In this tutorial, I will show you how to recover data absolutely free, with no need to pay for software, fund extra hidden fees, or have to use a “demo” mode recovery where the software will recover files, show them to you, but still require you to pay for access to them. This tutorial will also show you how to avoid all that and recover files with no limit to the size or volume of files you are trying to recover.
This is completely free. The best part? It can be performed in Windows and Mac (Linux, too but if you use Linux, you probably already know how to recover data from logically failed media). Yes, I will do as you probably are hoping I will. This tutorial will focus on both the Windows and Mac operating systems.
But before I get started, I must mention a few things. This tutorial should help you to recover files in minor logical failures only. So, what I am saying here is that at least once in your lifetime you have seen this message pop up on your screen (in Windows):
“The drive is not formatted, do you want to format it now?”
Or possibly your drive has at one time suddenly became unallocated without any partition. If you are a Mac user, you may not see warning messages but the drive just doesn’t appear on your desktop and will be found identified as “unallocated media” in Disk Utility.
Either way, this tutorial is for you.
One more thing, this tutorial is most likely not going to help if your media is suffering from a far more serious logical failure with severe file system corruption. This tutorial WILL NOT be of any assistance if your media is suffering either electronic or mechanical failure. By the way, you should never attempt to recover data yourself when it comes down to either of these types of failures. You are better off seeking professional help as soon as possible.
Okay, with those disclaimers out of the way, let’s start.
Download the software for Windows 64 bit based machines –> Windows 64-bit
Download the software for Windows 32 bit based machines –> Windows 32-bit
Download the software for Mac OS X Intel 64-bit macOS >= 10.6 –> Mac OS X Intel 64-bit
Not sure which you need? When in doubt, go for the 64-bit version as Microsoft quit releasing 32-bit versions of Windows 10 for OEM distribution back in 2020. Chances are, you have 64-bit. You can also check this “guide” to learn how to figure out which version of Windows you are running.
Now that we have the software we need downloaded, let’s execute it, or if you prefer, let’s “run” it.
Once the archive has been downloaded and extracted, you must open “testdisk_win.exe” on Windows or “testdisk” on Mac.
Don’t worry. Although this may seem like a massive number of steps to follow along with confusing command prompts, it is fairly straightforward.
What you are doing will work the same for either Windows or Mac. This means that the software will output the same messages when working.
For this example, I am recovering data from a thumb drive that was formatted to FAT32. FAT32 has 100% read and write support by both Windows and Mac, so the recovery would be the same regardless of which operating system it was performed with.
When the software is open, this is the first screen you will see. It will let you choose whether or not you want to record the entire recovery process. Considering we are just using this for data recovery, we don’t need this option. Select “No Log” and press “Enter.”
The next window to open offers you the choice of which “media” you are trying to recover data from. Select the correct media (in my case it was a thumb drive) and Press Enter.
Your next choice is the selection of partition tables, which offers several different types including xBox and Sun Solaris, in case you are recovering data from those kinds of proprietary file systems.
In my case, I’m recovering FAT32 which is a Windows-based file system and I would choose “Intel” and then press Enter.
Note: If you select Mac from these choices, it will still show the file system, but it will also show you a mismatch error, so you will have to select “Intel” anyway.
There will be a few different options during the next step. Because of this, you need to be careful as some of the options here can make your attempt at recovering data even worse, like deleting all the data from the partition. The option you actually need here is “Analyse” so select it and press Enter.
In this step, all you have to do is select “Quick Search” and press Enter.
As you watch, the percentage figure will increase. Depending on the size of your media, for example, your hard drive is between 2 and 4 TB, this process will take some time. Grab yourself a coffee, or cup of tea, get caught up on some reading, do a load of laundry, hit the gym…you get the idea.
However, since my thumb drive is just 32 GB, this process wraps up in just a few minutes.
If the Quick Search doesn’t find anything, you may see this screen. Just like I did. But, you may not and it all depends on how serious your situation is. Quick Search may locate your partition right away, but just in case it doesn’t, you are now prepared.
So, what if Quick Search doesn’t do what it is supposed to do? Deeper Search to the rescue! Select that and press Enter.
You will once again see a percentage scale climb on screen and it will make you wait again until it is done. If your coffee isn’t cold yet, now is the time to start working on your first cup.
After the search is completed, the found Partition/Volume should appear on the screen. In this example, you will see that it located the FAT32 partition on my thumb drive and now it is on to the next step.
Press “P” on your keyboard to list all available files and folders to recover.
We are just about there.
Select either a “file” or a complete “folder” and press “C.”
If you select just one file, that’s all it will copy. If you select a single folder, it will copy that folder and all the files inside of it. The left and right buttons on your keyboard will let you choose which folder you want to copy your recovered files to. At first, it is going to appear confusing but stick with it as you should get the hang of it quickly.
Select the folder you want to copy data to and press Enter.
Once the files are recovered, you should see green highlighted text telling you it is complete. Don’t just trust the software and check the folder you selected to confirm. The files or the folder(s) should be waiting for you.
Success!
Congratulations, if you are still reading this and holding off on celebrating for a moment, know that you have come a long way. You just recovered your data without having to drive to a data recovery centre or pay someone to do the job.
Remember to back it all up and stay safe!
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