Updated on:Jun 5, 2023
Disk Drill stands out as the best partition recovery software for a multitude of reasons. To start with, the tool combines powerful data recovery algorithms with a sleek user interface, putting professional data recovery capabilities in the hands of regular Windows users.
All commonly used file systems are supported, including NTFS/NTFS5, AFPS, HFS/HFS+/HFSX, FAT/FAT32/exFAT, EXT3/EXT4, and others. Disk Drill can also recover files (over 400 different file formats, in fact) from RAW partitions that don’t have any file system at all.
The free version of Disk Drill for Windows can recover up to 500 MB of data, and it comes with several useful disk tools that many other developers sell as stand-alone products. The latest version of Disk Drill for Windows runs on Windows 10 and 11. If you have older Windows version you need to download Disk Drill 4.
Pros:
Cons:
Supported file systems: FAT12/16/32, NTFS, NTFS5, exFAT, HFS, HFS+, APFS, ext2/3/4, RAW.
Fix partition table: No.
Price:
| Disk Drill Basic | Free |
| Disk Drill PRO | $89.00 |
| Disk Drill Enterprise | $499 |
| Competitive Upgrade | 50% OFF |
Limitations on the free/trial version: The free version can recover only 500 MB of data.
Supported operating systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7.
TestDisk is the most popular free partition recovery software tool. It runs under Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Windows Server 2016/2012/2008/2003, DOS (either real or in a Windows 9x DOS-box), Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SunOS, and macOS. The tool was designed to help recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again, and it does a great job with both.
Inexperienced users often shy away from TestDisk because its command-line user interface is less than inviting. In reality, the tool does a good job of guiding its users through the partition recovery process, but it’s certainly not as intuitive as graphical partition recovery software.
Pros:
Cons:
Supported file systems: BeFS, CramFS, FAT12/16/32, FATX, exFAT, HFS, HFS+ and HFSX, JFS, btrfs, ext2/3/4, GFS2, LUKS encrypted partition, Linux RAID md 0.9/1.0/1.1/1.2, RAID 1/4/5/6, Linux Swap, LVM, LVM2, NSS, NTFS, ReiserFS 3.5, 3.6 and 4, Sun Solaris i386 disklabel, UFS, UFS2, XFS, SGI's Journaled File System, Wii WBFS, Sun ZFS.
Fix partition table: Yes.
Price: Free and open-source software.
Limitations on the free/trial version: None.
Supported operating systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP.
DiskInternals Partition Recovery is a purpose-built partition recovery tool intended for all home and business users who need to recover lost partitions and the data stored on them. The tool addresses all common and not-so-common partition loss situations, including accidental deletion, bad sectors, malware damage, and corruption caused by a power outage.
It features a step-by-step recovery wizard that does a good job of guiding the user through the recovery process and helping him or her choose between the available scanning modes (Fast scanning, Full scanning, and Reader mode). DiskInternals Partition Recovery supports many file systems, including FAT, ReFS, UFS, HFS, NTFS, ReiserFS, APFS (reader mode), RomFS (reader mode), Reiser4, XFS, Ext2, Ext3, and Ext4.
Pros:
Cons:
Supported file systems: FAT, ReFS, UFS, HFS, NTFS, ReiserFS, APFS(reader mode), RomFS(reader mode), Reiser4, XFS, ext2/3/4.
Fix partition table: No.
Price:
| Trial version | Only preview |
| Personal | $139.95 |
| Business | $219.95 |
Limitations on the free/trial version: The free trial version can only preview recoverable files.
Supported operating systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/2000.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a versatile lost partition recovery tool compatible with Windows 10/8/7 and Windows Server OS. You can use it to recover files from accidentally deleted partition or from lost partition after reinstalling Windows. The tool can even recover files from inaccessible/RAW partition, making it more than capable of solving even the most complex data loss scenarios.
Because MiniTool Power Data Recovery has a fairly intuitive graphical user interface, even users with little to no previous data recovery experience can use it to undelete files from lost and deleted partition without struggling to understand how it works.
Pros:
Cons:
Supported file systems: FAT12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5, ext2/3/4, HFS+, ISO9660, Joliet, UDF.
Fix partition table: No.
Price:
For Personal Users:
| Trial version | Recover up to 1 GB data |
| Personal Monthly Subscription | $69.00 |
| Personal Annual Subscription | $89.00 |
| Personal Ultimate | $99.00 |
For Business Users:
| Business Standard | $119.00 |
| Business Deluxe | $199.00 |
| Business Enterprise | $399.00 |
| Business Technician | $499.00 |
Limitations on the free/trial version: The free version can recover only 1 GB of data.
Supported operating systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7.
Hetman Partition Recovery is another known data recovery application that boasts not only file recovery, but entire partition recovery. It boldly claims that it can recover absolutely any type of file from both internal and external drives.
Once you download and open the application, you’ll immediately be presented with a Wizard that guides you through the recovery process. If you’d prefer to handle everything yourself, you can choose to close this and do it yourself.
Added benefits include recovery from virtual hard drives, encryption removal from ransomware, and the option of previewing files before recovery. These features alone help justify the price, but there are other options available that include these features, plus more, for a similar price.
Pros:
Cons:
Supported file systems: FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS+, Ext4/3/2/ReiserFS, XFS/UFS.
Fix partition table: No.
