Can USB File Recovery Free Tool Effectively Recover Lost Data?

Losing important data from a USB drive can be really stressful, especially if that USB is your backup. Luckily, there's a way out – free file recovery software for getting your files back. These tools claim they can bring your lost data back to life, giving it a second chance. But can they truly deliver on this promise? In this article, we'll explore these tools and see if they can truly recover all your lost data.

5 common USB file recovery free software

To recover data from USB drive, we collect 5 popular USB file recovery free software in this part. Can they effectively restore the lost data? Join us in this exploration as we provide concise introductions, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages, to uncover the answer.

1. Recuva

Recuva, a USB file recovery free tool, has both good and not-so-good points. It's easy to use, even if you're new to this kind of thing, and it can bring back all sorts of files, like documents and videos.

However, it's important to note that Recuva might not always recover all files in their entirety, potentially leading to fragmented or incomplete data retrieval. While it can be effective in various scenarios, its success rate may vary depending on the specific circumstances of data loss and the condition of the USB drive. It's a valuable tool, but users should manage their expectations and be prepared for the possibility of partial data restoration.

Advantages:
1. You can take it anywhere because there's a portable choice
2. Jus follow the simple guide to fix issues as it is easy-to-use
3. It functions on most Windows systems

Drawbacks:
1. Updates are not very frequent

2. Disk Drill

Disk Drill is a free file recovery software for getting back your lost data. It's not just because of its practical features, but also because it's really easy to use. It can bring back your data from lots of different places, like your computer's hard drives, USB sticks, memory cards, and even iPods.

In addition, it offers a range of useful functions, such as previewing files before recovery, the option to pause and resume scans, partition recovery, complete drive backup, file filtering by date or size, the choice between quick and full scans for quicker outcomes, and the ability to save scan results for later use in recovering deleted files.

But there is a notable drawback in the form of a 500 MB recovery limit, which might prove restrictive if there is a substantial amount of data to be retrieved.

Advantages:
1. Sorts erased files into groups, so they're easier to see
2. You can pick to view results based on size or date
3. Choose between quick and thorough scan modes
4. It operates with many types of file systems

Drawbacks:
1. Recovery is limited to 500 MB of data
2. Needs installation on your hard drive, no portable version available

3. Wise Data Recovery

The third USB deleted file recovery free software is Wise Data Recovery. Installing and scanning your computer happens super fast with simple operations. It can also hunt for missing files on various USB devices, like memory cards.

There's a quick search that makes finding files a breeze. You can choose between a speedy or thorough scan, depending on how deep you want to search. Unlike some tools, this one doesn't tell you how likely it is to recover a file before you try to get it back. That's a bit disappointing.

However, the good news is there's no limit to how much stuff you can recover, which is better than some other tools. Wise Data Recovery is made to run on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP, as well as macOS. You can even get a portable version of it from Softpedia.

Advantages:
1. Run fast scans to find deleted files
2. Use the portable feature for flexibility

Drawbacks:
1. Note that the original folder setup isn't saved when you recover files
2. Can't know a file's chance of usability before undeleting it

4. Restoration

The Restoration program is quite similar to other USB data recovery-free tools for recovering deleted files in this list. There's no confusion with strange buttons or complicated steps—it's all in one simple program window.

Restoration works for getting back files from hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, and other external drives. Like other popular recovery tools, Restoration is small and doesn't need to be installed. You can use it from a floppy disk or USB drive.

However, it can't recover a whole folder at once, only single files. This might make it not as good as some other options here. Plus, it doesn't tell you if a file can be recovered before you try to get it back.

It is reported that Restoration is to be compatible with Windows Vista, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95. The tested version feedback it can run on Windows 7 without any problems. But version 3.2.13 didn't work normally on Windows 11, 10, or 8.

Advantages:
1. It's simple to operate
2. Take it with you anywhere – it's portable
3. Sort the results in multiple ways
4. Look for empty deleted files
5. Choose to overwrite deleted data

Drawbacks:
1. Please be aware it may not function on Windows 11/10/8
2. You can only recover individual files, not entire folders at once
3. It will not display whether the file can be restored or not before you do

5. ADRC Data Recovery Tools

ADRC Data Recovery Tools is a user-friendly and versatile free program that efficiently recovers lost files from memory cards, USB drives, and hard drives (excluding CDs/DVDs). Recovering files with this tool is straightforward and can likely be done by an average computer user even without instructions.

This data recovery tool supports Windows XP, 2000, and 95. Besides, we notice that this standalone program has a compact size of only 132 KB, making it highly portable and suitable for various removable media options.

Advantages:
1. The download file size is tiny for download
2. No installation needed – run it from any portable spot
3. Easily understand the straightforward user interface

Drawbacks:
1. Please note it won't function on Windows 8 or newer
2. Already stop to update. The last update was back in 2008

How to recover data from USB drive effectively?

In brief, USB file recovery free tools come with both advantages and disadvantages. However, at times, the drawbacks, such as file size limits and compatibility problems, can hinder the process of recovering lost data.

To successfully save your important data, it is recommended to use a powerful data recovery expert like AOMEI FastRecovery. It stands out with advanced algorithms that efficiently recover fragmented and complex data structures. What’s more, its ability to dive deep into storage and fix file details considerably increases the chances of successful recovery.  In this software, you can also enjoy the following benefits: 

✔ Support various storage devices, such as hard drives, SSDs, USB, and many other types of storage media.
✔ Also can recover the lost partition with data.
✔ Multiple formats support including photos, email, videos, audio, and other 200+ types of data.
✔ Support quick scan and deep scan on the storage devices.
✔ Offer Server editions for Windows Server users.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

To sum up

5 USB file recovery free tools are introduced in this post. Given different data recovery needs, the free file recovery software may be suitable for simple and small-file-size recovery scenarios. However, if you need to retrieve data from more complicated situations, it is still advisable to choose AOMEI FastRecovery.

You can use AOMEI products like AOMEI Partition Assistant to make your daily computer management easy and effective. It provides other advanced functions including clone disk or partition, move programs or files to another drive, migrate OS to SSD, and so on.