15 Open-source Free Disk Data Recovery Tool
Data recovery is the process of salvaging and restoring data that has been lost, corrupted, or made inaccessible. This can be done through a variety of means, including software-based recovery tools, hardware repair, and forensic recovery techniques.
Data disk recovery is a specific type of data recovery that focuses on restoring data from damaged or corrupted disk drives. This can include hard drives, solid-state drives, and other types of storage media.
In some cases, it is possible to recover data from corrupted files by copying the data to a new file. This can be done using specialized recovery software or by manually copying and pasting the data into a new document.
Data recovery is typically used to recover data that has been lost due to hardware failure, software corruption, or human error. It is commonly used in a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, and technology.
Open-source data recovery tools offer a number of advantages over proprietary software, including greater transparency, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. Because the source code is freely available, users can modify and customize the software to meet their specific needs. Additionally, open-source software is often more secure and reliable than proprietary software, as it is subject to constant review and improvement by a community of developers and users.
In this post, we offer you the best open-source disk and data recovery tool, that can aid you in recovering your lost data, and corrupted data blocks from your old/ current disks.
1- Redo Rescue: Backup and Recovery
Redo Rescue (also known as Redo Backup) is a live CD/USB system that easily creates a backup image of your entire system, including all files and settings, and saves it to an external storage device. You can quickly recover all your data and settings in minutes if your system gets infected by ransomware or viruses, or if your hardware gets damaged.
What's more, Redo Rescue is designed to be incredibly easy to use, even for beginners. The system comes with a user-friendly interface that allows you to create and restore system images with just a few clicks. Additionally, Redo Rescue is highly customizable, allowing you to configure various settings and options to suit your specific needs.
2- FreeRecover
FreeRecover is an exceptional file recovery program for NTFS drives. With its advanced features, you can easily search and preview deleted files to recover your lost data. Additionally, it provides an accurate estimate of the integrity of the deleted files, and retrieves their original file paths, giving you a complete recovery solution.
Features
- Recovers deleted files from NTFS drives
- Generates previews of deleted files
- Provides estimates of the integrity of found files
- Instant searching of deleted files
- Batch recovery to a directory
3- Areca Backup
Areca-Backup is a file backup software that supports incremental, image and delta backup on local drives or FTP servers. Areca-Backup also allows you to browse your backups and navigate among different version of the files contained in your archives.
Features
- differential backup
- encryption
- compression
- incremental backup
- sftp
4- Partclone
Partclone is a project like the well-known backup utility "Partition Image" a.k.a partimage. Partclone provide utilities to back up used blocks and design for higher compatibility of the file system using supported library like e2fslibs.
Features
- Support Linux, Windows, MAC, FreeBSD, ESX file system backup/restore
- Support btrfs, ext2/3/4, jfs, xfs, reiserfs, and reiser4 for linux file system
- Support fat and ntfs for Windows file system
- Support ufs for FreeBSD file system
- Support vmfs for ESX vmware server
- zfs in the future
5- ddrescueview
ddrescueview is an open-source free tool allows the user to graphically examine ddrescue's mapfiles in a user-friendly GUI application. The Main window displays a block grid with each block's color representing the block types it contains. Many people know this type of view from defragmentation programs.
The program is written in Object Pascal using the Lazarus IDE. It can be compiled to run on Windows, GNU/Linux and probably macOS (OS X), too.
The downloads include binaries for the respective target platform and the project files (source code).
Features
- Display ddrescue mapfile in a colored block graphic
- Examine each block in the image with a detailed list of map entries inside
- Zoom inside the mapfile, down to sector level
- To keep track of the rescue process, ddrescueview can automatically re-read the mapfile
- Overlay a domain mapfile, if you use one with ddrescue
- Units can be displayed with decimal (KB, MB...) or binary (KiB, MiB...) prefixes.
License: GNU General Public License version 3.0 (GPLv3).
6- TestDisk & PhotoRec
TestDisk checks the partition and boot sectors of your disks. It is very useful in recovering lost partitions.