Price:
| Trial version | Only preview |
| Home version | $97.95 |
| Office version | $237.95 |
| Business version | $397.95 |
Limitations on the free/trial version: You can only search for recoverable files, not recover them.
Supported operating systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a popular data recovery application with partition recovery capabilities. You can use it when partitions get lost, deleted, RAW, or become inaccessible. Its modern user interface makes it inviting and intuitive, and its support for more than 1,000 file formats allows you to recover all types of files, including documents, images, videos, audio, emails, and file archives.
Partition recovery with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a matter of three simple steps, and the tool even gives you the option to initiate, pause, or resume a data recovery scanning process at any time, which may come in handy when you need to use your computer to do other things.
Pros:
Cons:
Supported file systems: FAT12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5, ext2/3, HFS+, ReFS.
Fix partition table: No.
Price:
| Free trial | Can recover up to 2GB of data |
| Monthly subscription | $69.95 |
| Annual subscription | $99.95 |
| Lifetime Upgrades | $149.95 |
Limitations on the free/trial version: The free version can recovery 2 GB of data.
Supported operating systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP.
Active Partition Recovery is a freeware tool that allows you to recover lost, deleted, or damaged logical drives and partitions. It features three scanning methods: QuickScan, SuperScan, and Last Chance - each type being deeper than the last.
Its key features include recovery of partitions and disks to a working state, the ability to fix damaged partition tables, and the option to rollback partitioning changes if anything goes wrong.
Active@ has other tools that would work hand-in-hand with Partition Recovery, such as their UNDELETE and File Recovery tools. Instead, each tool requires an independent license, which can drive up the price if you want to use multiple.
Pros:
Cons:
Supported file systems: FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS+, UFS, Ext4/3/2.
Fix partition table: Yes.
Price:
| Free version | Only preview for lost or formatted partitions |
| Standard license | $39.95 |
| Professional license | $49.99 |
| Ultimate license | $69.99 |
Limitations on the free/trial version: The free version only allows you to search for lost or formatted partitions. Recovery is included only with a paid subscription.
Supported operating systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP.
When we tested these tools, we measured them against criteria that we think would directly benefit those who will use it:
| Software Name | Price | Supported File Systems | Latest Update |
| Disk Drill Partition Recovery | $89 lifetime license (Windows + macOS) | FAT/FAT32/exFAT, NTFS, HFS & HFS+, APFS, EXT3/EXT4 and any RAW disk | May 15, 2023 (Version 5.2.817) |
| TestDisk | Free | BeFS, CramFS, FAT12/16/32, FATX, exFAT, HFS, HFS+, HFSX, JFS, btrfs, ext2/3/4, GFS2, LUKS encrypted partition, Linux RAID md 0.9/1.0/1.1/1.2, RAID 1/4/5/6, Linux Swap, LVM, LVM2, NSS, NTFS, ReiserFS 3.5, 3.6 and 4, Sun Solaris i386 disklabel, UFS, UFS2, XFS, SGI's Journaled File System, Wii WBFS, Sun ZFS | July 10, 2019 (Version 7.1) |
| DiskInternals | $139.95 and more | FAT, ReFS, UFS, HFS, NTFS, ReiserFS, APFS(reader mode), RomFS(reader mode), Reiser4, XFS, ext2/3/4 | March 11, 2023 (Version 8.10) |
| MiniTool | $69.00 for monthly subscription | FAT12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5, ext2/3/4, HFS+, ISO9660, Joliet, UDF | March 14, 2023 (Version 11.5) |
| Hetman | $97.95 and more | FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS+, Ext4/3/2/ReiserFS, XFS/UFS | March 30, 2023 (Version 4.7) |
| EaseUS | $69.95 for monthly subscription | FAT12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5, ext2/3, HFS+, ReFS | February 22, 2023 (Version 17.8) |
| Active@ | $39.95 and more | FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS+, UFS, Ext4/3/2 | Febryary 4, 2023 (Version 23) |
Let’s break down each part of the syntax so you’re aware of what it does and how it can help:
To implement the fix, go through these steps below:
When run, it will begin scanning your drive. This can take some time, depending on how much there is to scan. If successful, your corrupted partition should be fixed.
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A RAW partition is a partition without any file system. Sometimes partitions with a NTFS or FAT32 file system can become RAW in the event of sudden power failure, failed formating, or a virus attack. When this happens, the data on that partition will become inaccessible.
Such a partition can be recovered using partition recovery software capable of scanning entire storage devices and not just individual partitions, such as Disk Drill.
In some cases, partitions can be recovered using a command-line tool called diskmgmt.msc:
If you delete your partition, the data will still physically remain on the disk. However, it will be inaccessible, and the hard drive will see that space as free to store new data.
You can recover data from a deleted partition using a partition recovery tool. However, you must begin the recovery process before the data on the deleted partition is overwritten. If data is overwritten, recovery becomes next to impossible without the use of a professional recovery service.
There really is no single “best” disk partition recovery software for the Windows 10 operating system, as it really depends on the features and specifications you’re looking for. Lazesoft Data Recovery, for example, offers a free home edition that doesn’t put a cap on the amount of data you can recover, making it a good option for users who aren’t willing to spend.
But if you’re looking for a data recovery program that excels in performance, includes lots of extra features, and sports a catchy user interface, Disk Drill is the way to go. The best thing to do is install the free version of any data recovery program – assuming it has one – and try it out for yourself.
