This is a review of Puran File Recovery, a free data recovery tool for Windows.
I’m a tech guy who writes software reviews for business users and offered IT training and support for decades. I’ve taken an in-depth look at Puran File Recovery to let you know how much data you can expect to recover for free.
Others have had reasonable success with the application, but I personally found other programs to be easier to use and more successful at recovering data. For personal use, the price is right, but there’s a better free Windows data recovery tool and I’ll recommend it below.
In this Puran File Recovery review, I’ll explore the types of data the application can restore, how long this is likely to take, and weigh up your chance of success. I’ll also list other features that are offered and whether it’s suitable for beginners or advanced users.
Let’s get started.
Contents
Puran File Recovery Overview
Puran File Recovery will scan for and recover deleted and lost files and partitions on Windows computers. It’s free for personal use and can be downloaded from third-party websites like CNET. There’s also a commercial version but the official website currently can’t be accessed to purchase it.
Recovery Features
How is data recovery possible? Deleted files are not removed from your drive but are simply marked as being deleted. The space that data occupies is now available for any new data you create. Recovery can’t be guaranteed because, in time, the data will be overwritten by new files.
Methods of data recovery offered:
- A quick scan of the file system’s directory structure for deleted files
- A deep scan of the free space on a partition for lost files and file fragments no longer listed in the directory structure
- A full scan is a deep scan of the entire drive, not just the free space
- Find lost files scans for lost files and partitions
Supported storage media: Hard drives, pen drives, memory cards, mobile phones, CDs, DVDs, and more.
Disclaimer: It is difficult to recover data from solid-state drives (SSDs). The TRIM technology that increases their efficiency also makes it impossible to recover your files once the trash has been emptied.
Supported file systems: FAT12, 16, or 32 and NTFS, which are the most common formats used on Windows.
Supported file types: Most popular image, music, document, video, archive, and email formats.
Additional Features
Puran File Recovery offers a couple of additional features:
- Sorting and searching the files located to narrow down the results to a more manageable number
- Previewing located files
However, it lacks these features offered by some other recovery applications:
- Pause and resume
- Saving scans for recovery at a later time
- Bootable recovery drive
- Recovery Vault to store deleted files for guaranteed recovery
- Imaging and cloning
- File overwriting (secure delete)
- Defragmentation
- Deleting duplicates and other cleanup features
- SMART monitoring for early warning of failing hard drives
- Mail-in recovery service
User Experience
Puran File Recovery is quick to download and easy to install. While it doesn’t have the same focus on ease of use that other recovery apps do, you’ll likely be able to use the application without referring to the help file.
Performance
Scanning for lost files can be time-consuming. How fast is Puran File Recovery? A quick scan of a 4 GB USB flash drive barely took a second, and a deep scan took seven minutes.
That’s comparable to other data recovery applications. Most of those I tested took between four and eight minutes, and two slow outliers took 14 and 45 minutes.
Effectiveness
Data recovery can never be guaranteed. How successful was Puran File Recovery at recovering data in industry tests?
To find out, I copied a folder containing 10 files (including PDFs, a Word document, and MP3s) to an empty 4 GB USB stick then deleted it. I then scanned the drive using Puran File Recovery and repeated the test with a total of 17 data recovery applications.
Most of the programs successfully recovered all ten test files, but Puran was successful with only two. That result is disappointing, but other reviewers had more success than I did. For example, ThinkMobiles’ test achieved a 92% success rate. [1]
Customer Support
The official website is not currently accessible, so technical support is currently not available, nor can I explore the quality of the documentation and support that is offered.
FAQS
Is Puran File Recovery safe?
Yes, I encountered no problems when using the software, and scanning for lost data will not cause further data loss. However, the official website seems to have been hacked and currently redirects to an online pharmacy store. That doesn’t instill confidence in the product!
Is Puran File Recovery really free?
Yes, it is free for personal use. A license is required for business use, but until the current problems with the website are resolved, obtaining one is difficult or impossible.
Alternatives
If Puran File Recovery isn’t right for you, here are some alternatives I recommend.
Recuva is a better free Windows recovery application from the CCleaner developers. The free version will meet many users’ needs, and the Professional version offers even more features.
EaseUS Data Recovery offers an easy-to-use wizard that will scan your drive quickly for lost files. It’s available for both Windows and Mac.
Stellar Data Recovery is an easy-to-use application with a wide variety of features. It is a reliable and effective application, but its scans can be time-consuming. It’s available on both Windows and Mac.
R-Studio is an advanced tool suitable for data recovery professionals. It’s available for both Windows and Mac.
Final Verdict
As a free tool, Puran File Recovery will appeal to many Windows users. It won’t cause any harm by scanning for your lost files, and you may find success as Thinkmobiles did when testing the application.
But in my experience, you’re more likely to achieve success with an alternative. Recuva Free is superior to Puran File Recovery in effectiveness and ease of use and is my recommendation for Windows users looking for a free data recovery tool.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and Stellar Data Recovery offer an even better chance of recovery and are very easy to use. Consider them if the free apps fail to locate your lost data. Their free trial versions will show you if your data can be restored before you need to pay, so you can make your purchase with confidence.
References
JR
Is it normal for recovered files to lose their filenames and folder structures during recovery? Do any recovery applications restore these? If so, which ones?