downloaded and activated fine on my Everex 1.5Ghz laptop XP SP3 40 gig system, very easy to use, ran the deep scan, found over 8000 files, the 400 video files it found were full size but unplayable, most of the photos and jpegs it found were from internet history, a major amount of the recovered photos were just in code

downloaded and activated fine on my XP SP3 2.6Ghz 40gig hard drive system, I had used Boot & Nuke for a total 9 hour wipe on my HD recently, this program offered today still found over 3000 files, 200 of them were video files of 700 megs+ even though they were recovered at full size they were not playable, most of the other files found were pictures from my internet history from Firefox and Internet Explorer, what I am not understanding is when starting to do a scan it finds 2 of the same hard drives to try to scan

If you use Vista then I would use shadow explorer to recover files with.
http://www.shadowexplorer.com/downloads.html

If I needed something stronger I would use
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk.

I have used both of these in the past and they both work well.

I've tried this software to restore files from my broken USB drive. Unfortunately iCare Data Recovery couldn't restore the folder structure of the drive. I ended up with folders named after the type of files instead of actual folders on broken USB drive. So I have [GIF graphics file], [HTML Documents file] and so on. Files in those folders have names like FILE001.GIF, FILEXXX.GIF, so I can't tell their oryginal names or what oryginal folders they come from. In my opinion iCare Data Recovery lacks a very important ability which is restoring a drive folder structure.

I dont often accidently delete stuff but I gave it a go.
It found some recoverable files (intensionally deleted) on my backup drive. But the pre-view was jiberish and the recovered files, all jpg's, were not viewable. Irfanview reported no header. So the software failed to recover anything. Not a good. Unistalled.

iCare Data Recovery would not be my 1st choice for simple jobs [e.g. accidentally deleted files just after deletion] because it doesn't seem to offer a quick scan. I'll still keep it, replacing the version on my drive for those times I want/need to run a deep, much more time consuming scan (& hopefully recovery) -- it doesn't take up much space, & if Recuva [ http://goo.gl/GB7I ] isn't successful, I've got nothing to lose & everything to gain by running this & the similar EASEUS app. Unfortunately I can't give you a success story where iCare Data Recovery brought a file back from the abyss when everything else failed -- the last few times I've run a deep scan everything failed, including today's GOTD -- but that doesn't mean I won't try again next time, & who knows...

iCare Data Recovery's program folder takes up ~7 MB with 23 files, 1 folder. Installation adds about 300 registry entries, most all caused by registering the included "dsoframer.ocx", a Microsoft file for opening Word docs that no longer seems to be available from [or supported by] Microsoft. That said, I have been able to get iCare Data Recovery to work in the portableapps.com format [it's not *naturally* portable] without registering dsoframer.ocx, & the rest of the program works fine. Like EASEUS Data Recovery it does use more resources [in the 35% CPU range with an AMD quad] than Recuva 64 bit. As already mentioned by others iCare Data Recovery does phone home whenever you start it. And while it's still completely usable, larger display fonts in win7 aren't fully supported -- sad to say I'm so used to text being cut off or over-running it's portion of the program window I seldom even notice it anymore, just now remembering to jot that down.

Data recovery apps work because storage devices [including hard drives] have a sort of Table of Contents listing where everything is. When a file's lost, whether because of an accidental delete, a crash, or a *quick* format etc., [hopefully] it's the entries in that TOC that are effected, & not the actual data. A data recovery app looks for the actual files [data], nevermind any TOC. Complicating things, storage capacity is divided up into small chunks [sectors/clusters] by the file system [e.g. NTFS], & files are spread across, span however many of these chunks until all data's written [think of filling a row of glasses until the pitcher's empty]. Recovery software tries to put all these pieces of files together [imagine my glass example using several pitchers, each holding a different beer -- now mix the glasses up, then try to sort them out to pour the contents back into the correct pitcher.]. It's more difficult when more data is unrecoverable, i.e. when you need & run a deep scan, because some of the pieces a recovery app might use to identify the file, or even the type of file have gone missing.

Obviously you Do Not want to loose any pieces of a lost file before you get it back -- the problem is that being *lost* by definition means that there's no way to prevent that as long as the storage device is in use... if your PC/laptop doesn't know where the pieces are that you want back, the only thing keeping it from re-using those chunks for new data storage is luck -- Do you feel lucky? As soon as you know you have lost a file (or files), stop any writing to that storage partition immediately -- that increases your odds that everything you want/need is still there. If it's a partition that Windows uses, consider cutting power rather than shutting down normally. If the device is failing or if you can't/don't want to do without during a sometimes lengthy recovery, do a complete, sector by sector clone or backup, capturing not just known data but all free space as well -- you can use recovery software on that clone or restored backup whenever, wherever.