It works with:
- DOS/Windows FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32
- NTFS (Windows NT/2K/XP)
- Linux Ext2 and Ext3
- BeFS (BeOS)
- BSD disklabel (FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD)
- CramFS (Compressed File System)
- HFS and HFS+, Hierarchical File System
- JFS, IBM's Journaled File System
- Linux Raid
- Linux Swap (versions 1 and 2)
- LVM and LVM2, Linux Logical Volume Manager
- Netware NSS
- ReiserFS 3.5, 3.6 and 4
- Sun Solaris i386 disklabel
- UFS and UFS2 (Sun/BSD/...)
- XFS, SGI's Journaled File System
PhotoRec is file data recovery software designed to recover lost pictures from digital camera memory or even hard disks. It has been extended to search also for non audio/video headers.
7- FileSystem
FileSystem is an open-source program for advanced disk management with built-in drivers for PATA IDE Hard Disks and DVD/CD-ROM Drives, USB Mass Storage Drivers. Implemented file systems : FAT32 / ISO9660 / EXT2. It can be compiled for DOS, LINUX, WIN32
Features
- Built-in drivers for PATA IDE Hard Disks and ATAPI CD/DVD Drives; USB Mass Storage Driver (HD and CD/DVD)(using DOSUSB.COM)
- Implemented file systems : FAT32, ISO9660, EXT2
- Can move tail (chrunch a FAT32 partition) - you need to do this when you want to resize a FAT32 partition
- Can explore/copy from any session of a CD/DVD
- NC, DC, MC like file explorer but with built-in drivers (no DOS, no BIOS)
- Can check a disk for errors; can change advanced FAT32 settings; can view/alter the FAT32 allocation table
- IDEAL FOR RECOVERING LOST FILES (that is its purpose)
- Functions inside program can be used (import) for operating system installers
- The Built-in driver for UHCI usb ctrl enables you to debug your usb device (for now only for experts)
- Works with DOS, LINUX, WIN32.
- Has got internal cache functions for drives up to 2TB/8TB (512/2048 bytespersector)
- YOU ARE ALLOWED TO USE IT ONLY FOR NON-CRIMINAL PURPOSES !
8- Kickass Undelete
Kickass Undelete is a free, fully featured, file recovery tool for Windows. Accidentally deleted a file? Never fear; the data is probably still on your drive and may be recoverable. Kickass Undelete finds all the deleted files on your hard drive, flash drive or SD card and allows you to recover them.
Features
- Free and Open Source
- Support for both FAT and NTFS file systems
- Filter by filename and extension
- Easy-to-use interface
- Unreasonably large scan button
9- USB Stick Repair Tool
With this easy-to-use program you can easily repair / clean up a broken USB stick and then format it in the Fat32 system.
10- RecoverPy
RecoverPy is a powerful tool that leverages your system capabilities to recover lost files. Unlike others, you can not only recover deleted files but also overwritten data.
Every block of your partition will be scanned. You can even find a string in binary files.
11- FunfaDrive
FunfaDrive is a small software that currently repairs the damage made by flash drive virus that convert files into shortcuts, recovering the data.
12- iRestore
This program recovers files from the FAT filesystem. Made for the class CIS 3605.
13- Bareos
Bareos (Backup Archiving Recovery Open Sourced) is a reliable, cross-network open source software for backup, archiving and recovery of data for all well-established operating systems.
Features
- True open source software; no open-core or other restrictions; License AGPLv3
- network based
- backends include Ceph, Gluster, S3
- multiple clients and storages possible; Active / passive clients possible
- Backup Clients ('Bareos-FD') available on Linux, Windows, MacOS, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, BSD
- Python plugin interface
- SAN-Backups using NDMP (with DAR/DDAR); NDMP tape support
- Always Incremental Backup scheme
- VMWare Plugin
- Encryption
- Scriptable CLI
- web based graphical interface (webui)
- Role-based ACL support for commands and objects
14- FATXTools
FATXTools is a data recovery tool for FATX file systems. The goal of this project is to automate searching and recovering deleted files as well as provide tools for manual data recovery.
Features
- Supports loading from HDD images or physical devices.
- Use the Cluster Viewer to visually see what data occupies any cluster.
- Metadata Analyzer scans for abandoned file system metadata.
- File Carver scans for files based on their file formats.
- Save results to an editable and reloadable JSON database.
15- CopyCD
This Java-based app allows you to copy corrupted files from any CD, DVD or HDD, but it requires multiple copies of the corrupted files on the targeted media.