5 Best Pro and Free Linux Hard Drive Recovery Tools
Data recovery is a process of restoring data from corrupted or damaged storage devices or deleted from hard drives. If you search for data recovery software on Google, you will find a very long list. However, most of them are designed for Windows and macOS. It is difficult to find the right tool on Linux. This article reviews and shares the top 5 Linux hard drive recovery software for beginners and experienced users.
PAGE CONTENT:
Part 1: Comparison of Top Linux Hard Drive Recovery Software
Methodology
According to our research, the most popular hard drive recovery software is available for Windows or Mac. We identified the tools for Linux computers and laptops. Then, we tested these tools, including price, supported devices, success rate, availability, and compatibility.
| Price | Supported Linux Versions | Success Rate | |
| TestDisk | Free | Linux Kernel 2.6.18 or later | 96% |
| R-Linux | Free Start from $199 | Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Rocky Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, openSUSE, and Fedora | 94% |
| UFS Explorer | Start from $679.95 | Linux 6.0 and above | 92% |
| DDrescue | Free | 32-bit or 64-bit GNU/Linux | 90% |
| PhotoRec | Free | 32-bit or 64-bit Linux | 89% |
Part 2: Top 5 Linux Hard Drive Recovery Software
Top 1: TestDisk
TestDisk is a free Linux hard drive recovery tool. It allows users to retrieve almost all file types and formats from internal and external hard drives on Linux using command lines. Plus, it can repair corrupted files.
- Completely free to use.
- Recover almost all file formats.
- Lightweight and portable.
- Work on RAW and unmountable drives.
- The text-based interface requires technical skills.
- It lacks preview support.
Top 2: R-Linux
R-Linux is a Linux hard drive recovery tool used for recovering files on various file systems, including Ext2, Ext3, and Ext4. It can find lost files after a power failure, accidentally deleting, bad sectors, and more.
- Recover files with folder structure.
- Offer flexible scan options.
- Create a disk image for recovery later.
- Support multiple file systems.
- The free edition is nearly useless.
- The interface is outdated and less intuitive.
Top 3: UFS Explorer
UFS Explorer is another professional Linux hard drive recovery software. According to our test, it can show great results in data recovery from formatted and corrupted drives, although it is not free.
- Offer configurable scanning.
- Compatible with a massive array of file types.
- Integrate advanced imaging tools.
- Support virtual machine.
- It lacks a scan session manager.
- It is expensive.
Top 4: DDrescue
DDrescue is another command-based Linux hard drive recovery software. It was open source and developed by the GNU. It can extract files from a damaged disk or sectors and save files to another location.
- Rescue data efficiently.
- Automatically merge data.
- Highlight bad sectors when performing data recovery.
- Integrate backup features.
- The command line is not friendly to beginners.
- It lacks video tutorials.
Top 5: PhotoRec
PhotoRec is a free Linux hard drive recovery for rescuing media files. Due to the unique design, it works on all file systems and can recover hundreds of file types and formats without paying a penny.
- Open source and free.
- Recover data from damaged or formatted drives.
- Recognize lots of file formats.
- Portable and fast.
- It cannot recover the folder structure.
- Users cannot preview found files.
Further Reading
Part 3: Bonus Tip: How to Recover Data from a Hard Drive
If you have multiple operating systems on your computer, such as Linux and Windows, you can use Apeaksoft Data Recovery to recover your data from internal or external hard drives. It delivers a high success rate.
An Excellent Data Recovery Software for Internal and External Hard Drives
- Recover data efficiently on any hard drive.
- Work on almost all file types and formats.
- Preview lost files by type or directory.
- Available in various situations, including corrupted drives.
- Support Windows 11 to XP, macOS 10.7 and later.
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How to Recover Data from Your Hard Drive
Step 1. Scan your drive
Launch the ideal data recovery software once you install it on your computer. If you want to rescue data from an external hard drive, connect it to your computer. Go to the Hard Drive Recovery tab, pick a disk, and click Start Scan. For external hard drive recovery, go to USB / SD Card Recovery instead.
Step 2. Preview lost files
After data scanning, you can preview the found files by type in Type List or by directory in Path List.
Step 3. Recover files
Tick all the files you want to rescue and click the Recover button. Set an output folder and confirm data recovery.
Conclusion
Now, you should learn the top 5 best Linux hard drive recovery tools. Some of them are free and integrate basic features. Others require a license and provide advanced functionalities. You can discover the right tool based on your situation and our reviews. If your Linux can run Windows-based software, Apeaksoft Data Recovery is an ultimate solution.
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