GetDataBack Review: Does It Really Work?
Losing precious data can be a nightmare. Whether you accidentally delete critical files, suffer a hard drive crash, or encounter any other catastrophic data loss event, the stress and potential impact on your work or personal life can be significant. In such moments of crisis, having a reliable data recovery tool is not just helpful—it's essential.
GetDataBack is such a tool for retrieving lost data. This review will dissect its features, assess user-friendliness, and evaluate its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Introduction
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Overview of GetDataBack
GetDataBack, from the renowned software developer Runtime, is designed to recover data from hard drive and other storage devices that have suffered from data corruption. It specializes in safe and thorough detection and recovery, whether from a partition table, boot record, or FAT/MFT.
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History and Development
Having been in the field for over 20 years, GetDataBack boasts a legacy that reflects continuous improvement and adaptation to the evolving challenges of data recovery.
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Core Purpose and Target Audience
The software caters to a wide user base, from individuals needing to salvage a few photos to IT professionals recovering complex databases. Its robust features and straightforward interface aim to serve a broad range of users, regardless of their technical acumen.
Key Features and Specifications
Here, we'll explore the features that set GetDataBack apart, including:
1. Key Features
- Wide File System Support
- GetDataBack Pro supports many file systems, including Windows NTFS, FAT, exFAT, Apple HFS+, APFS, and Linux EXT.
- Comprehensive Recovery Options
- Beyond simple undelete functions or system restores, GetDataBack Pro offers powerful data recovery capabilities for complex scenarios such as drive corruption, partition loss, or severe physical damage.
- Versatility in Data Recovery
- Whether dealing with lost documents, photos, music files, or entire directories, GetDataBack has you covered. It can recover deleted files from a thumb drive, HDD/SSD, USB drive, memory card, and more.
2. Specifications
- Latest Version
- As of the newest update, GetDataBack Pro is at version 5.65, ensuring compatibility with the latest storage technologies and operating systems.
- Licensing
- The software requires a license key for activation, which can be obtained through official channels after purchase.
- Free Version Availability
- Although GetDataBack offers a free version for download, you can only preview files you have found. To save them, you must upgrade to the Pro version.
Installation and Setup
A simple installation process can significantly impact the user's initial experience with any software. Here, we'll cover the system requirements to run GetDataBack, the installation steps, and more.
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System Requirements
Using GetDataBack requires at least 4GB of RAW, and your system is Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11, and Server 2008-2022.
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Step-by-Step Installation Guide
Installation of GetDataBack is as straightforward as it comes, with a guided process and familiar UI prompts.
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Initial Setup and Configurations
The initial interface of GetDataBack is also very simple. After booting, you can see a list of your hard drives and images. You only need to click on the corresponding one to start data recovery. As for the settings, although there are many options for ordinary users, the default ones can meet your needs.
How To Use GetDataBack
Although the interface of GetDataBack is very simple, many users still have confusion when using it. Next, we will parse it step by step and provide a basis for testing its effectiveness.
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Download and Install GetDataBack
Visit the official Runtime Software website to download the latest version of GetDataBack. To prevent overwriting data, do not install it on the drive from which you need to recover data.
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Connect Your Storage Device
If you're recovering data from an external device (like a flash drive or SD card), ensure it's correctly connected to your computer.
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Launch GetDataBack
Open GetDataBack from your desktop or Start Menu. If prompted, allow administrative privileges. This is necessary for the software to perform deep scans of your drives.
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Select The Disk
GetDataBack will display a list of available drives, including hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, etc. Click the disk from which you want to recover data.
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Click a Specific Volume
On the left side of the page, click which volume the data was lost from to perform data extraction again.
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Preview and Select Files for Recovery
After the scan, go to the target where the file disappeared to check if it reappears. Usually, GetDataBack will use "
XXX.png" to mark them out. Then, select it and click "File > Preview" on the top menu to inspect the contents. -
Recover and Save Your Data
After confirming the target file, click "File > Copy" on the top menu and choose a safe location to save the recovered data. To avoid data overwriting, do not save the files back to the same drive from which they were recovered.
Tip: If no lost files are found, click the "Level ★" at the bottom to choose different modes to find more data.
Although GetDataBack looks simple, it has the following shortcomings during use:
- After the scan is completed, the initial page only shows existing files, which may give the false impression that the lost data was not found.
- The button to save recoverable files is hidden too deep and named generically, making it difficult to figure out.
Performance and Recovery Success Rate
Tests in real-world data loss scenarios are reviewed to quantify GetDataBack's effectiveness. The result is as follows:
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Scan Speed
Our analysis gauged GetDataBack's performance against industry benchmarks and competing software solutions. Speedy recoveries without compromising thoroughness can be a deciding factor for users with tight schedules. Its scanning speed is better than that of most similar tools.
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Data Recovery Success Rate
Like any data recovery software, the success rate with GetDataBack can vary significantly depending on several factors. In our tests, GetDataBack's success rate for accidental deletions was on the same level as its competitors, but it was far inferior for other scenarios. Therefore, the lack of repair options results in the files it finds being corrupted, especially video files.
