- 2015
Overall Product Rating: 3.5
This program showed a very decent file recovery performance, supports a large number of file systems, and has an excellent localization support, but its non-wizard interface (only in English) may be hard to use for inexperienced users. Also its previewer can show only graphic and text files with file sizes up to 10 MB. Active@File Recovery can be upgraded to the Professional and Ultimate version with support for RAIDs, a startup version, etc.
File systems supported for file recovery: 5.5Compare
NTFS, NTFS+EFS, exFAT, FAT/FAT32, HFS+, UFS and Ext2/Ext3/Ext4fs
Deep analysis of disks (disk scan): 3.0Compare
Hard drives and logical disks can be scanned. Scan range and file systems can be specified. Scan results can be stored and then loaded later.
File recovery using file signatures (raw file recovery): 5.0Compare
This feature exists with a pre-defined file signature set. The user can select which file types are to be included and add custom file signatures.
File search, mark for recovery, sorting: 5.5Compare
Search parameters: “Show only deleted files”, “Show only existing files”, individual file search/mark for recovery, file mask search, file search for date, file search for size, file search for file ID.
File recovery parameters: 4.5Compare
Recovers file names, the folder structure, and named streams. Files with the same names can be renamed during recovery.
Disk imaging and copying: 5.5Compare
Image types: byte-by-byte and compressed.
Parameters specified: Image compression ratio, file split size, and bad sector processing.
User interface: 3.0Compare
Standard non-wizard user interface, suitable for more advanced users only.
Localization support: 3.5Compare
Recognized all tested localized characters in file and folder names.
Demo version restrictions: 3.5Compare
File preview. Recovers files up to 64 KB. No time limit for the demo mode.
File preview: 3.5Compare
The built-in previewer can show graphic and text files with file sizes up to 10MB. Can also view file properties.
File recovery performance
FAT file system: 4.5Compare
Recently deleted files: The program recovered all files with their original names.
Previously deleted files: The program could find many files but we could not successfully recover them.
NTFS file system: 4.5Compare
Recently deleted files: The program successfully recovered all test files and the deleted folder, but their names were changed.
Previously deleted files: The program could find and successfully recover some files using raw file search.
A FAT16 partition reformatted to a new FAT16 partition of the same size: 3.0Compare
Raw files found and successfully recovered: 2 jpg, doc, xls, zip, pdf, avi, mp3
An NTFS partition reformatted to a new NTFS partition of the same size: 3.5Compare
Raw files found and successfully recovered: doc, zip, xls, pdf, 2 jpg, avi, mp3
A FAT32 partition reformatted to a new FAT32 partition of the same size: 3.0Compare
Raw files found and successfully recovered: 2 jpg, doc, xls, zip, pdf, avi, mp3
A FAT32 partition reformatted to a new NTFS partition of the same size: 3.0Compare
Raw files found and successfully recovered: 2 jpg, xls, pdf, avi, mp3, doc, zip
An NTFS partition reformatted to a new FAT32 partition of the same size.: 5.0Compare
The program discovered 2 partitions: 3 GB and 4 GB. The files were found in both partitions, but could only be successfully recovered from the second partition. Almost all files and the folder with its original name could be recovered.
Files recovered incorrectly: avi and one jpg.
An NTFS partition reformatted to a new FAT32 partition of the same size.: 5.5Compare
The program discovered 2 partitions: 3.67 GB and 4 GB. The files were found in both partitions, but could only be successfully recovered from the second partition. All files and the folder with its original name could be recovered.
An NTFS partition reformatted to a new NTFS partition of the same size: 3.5Compare
Raw files found and successfully recovered: doc, zip, xls, pdf, 2 jpg, avi, mp3
A damaged FAT32 file system: 6.0Compare
The file system was immediately recognized without disk scan. All files were found and successfully recovered with the original folder.
A damaged NTFS file system: 6.0Compare
The programs could successfully recover all files and the original folder.
NTFS partition deleted from a 2 GB disk using Windows Disk Management: 6.0Compare
The program successfully recovered all files with their original folder.