To make that clone or backup, or to run recovery software direct without writing to the partition with lost files, you need an OS that's not on the same partition as the lost files. You can either plug the drive or device into another PC, boot to a backup app's bootable disc, or boot to a WinPE-type OS & run your cloning, backup, &/or recovery apps from there. However few Windows apps of any sort come with most WinPE-type setups, few Windows apps have versions for integrating with WinPE-type OSes, & very few Windows apps supply you with a WinPE-type bootable disc -- all 3 are reasons that portable data recovery apps can be ideal [along with backup/restore & cloning software]. Portability is not absolutely necessary -- portability just gives you more options. I have 3 different bootable LiveXP builds on 2 CDs & 2 USB sticks, & WinPE CDs based on 32 & 64 bit win7 -- because not everything in my collection of portable apps will run in the smaller LiveXP builds -- and all together they took maybe 3-4 hours to put together. If interested you'll find most everything you need at 911cd.net & reboot.pro.

I have v.4.0 from the last give away and it does do a little better than some free recovery programs.The selection that works the best is the Deep Scan. It will only recover deleted items.where as the other selections will also show files that are still on your system and in use.
There is one small issue I would like to mention.
I was going to start selling this software on my site but when I tried to find Info on the company...there was none. no address,no mailing address, no phone number, nothing.Just a email.
This is a small issue.Who are these developers? Where are they located?
see I just cant endorse a software with out knowing who makes it and then expect My or their potential clients to hand over their credit card numbers.At the least give a mailing address to be contacted at.
other than that no more issues.
This is a good recovery tool but no company info will really damper sales for the developers.
I would grab the freebie today if you need a good recovery tool but until the company divulges some info about them self's, My credit card stays in my pocket. just would like to know who is taking my money if I do decide to buy a license.
Thanks GOTD,but i am going to pass on this one today.

I got this program before and found it to be one of the best.
For example: I recently purchased a hard drive that was wiped clean.
I ran Icare on it and found that it contained over 2,000 recoverable files. To make sure your hard drive has been wiped clean,( before you
get rid of that hard drive), check it with Icare. It can take some time on large drives but it is well worth the wait if you want to make sure every detail has been erased by checking a drive with this program.
For recovery after a simple reformat. This program will do the trick.

After the Cons, mentioned by Ashraf in post # 1, I decided just to try this software.

I try to register- here is the result:

http://i52.tinypic.com/4tnjtd.jpg

So- I uninstalled it, and now- one more thing in “The Good”- list:
Easy to uninstall.

To answer myself.. no it doesn't install over the prior version, so I deleted that using Revo Uninstaller.

iCare Data Recovery 4.0 version had a better appraval rate - yes 343 (68%) no 163 (32%)! Kinda surprising more disapraval for new version?

I just ran a test on a spare drive with over 100,000 files on it. Deleted on purpose over 10,000 files and then turned off the computer.
Re-booted with another drive and tried to recover, these are the finding:
The software first looked at the hidden spare directory entries, then listed them in order of entries and chronologically.
It didn't looked at the actual file locations, since the files are stored in sectors all over the hard drive.
When instructed to recover a certain file, followed the segments from the beginning of the file creation date. I had few files with same or similar names in different directory and the software daisy chained them into one file and created cross contaminated data, which made the recovered file useless.
The preview of deleted files did not worked as described by the developer and the previews were cross contaminated too.
I could not recover files that were deleted and then the drive was re-formatted with different operating system (original was fat32 and then NTFS).
In conclusion, this is not as powerful recovery software as stated, but mediocre or just as basic recovery scheme.

I have a question for a technical user before I download. I'm not interested in cluttering my system with this unless it will help me. I'm fairly technical myself, but I need another opinion.

Yesterday I accidentally deleted a recording on my digital voice recorder, which is of the Sony ICD-PX series. It's not currently available and I don't remember the exact model.

I need a way to recover that recording. It is very important to me. I chatted with Sony support and they said I should pay their data recovery team something like $100 plus $20 return shipping to do it for me.

The problem is, the recorder does not show up as a drive in Windows. It's not made that way. It connects by USB, but only Sony's software sees it. Recordings are stored as MP3s.

So, can a program like this one or Ashraf's suggested Testdisk or PhotoRec recover files from devices that don't register themselves as drives? Any recourse for me?

Thanks!

I am downloam the software it is not download telling un supported content

I have version 3.6.2 so do I need to uninstall that prior to installing this newer version or will it detect a prior version and update that for me?

