Chad contributes to free-backup-software.net. More on this topic can be found at Free Data Recovery Tools Roundup and Recover Deleted Files
Some Free Data-Recovery Tools!
Data-recovery is a bit of a touchy subject. For many of us, data recovery, such as good health, doesn't have any cost. In general -- how much your computer data worth to you? If you've dealt with hardware damage or perhaps your data is extremely important, don't even bother to play around with free data recovery tools.
Rule number one in data-recovery: an ounce of protection... If you've not encountered severe data loss, take that one as a reward from heaven and go buy yourself a real automated backup solution. I cover many freeware backup options on my backup software page however these days I'm tending towards recommending online backup systems (where all you files are easily mirrored on a remote site online).
When you have vital data -- specifically if you use a laptop (laptops are really highly vulnerable to theft and also damage in spite of how cautious you will be) -- you should definitely try an online data backup service.
NTFS Reader for DOS
lightweight, $0, undelete-style data recovery
NTFS Reader DOS Boot Disk gives read permission to access NTFS drives from the MS DOS environment. Its data recovery functionality involves assist for long file names and even compressed plus fragmented documents. NTFS Reader for DOS enables you to see the documents on NTFS and also copy them from NTFS to FAT volumes or network drives. In order to use such data recovery tool you must copy the readntfs.exe file to a bootable floppy disk and boot from this.
Can be run from bootable floppy
Complete physical & logical drive
Supports IDE / ATA / SCSI drives
Supports NTFS/NTFS5
Supports FAT12, FAT16, FAT32
Compressed/fragmented files
MS-DOS/XP/2000/NT/ME/98/95/7
Non-english/long file names
Review documents & folders
Search by file name or mask
Present content of the document
You can actually use NTFS Reader for DOS to recover data files from NTFS drives within Windows 98 95 as well as 3.1. Even if this is a DOS program, it can really be run from Windows.
NTFS.com
Download NTFS Reader
Restoration
lightweight, $0, undelete-style data recovery
Restoration is certainly a user friendly as well as straight forward tool to undelete files which were taken out from the trash bin or perhaps directly deleted from Windows. Upon your start, you can scan for those files that may be retrieved as well as control the results simply by entering a search term or extension.
Furthermore, Restoration also gives an option to wipe the found data files beyond simple recovery. Therefore it is not only a data-recovery tool but in addition a security cleanup application. You may use it after deletion of exclusive documents, embarrassing images and many others.
This program is actually really small as well as standalone, it does not call for set up and may also run using a Floppy disk. Restoration works together with FAT and NTFS and also digital camera cards.
Can be run from bootable floppy
Complete physical & logical drive
Supports IDE / ATA / SCSI drives
Supports NTFS/NTFS5
Supports FAT12, FAT16, FAT32
Non-english/long file names
Preview files & folders
Display content of the document
It's not necessary to install it, therefore it doesn't leave any garbage in your computer.
Brian Kato