Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If you have just deleted or lost files, stop using the affected drive as much as possible. Check the Recycle Bin and any backups, and save recovered files to a different drive—not back to the one you are trying to recover. Windows File Recovery is a free built-in option for some local-storage cases; EaseUS and Stellar are paid-and-free commercial options with different features. No tool can guarantee that your files will come back.
What to do first after losing files
- Stop writing to the affected drive. Avoid downloading, installing, or saving files there. Microsoft warns that ordinary computer use can overwrite space where deleted file data may remain.
- Check simpler recovery options. Look in the Recycle Bin and check any backup or cloud service you use. Windows File Recovery is intended for files that are not recoverable from the Recycle Bin.
- Choose a separate recovery destination. Save recovered files to a different drive, such as an external drive. Windows File Recovery requires its source and destination drives to differ.
Recovery depends on whether the data is still recoverable. If files are especially valuable, continuing to use the drive or experimenting with tools can reduce the chance of success.
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Which Windows recovery option fits your situation?
| Option | Best fit | What is established | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows File Recovery | Users comfortable with a command line who want to try Microsoft’s free tool on local storage | Microsoft documents Regular and Extensive modes for different loss scenarios. | It does not support cloud storage or network file shares. |
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard | Users comparing a consumer-oriented interface and a free edition with paid options | EaseUS advertises file preview, filtering, deep scanning, and recovery for several scenarios. | Check the current free allowance, license, price, and renewal terms before relying on them. |
| Stellar Data Recovery for Windows | Users who need to compare feature tiers, including options for lost partitions or unbootable systems | Stellar lists different capabilities by edition. | Features and promotions vary by edition and can change; confirm the current purchase terms. |
Windows File Recovery: the free built-in option
Windows File Recovery is a command-line app from the Microsoft Store, documented by Microsoft for Windows 10 and Windows 11. It attempts to recover deleted files from local internal or external storage and USB devices. It is not a general-purpose recovery tool for cloud storage or network shares.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Choose the mode for the loss scenario
- Regular: Microsoft recommends this for recent deletions on NTFS drives.
- Extensive: Microsoft recommends this for older deletions, formatted drives, corrupted NTFS disks, and FAT or exFAT drives. Non-NTFS recovery requires Extensive mode.
The command-line interface makes it less approachable than a graphical application, but it is a reasonable first software option if your case fits its supported scope and you are comfortable following Microsoft’s instructions. Keep the source and destination on different drives.
#1 Best Overall
- The Data Recovery Stick requires no technical skills — simply plug it into your Windows computer, click Start, and the software automatically begins scanning and recovering lost files within minutes. Compatible with Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10, & 11, it's designed to be a reliable first step when accidental deletion occurs.
- Recover photos (JPG, BMP, PNG, TIFF), Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access), Open Office files, MP3 music files, PDFs, RTF documents, AutoCAD files, and HTML web pages. Whether it's personal memories or critical business files, the Data Recovery Stick covers the file types that matter most.
- Works with hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, memory sticks, and other common storage formats that use FAT or NTFS file systems — making it a single solution for hard drive recovery, USB drive recovery, SD card recovery, and more. Note: a media reader is required for micro SD cards and some mass storage devices.
- No Installation Required - The Data Recovery Stick runs entirely from the USB drive with no software installation on your computer — helping prevent new data from overwriting the files you're trying to recover. This also makes it ideal for use across multiple computers or in emergency situations where installation isn't practical.
- Use the Data Recovery Stick on as many computers as often as needed — simply clear the recovered data between uses to free up storage space. Software updates keep the tool compatible with newer systems and devices, backed by 25+ years of data software expertise from Paraben Consumer Software.
Commercial options: compare terms, not just scan buttons
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
EaseUS’s Windows free-edition page advertises recovery for situations such as lost partitions, formatting, and system failure, along with filtering, preview, and deep-scan features. EaseUS also claims support for “1,000+ file types”; that is the vendor’s stated compatibility figure, not an independent test of every file type or recovery outcome.
TechRadar named EaseUS its best overall pick in its comparison and reported a 2GB free recovery allowance and restoration testing. Those are TechRadar’s assessment and reported results, not a guarantee for an individual drive. Verify the current allowance and terms before installing or buying.
Rank #2
- Data recovery software for retrieving lost files
- Easily recover documents, audios, videos, photos, images and e-mails
- Rescue the data deleted from your recycling bin
- Prepare yourself in case of a virus attack
- Program compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7
Stellar Data Recovery for Windows
Stellar’s purchase page separates capabilities by edition. Standard covers common deleted or formatted data and supported internal or external media. Professional adds lost-partition recovery, unbootable-system recovery, and disk imaging. Premium adds corrupt video and photo repair. Check the current edition details before purchase; promotional pricing is not a stable price.
