Have you lost essential files while moving them from one location to another or accidentally deleted them during the process? Have you lost data while formatting your external storage device after malware corrupted it? Don't fret even if you don't have a backup.

With third-party data recovery tools, you can restore your data in just a few clicks. Although hundreds of such applications are available, we will look at three of the best.

1. Disk Drill Data Recovery Software

Using the Disk Drill data recovery software, you can recover data on almost any device you own, including hard drives, disk drives, and portable storage devices like a USB flash drive and SD card.

You can recover data up to 500 MB for free, but you may need to upgrade to its premium plan if your data is more extensive than this. Check out the Disk Drill product listing page on the cleverfiles website to learn more about the pricing and features offered in the paid plans.

Follow the steps below to recover the lost data using Disk Drill data recovery software in Windows:

  1. Visit the Cleverfiles website to download the Disk Drill data recovery software.
  2. Install the application with administrative privileges.
  3. Open the application and choose the disk from which you lost the data.
  4. In the right-sidebar, select All recovery methods from the drop-down.
  5. In the bottom-right corner of the window, click on Search for lost data.
    Disk Drill Interface to Select and Scan the Drive
  6. Let the tool scan the lost files, and the time it will take depends on the amount of data on the drive you are scanning.
  7. Upon completion of the scan, the tool will display a list of all files that it has found.
  8. Click on the Review found items button in the top-right corner of the tool to preview the items that have been found.
    Disk Drill Software Scanning the Lost Data in Drive in Windows
  9. Locate the lost files from the data, browse different categories to find them, or simply search the file name (if you remember) in the search bar in the top-right corner.
  10. Once you locate the files you wish to recover, check the boxes left of each and click Recover.
    Recovering the Lost Data in Disk Drill Software
  11. Next, you need to choose a location for storing these files and click OK.

That's it. Once the process has been completed, you should see the lost files in the saved location. Visit the clever files website for more information on what Disk Drill can do for you.

Download: Disk Drill Data Recovery Software for Windows (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

EaseUS data recovery wizard is a renowned data recovery software that allows you to recover lost data up to 2GB without spending a dime. If your lost data is more massive than that, you'll have to pay. You can compare the different pricing options for the premium plan on the product page of the EaseUS website.

The EaseUS data recovery wizard works with virtually all storage devices and operating systems, so no matter how or from which device you lost your data, it will likely be recovered.

Follow the steps below to recover deleted files using the EaseUS data recovery wizard:

  1. Start by downloading the EaseUS data recovery wizard from the EaseUS website and then install it.
  2. Select the drive where the lost data was stored, hover your mouse pointer over it, and click Scan.
    About to Scan the Disk Drive in the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
  3. Upon completing the scan, EaseUS will show you a list of all lost data files in your selected drive.
  4. The missing file can be filtered by searching for their name in the search bar in the top-right corner, or you can use readily available filters such as date modified, file type, and many others to locate them.
  5. Once you have located all the files, check the boxes left to them and click the Recover button.
    Recovering the Deleted Data Using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
  6. Choose the location where you want to save the recovered files, but make sure you do not pick the same drive you just scanned.

Follow the above steps, go to the location you specified in the tool to save your files, and find recovered data there.

If that didn't work, you could try the other tools listed below, but before you do that, check our guide on different ways you can restore deleted files in Windows. This guide could assist you in recovering the data without using third-party programs.

Download: EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Windows (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Recuva

Recuva is yet another easy-to-use data recovery software. From files lost in your recycle bin to data on your external drives, Recuva can help you recover them all. Furthermore, since it supports most formats, you should not have difficulty recovering commonly used files.

Even if your drive has been damaged, or you've had to format it to access it, Recuva will still work. Furthermore, with Recuva's deep scan option, the tool will recover the files even if it only finds a small portion of them.

To recover lost or deleted files using Recuva, follow these steps:

  1. Visit CCleaner's official website to download Recuva.
  2. Install the software on your computer.
  3. Launch the Recuva tool and click Next.
  4. Then either select the type of file you want to recover or check the circle for All Files. After that, click Next.
    Selecting the File Type We Intend to Recover Using Recuva Software
  5. Check the circle for In a specific location, click on Browse, and select the drive or exact folder from which the files were lost. If you're not sure, check the circle left of the first option; I'm not sure. After that, click the Next button.
    Selecting the Location From Where the Files Were Lost in Recuva Software
  6. To run the scan, click Start.

If the scan fails to locate any files, repeat steps three through five. Afterward, ensure that the Enable Deep Scan box is checked before pressing the Start button. Although a deep scan may take some time, it has a greater chance of finding the lost files.

Checking the Box for Enable Deep Scan to Run a Deep Scan in Recuva Software

After the scan is complete, check the boxes for files you want to recover, hit Recover, specify the destination folder, and click OK. The recovered files should be accessible after the recovery process is complete.

Those who haven't had success while recovering lost data with the third-party software can use Windows built-in tools to recover the lost files.

Download: Recuva for Windows (Free, in-app purchases available)

Leverage Third-Party Tools to Recover Your Lost Data

With the tools covered above, you can quickly recover your lost data. Although their free plans would be sufficient to recover files on an individual PC, consider investing in their premium package to recover data on a larger scale and enjoy the most benefits.

Whether you recover data from an external drive or find it on a main hard drive partition, you should always use a separate partition or storage device to recover the lost files. By doing so, you can be sure no data gets overwritten that could cause further damage.