"Which is the best data recovery software program?" This is one of the most widely asked questions, and I am going to be straight with you...

After more than 15 years as a file recovery specialist, I have to admit, there really is not one single best data recovery software package, although there are specific tools that are better than others at getting the job done.

My credibilty in saying this: I have written many data recovery and data forensic scripts for Governments and other such entities, and have created what has been considered the overall best data recovery software on the market by most data recovery experts worldwide. But I am the first one to admit that the software I have developed are not the only possible solutions in the data recovery software field. In fact, I have used what you might think as a competitor's software, and in some cases, I think that particular software in that specific situation is the best data recovery software.

My point is this...

It is the collection of all data recovery tools that make up the best data recovery software. Some are better than others in specific areas, but it is difficult to point out one that reigns as the best data recovery software in each category. This goes for UNIX, Linux, Netware, and Macintosh data recovery software as well. Ask yourself the following questions when searching for the best data recovery software (this is not a comprehensive list, but a great starting place):

Q: Will the computer boot to the desktop?

A: The best data recovery software can access many hard drives when the computer fails to boot to the desktop. Not always, but much of the time. First, eliminate other possible problems within the computer (power supply, memory, video card, etc). Next, see if the BIOS will detect the hard drive. If the drive is detected, then it could mean that the hard drive has some issue with the operating system and cannot read the boot files. If the disk cannot be recognized, use must use software that can bypass the BIOS to recover data. If it does not work, then we can say there is a good possibilty that the drive is physically bad, which leads me to my next question.

Q: Does the hard drive make noises?

A: If it is making noises that are unusual, the hard drive is experiencing a mechanical failure; or, at least the beginning of some physical problem. If you're not a technician, stop searching for the best data recovery software, and go to Services to call a professional data recovery company that is relaible. The best data recovery software does address physical errors and extract the data within them - that is how my utilities became recognized worldwide - but they can be very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. Just make sure (ask specifically) that the program does not interact with the BIOS during any phase of the recovery, including the boot process. If you do not understand this terminology, the best data recovery software for you is to let data recovery specialists do the job.

Q: Does the best data recovery software allow you to install it on the problem media, or does it run from a separate drive, CD, or floppy disk?

A: You never want to install the CD data recovery software on the drive you are trying to recover data from. If you have to install the recovery program to a hard drive, make sure it's on another one than the drive with the issue. If you install the recovery program on the media that has the files you are trying to get back, then there is a high probability of not recovering any files. What I am saying is: the best data recovery software requires you use it from another media source other than the one you are trying to recover.

Q: Will the best data recovery software allow you to recover files to a covenient destination like a external USB drive or network drive, or does it require that I dismantle my computer to hook up another internal drive?

A: Although I prefer to recover data over a network, most people need a local destination such as the USB key mentioned above to recover data. The one aspect of the recovery process that keep end-users from trying any file recovery software is that they think that they have to take apart their computer to install another drive - to either install the software or to have a destination to recover data. In most cases this is true, but the best data recovery software can boot and run from a CD, floppy or USB device, and can recover to an external storage device to make the entire process much easier.

Q: What kind of support do the best data recovery software offer?

A: Support is paramount - this is a requirement to be one of the best data recovery software. For most people, especially when it comes to data recovery, you want to make sure there is some level of support. Many companies only offer email support, especially the low end products. This frustrates me to say the least, because three days to answer my question is unacceptable. I would suggest testing this out before using or purchasing this kind of program.

To summarize...

The best data recovery software does not require you to install a secondary internal drive; and it can address the file system and the hard drive when encountering a physical problem; and finally, it would allow you to save the recovered data to a network drive, or a local drive other than the problem disk. For you more experienced users, what type of things do you look for in determining the best data recovery software?