Discover the top five free tools for SD card recovery in 2024. These tools are not only safe but also reliable making them indispensable in case you want to recover lost data from your memory card.
Data loss can occur for various reasons, whether due to hardware failure, power loss or human error. While it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk, you can take care to minimise it. When you find yourself wanting to recover files from a free SD card, it is important to stop using the card immediately and choose one of these five programs.
Let’s take a closer look at these solutions:
WinfrGUI SD Card Recovery (Windows)
Advantages:
- The ability to fully recover Windows files (Microsoft command-line app)
- Free High Success Rate
- All file systems supported
- Provide sample properties for recovery evaluation
- Supports RAW image and video recovery
Disadvantages:
- Compatible with Windows only.
Among the many softwares to recover files from sd card free, WinfrGUI stands out as an outstanding option. Designed specifically for Windows users. This varied free data recovery software can recover various formats including photos, videos, audio files, documents, and file savers. It supports popular file systems used with SD cards such as FAT16, FAT32 and exFAT.
What makes WinfrGUI different is its outstanding performance in RAW photo and video recovery. It handles raw files from well-known brands such as Sony, Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm and Panasonic easily. Whether your files are stored on MicroSD, MiniSD, CF, SDHC or SDXC cards. The free version allows unlimited file viewing before reaching the limit. 500 MB recovery on Windows. It is a great option worth considering.
PhotoRec (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Advantages:
- Completely free off-source license.
- Compatible with the main platform.
- No installation required.
Disadvantages:
- Command Line Software Basic GUI Options
- No regular updates
PhotoRec differs from other data recovery programs because of its unique method. It does not have a graphical user interface by default unless you choose the basic GUI that is included in a portable application. Despite its limited graphical interface, PhotoRec is a reliable option for the nature of free and open source. Its signature scanner is great for recovering various formats, video, and document formats.
PhotoRec can handle raw SD cards and perform bitmap scanning. Its impressive capabilities make it a reliable choice. Despite the learning curves associated with the command-line interface.
Recuva (Windows)
Recuva is a Windows-specific software designed specifically for SD card recovery. It has several advantages and disadvantages that make it different from other options.
One advantage is the portable version that allows users to use the software without installing it. There is also a free version for budget-conscious users. However, the free version has no support and has not been updated since 2016. Some users may find that the interface is not very user-friendly.
Despite these shortcomings, Recuva also has features similar to other options previously mentioned, along with unique functions such as technical support, automatic updates, and the ability to create backups using virtual hard drives. The backup option can prove useful in case of unexpected data loss.
EaseUS Data Recovery Assistant (Windows & Mac)
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is another software alternative for SD card recovery. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems. It has a simple interface and provides excellent overall recovery results. One of the outstanding features is the ability to recover photos and RAW videos.
However, there are some drawbacks to consider, such as unexpected scanning time and limited file format support for sample viewing. Easeus Data Recover Wizards have a free version for users to try before choosing a $90 premium version. The save version allows scanning up to 1GB of data for free.
Also, the software will enable targeted scanning by file type, reducing scan time. Despite the potential for slower scanning, the EASEUS Data recovery wizards are also great at finding lost files and reducing your computer’s energy consumption.
Recoverit SD Card Data Recovery (Windows & Mac)
Recoverit SD Card Data Recovery is a professional data recovery solution for both Microsoft Windows and Mac users. It has a clean and modern user interface that makes the recovery process smooth and easy to use. However, there are some limitations to bear in mind.
Some types of files cannot be viewed as samples before recovery, and there is no pre-recovery file quality identification. Furthermore, the free version of recoverit only supports up to 100 MB data recovery.
The software comes with a price tag of $99.99 for an annual licence or $159. 99 for a lifetime licence. Nevertheless, there is a free trial for users to test the software before purchasing it. The main features of Recovery have a smooth interface, fast file recovery and ease of use, as well as search options that can be customised according to file extension. While the price may still be looking at for some users, it is worth investing.
Conclusion
To sum up, these five SD card recovery software options have different advantages and considerations. Depending on your data recovery needs and specific options, there are the right solutions for you. Whether you like the open-source options that PhotoRec offers or the user-friendly experience that WinfrGUI offers.
All of these software solutions offer great options for recovering data from formatted or corrupted SD cards. It is important to research thoroughly and consider all available options when striving to recover files from free SD card. Also, learning how to protect data on an SD card can help prevent such threats from occurring in the first place.