Price
- Cost
- GetDataBack Full is priced at $79.
- License Type
- This price grants you a lifetime license for the software.
Technical Support
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- A dedicated FAQ section is available, addressing common questions about the GetDataBack Data Recovery Software, which can provide quick solutions to typical issues or concerns users may have.
- Online Documentation
- Users can access extensive documentation on Runtime Software's website, including a help file for GetDataBack Pro, FAQs, how-to guides, and more.
- Phone and Email Support
- Runtime Software provides technical support through phone and email, available five days a week. This ensures that users can contact the support team during business hours for assistance with any issues they might encounter.
Ratings and Reviews
Media and user reviews are also helpful in measuring a program's effectiveness. Here are some reviews of GetDataBack:
- TechRadar
- GetDataBack Pro is a decent option for hard drive data recovery on Windows, emphasizing its fast performance and compatibility with various partitioned drives.
- Fonedog
- It emphasizes GetDataBack's safety, assuring users that the software poses no threat to desktops or hard drives during recovery. This reassurance is crucial for users concerned about potential software-related risks to their devices.
- Trustpilot
- Getdataback has a 4-star rating on Trustpilot based on seven reviews. This relatively high rating indicates general customer satisfaction, though the small number of reviews suggests limited feedback.
- Some users question its efficacy despite it being highly recommended by experts in the data recovery community. This discrepancy suggests that GetDataBack may perform significantly differently under different data loss scenarios.
While GetDataBack Pro is recognized for its capabilities in recovering data, the negative reviews and critiques highlight essential considerations. However, potential users must consider these mixed reviews alongside the positive ones and possibly test the software through demos (where available) before making a purchase decision.
Pros and Cons
In evaluating GetDataBack, we'll examine its advantages and potential shortcomings that might influence users' decision to adopt it for their data recovery needs.
Advantages:
- Its scanning speed is fast compared to its competitors.
- It provides 4 scanning modes to scan your drive more thoroughly.
- The software operates in a read-only mode during recovery, ensuring no risk of overwriting data on the storage device being scanned.
- Users can preview recoverable files before proceeding with the recovery, providing an opportunity to verify the data before committing to recovery.
Cons:
- Although the interface looks simple, it will be regrettable during use.
- The overall data recovery success rate is not ideal.
- There is no repair option, especially for video files which are difficult to restore correctly.
- It has no filtering options and only runs on Windows.
- Although GetDataBack offers a powerful set of features, the cost is still prohibitive, especially when compared to free or cheaper alternatives on the market.
A Possible Alternative
It's always good to know your options. Although the overall performance of GetDataBack is good, the recovery success rate, ease of use, repair options, and pricing in specific scenarios are still not as good as those of similar software such as iBeesoft Data Recovery. Here are some of the key features that make it a notable choice in the realm of data recovery solutions:
Best Windows or Mac Data Recovery Software
- Comprehensive recovery capabilities, regardless of accidental deletion, formatting, volume loss, drive inaccessibility, etc. Its performance is at the top level.
- Apart from data recovery, it has built-in repair options to handle files damaged during loss.
- It is not only Windows and macOS versions of this software that can save recovered files for free.
- The software has an intuitive interface that is easy for anyone.
iBeesoft Data Recovery stands out for its comprehensive recovery options, user-friendly interface, and wide compatibility with various file types and storage devices. Its ability to tackle different data loss scenarios and repair damaged files makes it a solid choice for recovering important data.
Conclusion
GetDataBack stands as a beacon of hope for those caught in the unfortunate reality of data loss. However, as with any tool, it's only as good as the hands using it. It's a good choice for simple data loss situations but needs improvement for complex scenarios. Remember, data recovery can be a delicate operation, and there's no substitute for caution and timely action.
FAQs
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Absolutely. One of GetDataBack's primary features is recovering files that have been deleted either by accident or through intentional deletion. The software can locate and restore these 'lost' files, provided the data clusters they occupied have not yet been overwritten.
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GetDataBack's format recovery capabilities could be improved compared with deleted file recovery from Windows 11, 10, and 7. But it's still worth trying.
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If a drive is not visible in Windows Explorer, it could be due to a hardware issue or file system damage. GetDataBack doesn't rely on Windows Explorer to detect drives and can typically handle such scenarios, effectively retrieving data from these 'invisible' drives.
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GetDataBack is primarily a Windows-based software, meaning its native version is not designed to run on a Mac. However, you can run a Windows virtual machine or use a Windows emulator if needed. If you wish for an easier way to recover deleted files from a Mac, then you can try iBeesoft Data Recovery.
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The time it takes to scan a hard drive depends on several factors, such as the drive's capacity, read speed, interface (SATA, USB, etc.), and the amount of data on the drive. A typical hard drive scan can take a few minutes to several hours.
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GetDataBack can recover nearly all types of files. The software can identify and restore many file types, including photos, videos, documents, archives, and executable files.
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Yes, GetDataBack is proficient in RAID recovery. It supports both standard and complex RAID configurations, with the ability to reconstruct the RAID parameters and recover data from failed RAID arrays.