TechRadar reports a free recovery allowance of up to 1GB and describes slower scans and a requirement to finish scanning before recovery. These are observations in that publication’s review, not a prediction of scan time or results for your system.
Rank #3
- Stellar Data Recovery Professional is a powerful data recovery software for restoring almost every file type from Windows PC and any external storage media like HDD, SSD, USB, CD/DVD, HD DVD and Blu-Ray discs. It recovers the data lost in numerous data loss scenario like corruption, missing partition, formatting, etc.
- Recovers Unlimited File Formats Retrieves lost data including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and more from Windows computers and external drives. The software supports numerous file formats and allows user to add any new format to support recovery.
- Recovers from All Storage Devices The software can retrieve data from all types of Windows supported storage media, including hard disk drives, solid-state drives, memory cards, USB flash storage, and more. It supports recovery from any storage drive formatted with NTFS, FAT (FAT16/FAT32), or exFAT file systems.
- Recovers Data from Encrypted Drives This software enables users to recover lost or deleted data from any BitLocker-encrypted hard drive, disk image file, SSD, or external storage media such as USB flash drive and hard disks. Users will simply have to put the password when prompted by the software for recovering data from a BitLocker encrypted drive.
- Recovers Data from Lost Partitions In case one or more drive partitions are not visible under ‘Connected Drives,’ the ‘Can’t Find Drive’ option can help users locate inaccessible, missing, and deleted drive partition(s). Once located, users can select and run a deep scan on the found partition(s) to recover the lost data.
Other names to investigate—not a verified top-eleven ranking
TechRadar’s comparison also names Disk Drill, AnyRecover, and Ontrack EasyRecovery. They are candidates to compare, but the available product information here does not establish their current Windows compatibility, free recovery limits, supported scenarios, or licensing terms. Check each vendor’s current Windows product and purchase pages before choosing one.
This evidence supports comparing the three options above and identifying those additional candidates; it does not support a reliable, feature-by-feature ranking of eleven products. A list padded with unverified tools or stale allowances would be less useful than a smaller comparison grounded in current product details.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Never lose data again and enjoy instant recovery after a system failure
- Easy and complete software for Windows data backup and recovery, file synchronization, and disk cloning
- Protection against viruses, malware, and ransomware — restore your backup and keep working
- License for 2 PCs, lifetime validity — no subscription
- Compatible with Win 11 and 10 — fully in English - English language support
Rank #4
- Stellar Data Recovery is an easy-to-use, DIY Windows data recovery software for recovering lost and deleted documents, emails, archived folders, photos, videos, audio, etc., from all kinds of storage media, including the modern 4K hard drives.
- Supports Physical Disk Recovery The software brings an all-new option to scan physical disks to retrieve maximum recoverable data. This feature combined with its advanced scanning engine efficiently scans physical disk in RAW mode and retrieve the lost data in numerous data loss scenarios like accidental deletion, formatting, data/drive corruption, etc.
- Supports 4K Hard Drives The software recovers data from 4K hard drives that store data on large-sized sectors. With an advanced scanning engine at its disposal, the software scans the large storage sectors of 4096 bytes on 4K drives and retrieves the data in vast data loss scenarios like accidental deletion, formatting, data corruption, etc.
- Recovers from Encrypted Volumes Easily retrieves data from BitLocker-encrypted drives or drive volumes. The software allows users to select the encrypted storage drive/volume and run either a ‘Quick’ or ‘Deep’ scan to recover the lost data. Once scanning commences, the software prompts users to enter the BitLocker password to proceed further.
- Recovers from Corrupt Drives The ‘Deep Scan’ capability enables this software to thoroughly scan each sector of the problematic drive and recover files from it. Though this process takes time, it extracts every bit of recoverable data and displays it on the preview screen.
How to choose safely
- Recent NTFS deletion: Try Windows File Recovery’s Regular mode if you are comfortable with command-line instructions.
- Older deletion, formatting, corruption, or FAT/exFAT: Microsoft recommends Extensive mode for these cases. A commercial tool may be worth comparing if you need a graphical interface or additional features, but no recovery is assured.
- Lost partition or unbootable system: Compare the exact edition required. Stellar lists these capabilities in Professional; EaseUS advertises lost-partition and system-failure scenarios. Vendor feature descriptions do not establish that a particular case will succeed.
- Before paying: Check whether the free edition actually saves recovered files or only scans and previews, the recovery cap, license duration, renewal terms, and refund conditions. These details can change.
- Before starting a scan: Confirm that the recovered files can be saved to another drive. Do not install recovery software onto the affected drive if you can avoid it.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
