This is a review of R-Studio Data Recovery, a powerful data recovery tool for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
I review useful software for business users and offered IT training and support for several decades. I’ve taken an in-depth look at R-Studio Data Recovery to let you know how likely it is to recover your lost data.
R-Studio Data Recovery is probably the most effective data recovery tool in existence and succeeds when other software fails. It’s more difficult to use, requires some technical knowledge, and doesn’t offer a step-by-step wizard.
In this R-Studio Data 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
R-Studio Data Recovery Overview
R-Studio Data Recovery is an advanced software tool designed for experienced data recovery professionals. It comes with a steep learning curve and is very capable.
There are a confusing number of purchasing options. These ones will meet the needs of most users:
- R-Studio for Windows: $79.99
- R-Studio for Mac: $79.99
- R-Studio for Linux: $79.99
These options support fewer filesystems to save you a little money:
- R-Studio for Windows NTFS: $59.99
- R-Studio for Windows FAT: $49.99
And these options are more advanced:
- R-Studio for Windows Network: $179.99
- R-Studio for Mac Network: $179.99
- R-Studio for Linux Network: $179.99
- R-Studio Technician (Windows, Mac, and Linux): $899.00
Those prices are for a single license, and you can choose the number of licenses you need when purchasing. A free trial will show you if your files can be recovered before paying.
In this review, we will cover R-Studio for Windows and Mac.
Recovery Features
How is data recovery possible? Deleted files are not removed from the directory listing and their data is not removed from your drive. It’s simply marked as deleted and the space used becomes available. Recovery is not guaranteed. In time, as you create new files, both the directory entry and data are likely to be overwritten.
Methods of data recovery offered:
- A quick scan of the directory structure for deleted files
- A deep scan of a partition for lost files and file fragments no longer listed in the directory structure
- Scan an entire drive where no valid file system is found
Supported storage media: Hard drives, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, Compact-Flash cards, USB drives, ZIP drives, Memory Sticks, 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:
- Windows formats: NTFS/NTFS5 with data deduplication, ReFS/ReFS2+/ReFS 3.4 (Windows server)
- Apple formats: APFS (including encryption), HFS+, HFSX, HFS
- Linux formats: Ext2/3/4 FS
- BSD: UFS1, UFS2 and UFS BigEndian
- Generic formats: FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT
- CDs/DVDs/Images: ISO9660
- Tape drives: UStar/Tar/CPIO/Pax (Technician version only)
Supported file types: Most popular image, music, document, video, archive, and email formats.
Additional Features
R-Studio Data Recovery offers a number of additional features:
- Pause and resume
- Saving scans for recovery at a later time
- Sorting and searching the files located
- Previewing located files
- Bootable recovery drive
- Imaging and cloning
- SMART monitoring for early warning of failing hard drives
However, it lacks a few features offered by some other recovery applications:
- Recovery Vault to store deleted files for guaranteed recovery
- File overwriting (secure delete)
- Defragmentation
- Deleting duplicates and other cleanup features
- Mail-in recovery service
User Experience
This software is intended for technical users and experienced data recovery professionals. You won’t find any wizards or step-by-step guidance in the user interface. It is recommended for experienced users only, but I found it easier to use than I expected.
Performance
Scanning for lost files can be time-consuming. How fast is R-Studio Data Recovery? To find out, I copied a folder containing 10 files to an empty 4 GB USB stick then deleted it.
A scan with the Windows version took 4 minutes 47 seconds. That’s very competitive. I ran the same scan with 16 other Windows applications and only two were faster. Almost half the applications took around four or five minutes, and the slowest scans took 14 and 47 minutes. The Mac version of R-Studio also took about four minutes.
Note that larger hard drives may take much longer: many hours, and possibly days.
Effectiveness
Data recovery can never be guaranteed. How successful is R-Studio Data Recovery? In my own test, it was able to recover all ten deleted files, including PDFs, a Word document, and MP3s, and most of its competitors did the same.
But recovering recently-deleted files is relatively easy. R-Studio continues to shine in more difficult data recovery scenarios.
For example, Data Recovery Digest tested seven leading data recovery apps. [1] It gave R-Studio the highest rating in each of these categories:
- Recovering deleted files
- Recovering files from an emptied recycle bin
- Recovering files after a disk reformat
- Recovering a damaged partition
- RAID recovery
It also received the second-highest rating for recovering a deleted partition.
Customer Support
The R-TT Technical Support page [2] offers a FAQ, access to order information, product manuals, and a forum. The support team can be contacted via a web form and phone support is available during ET business hours Monday to Friday.
FAQS
Is R-Studio Data Recovery safe?
Yes, scanning for lost data will not overwrite your existing files, and the software has received highly positive reviews across the tech industry.
Is R-Studio Data Recovery free?
No, but the company does offer three freeware products: R-Undelete Home, R-Photo, and R-Linux. The free trial of R-Studio Data Recovery will scan for your lost data, but you need to pay for a license to recovery it.
Alternatives
If R-Studio Data Recovery isn’t right for you, here are some alternatives I recommend.
Stellar Data Recovery is much easier to use than R-Studio and in many scenarios is just as effective at recovering data. Its scans are much slower, though, and It’s available for both Windows and Mac.
EaseUS Data Recovery offers an easy-to-use wizard and quick scans for lost files. It’s available for both Windows and Mac.
Recuva is Windows-only recovery software from the CCleaner developers. The free version will meet many users’ needs.
Final Verdict
I highly recommend R-Studio Data Recovery if you have some technical computer knowledge and you don’t mind consulting the manual. It’s crammed full of data recovery features, is highly configurable, and is the app most likely to recover your data when others fail.
For most users, however, I recommend you start with an app that’s easier to use. Stellar Data Recovery, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and Recuva Professional all guide you through the recovery process in just a few steps, and are quite effective. If they fail to find your lost files, then give R-Studio a try, possibly with the help of a more technical friend.
References
