choose what data you want to recover and click Recover selected files… to choose a suitable recovery location.

You can try using the quick scan (Dig Deep), but if you want the best chance of recovering photos, we recommend the signature scan (Dig Deeper). In step three, you can choose the image file types you’d like to recover so when you perform a scan, it will only pull relevant data.

The signature scan (Dig Deeper) is likely the best scan type for recovering videos specifically, as you can choose what video file types you want to search for and recover. In step three, simply specify the video file types you want to recover so that once the scan is complete, only video files will be visible in the results.

Once you are on the final step of recovery, you will be given the option to choose where you want the files to be stored. Once the recovery is finished, this location will open automatically.

DiskDigger may be ignoring files if you didn’t specify the necessary file types in step three. The application also attempts to filter out corrupted scan results to reduce how much junk is displayed in the recovery results screen.

DiskDigger on Android is only able to recover images unless your device is rooted. Follow these steps to use DiskDigger on Android:

Download DiskDigger for Android.
Tap Start basic photo search.
Select the photos you want to recover and click Recover.

DiskDigger is unable to recover data directly from your mobile device if it’s connected through your computer. Instead, you should use DiskDigger for Android to recover data on the device itself. If you’re trying to recover data from an SD card, remove the SD card and connect it to the computer instead.

Yes, DiskDigger was developed by Defiant Technologies, LLC and is a trusted application.

DiskDigger’s quick scan isn’t that great, as it fails to discover most of the lost data. It doesn’t allow you to recover all data at once either. Instead, you must recover all files of a specific type, one at a time. Lastly, the application doesn’t come with any other features that would otherwise complement data recovery.

DiskDigger can be downloaded and used for free. Files can be recovered for free, but you do need to wait five seconds between the recovery of each file. Otherwise, its other features like file preview and scan session management are free to use.