I've never been impressed with iCare Data Recovery, and like so many offerings, it violates fundamentals of Windows programming by giving itself permission to and writing data to Program Files. Like most software which accesses hardware rather than using drivers, it can't see or access disk volumes visible in Windows, like RAID and virtual volumes. Piriform Recuva (free) remains my preferred first choice, although I still wish that they would improve some things about the UI. Most people who have complained about it have never bothered to figure out what it does, by actually examining what features are available in the UI, checking buttons, trying right-clicks, double-clicks, etc. It will install a 64-bit version on 64-bit systems. Portable versions are available, and I use the Slim installer on the Builds page. TestDisk and PhotoRec certainly wouldn't be my first choice. Clunky UI, and like so much open-source software, poor support for Microsoft formats. PhotoRec looks for tons of formats which I don't use, which can lead to erroneous results unless you uncheck them, and doesn't support formats which I do use. Recuva sees volumes that Windows sees, and Partition Find and Mount (free version available) should let it see lost partitions. Recuva did a quick scan of 8 logical drives (it said 12, but 4 were empty media slots) totaling around 14TB (including 4 external USB 2.0 drives and a USB flash drive) in 48 seconds. I'm having it do a deep scan of a 6TB RAID volume, and it's already 21% complete.

Of course downloading this will probably destroy any files you wanted to recover, as it will overwrite them. Far better to have a recovery program on a pen drive.

p.s.
Turned out this was the program I used from a previous offer day here; it would not install on my USB stick, as it was already installed (older version) on my PC. Just an FYI. I do remember this program 'saw' many more files to recover than others that I tired, so very good.

May I extend a general caution when using recovery software; they usually examine and then display possible files for recovery; I have in the past made the mistake of recovering the sames group of files multiple times because I did not UNtag the already recovered file. Last year a lost a drive with a half million or so file on it; in recovering I ended up with 4 or 5 copies of the same file, making the actual recovery a Herculean task. So be sure to go over the file lists carefully! My mistake was a tagall toggle switch. I will add this one to my toolbox; thanks GOTD.

I have one file I would like recovered. If I sent it to someone with recovery capabilities would it be possible to recover that file. It had jpg images and text in Open Office format ODT. Its about 30mb.

I have Open Office. Why do soft ware developers assume everybody has MS office?

Lower the price. $69.95? $29.95 would be much more reasonable.

I accidentally deleted a folder on a USB stick yesterday. I tried three programs from the web to recover it, without success. This program found the folder and its files successfully. So I think it's great!

I downloaded the easeus data recovery and happy with it. Thanks to GAOTD. I am now wondering if which of these two is better. Anybody?

As Barry (#2), I have got 4.0 version from GAOTD. I tried it on my computer with dead FAT32 partition (partition table crash?). Yes, the program found a lot of files, was ready to recover them, but was seemingly unable to recover any folder structure. Files only, in one big pile. EASEUS Partition Master 6.0.1 Professional Edition (thanks, GAOTD!) made this job perfectly, with more or less recovered directory tree. Yes, the program from iCare does work, but it is suitable rather for recovery of small number of occasionally deleted files on USB stick and so on.

I downloaded 4.0 when this was last available. I recovered some files that I had deleted and were not in the trash can. The recovery was smooth and easy on my Win 7 x64 machine. Not sure I'll upgrade to 4.1--it's not like I need to recover files every day!

On pasting the registration code and clicking OK, I get "Internet failure, please check your net setting or try again." Everything else works fine online. For now I'm using trial mode...

The Good
* Has four different recovery modes users can use: "Lost Partition Recovery", "Advanced Files Recovery", "Deep Scan Recovery", "Format Recovery".
* Allows users to preview files.
* Has a built in search tool to search for files by name, type, date created/modified/accessed, and file size.
* Supports internal hard drives, external hard drives, and other forms of portable media like USB/flash drives, SD cards, etc.

The Bad
* Shows already existing files in the scan results when using 3 out of the 4 recovery modes; no way to not show the already existing files.
* Can only preview a limited types of files; cannot preview all file types.
* Requires Microsoft Office to be installed in order to preview DOC/PPT/XLS files.
* Cannot preview files that are larger than X MB, but developer does not tell exactly what this limit is set at.
* Does not give any sort of key or guide explaining what the file icon symbols mean that are associated with some files in the scan results.
* Doesn't explicitly tell the "recoverability" of a file.
* Doesn't have any sort of bootable media.
* DOC files won't properly scroll horizontally when being previewed.

Free Alternatives
Testdisk & PhotoRec

For final verdict, recommendations, and full review please click here.