Sometimes you may need to access essential data saved on your Linux-operated computer storage, but you may fail repeatedly. The most common reasons for such a problem are virus attack, permanent or accidental removal of files, error messages, etc.
Whatever the reason, such a loss may cause irrecoverable damage to you as it is an instantaneous accident, so you can hardly take precautionary measures. But you can use several Linux data recovery tools to regain your lost data.
Here we have listed the most worthy 15 Linux file recovery tools that you can use without any hesitation to facilitate your re-getting process of files.
Best Linux Data Recovery Utilities
The following list contains a vivid description of features for each Linux data recovery tool. The info shared is 100% authentic, and the tools are specially made for Linux. Thus, you can use any of these to preserve the evidence of your toil.
1. Ddrescue Data Recovery Tool
Ddrescue is GNU license-holder software that you can use free of cost for recovering lost data. This Linux data recovery distro is an expert in rescuing data when read errors happen. To do so, it simply copies a file from a cdrom or hard drive-like device to another external or internal device.
Important features
- Available as a fragment of a recovery/multi-boot distro package or as a single bootable cd.
- Powerful enough to recover data despite all sorts of disk errors and bad sectors.
- Its activity can be stopped and resumed at any time.
- The log file keeps track of advancement and reduces redundant scanning.
- Merges multiple impaired disk or file copies.
2. SafeCopy
It is a Linux file recovery tool to get the maximum amount of data from a spoiled drive. This Linux disk recovery tool uses the C programming language to get a simulator for simulating defective media. The purpose of the simulation is to test SafeCopy, comparing it with identical data recovery tools.
Important features
- Capable of issuing device resets to other low-level instructions.
- Operates its activity in your computer’s background without making it sluggish.
- Available in 16 different languages.
- You can install it on as many computers as you want without being charged.
- A private sharing link option lets you share large files or folders.
Get SafeCopy
3. TestDisk
TestDisk is an open-source data retrieval utility that is completely free. This Linux disk recovery application is mainly intended to help retrieve lost file storage partitions. It can also turn a non-booting disk into a bootable one if a virus attack, human error, or defective software causes any error.
Important features
- You can use TestDisk to gather complete information regarding a corrupted drive.
- The information gathered can also be shared with technicians for additional analysis.
- Compatible with numerous operating systems, including Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, SunOS, etc.
- The Linux partition recovery tool can recognize many disk partitions like the map of the Apple partition and table of GUID partition.
- Can handle corruptions of a specific exact logical filesystem.
4. Redo Backup and Recovery
Redo Backup and Recovery is regarded as the simplest-to-use system retrieval cd. The reason lies in its refined GUI and already widespread operations. The utility is released under GNU GPL3. It is one of the Linux disk recovery tools that is equipped with convenient multitasking features.
Important features
- Lets you access other tools even when some other operations are running background.
- You can get it available for use on a bootable USB or CD.
- It is one of the Linux partition recovery programs that can clone disk partitions with Partclone.
- A web browser, text editor, file manager, and Terminal are available.
5. PhotoRec
PhotoRec belongs to those rare Linux disk recovery applications intended to retrieve missing files comprising documents, archives, and videos from CD-ROMs and hard disks. This open-source multi-platform program is completely free. It is normally allocated under “GNU General Public License.”
Important features
- PhotoRec can restore the pictures lost from the memory of a digital camera.
- When your media file system is severely damaged, functions can discover unseen or unexplored data.
- To ensure further security, the tool utilizes read-only admittance to manage the memory card.
- Can also turn a non-bootable disk into a bootable because of being a companion utility of TestDisk.
6. SystemRescue CD
It is a Linux file recovery program that uses a bootable USB drive or CD-ROM to repair an unbootable or spoiled computer system caused by a system crash. This Linux partition recovery utility provides tools to retrieve data, create and edit partitions, and test Hard-disk. This disk recovery application has many more excellent features, as listed below:
Important features
- Its FSArchiver system tool lets you rescue the materials of a file system to a compacted archive file.
- The tool can boot Memtest86+, FreeDOS, hardware diagnostics, etc.
- Capable of creating a boot disk for many operating systems.
- Owns both archiving and unarchiving abilities.
- Supports Web-browsers such as ELinks, Firefox, and Midori.
7. Avira Rescue System
“ Avira Rescue System” is necessarily a bootable antivirus application that not only scans your system for viruses but also repairs the damaged system. It is also a collection of tools that contain a utility used for writing a bootable CD. You can even download the CD as an ISO folder.
Important features
- It is not dependent on any of the host PCs as this Linux data recovery distro has its personal ‘Linux-based’ operating system.
- You can use it for cleaning an unbootable PC and finding malware.
- The program includes an antivirus program that can look for and remove malware.
- It is often updated, so your operating system is always secured at its best.
8. Knoppix
Knoppix is considered the finest and most used Linux disk recovery utility you can adopt to repair a damaged system. It is an operating system founded on ‘Debian’ and intended to be operated from a live USB or a DVD/live CD. Although it is mainly intended to have functioned as a live CD, you can even install it on a hard disk.
Important features
- Two of the versions are available in German and English language.
- It contains several proprietary software even after consisting of open source and free software.
- You can copy files directly from the hard drives connected to unreachable operating systems.
- Administration and network analysis tools are available.
9. Trinity Rescue Kit
It is a Linux distribution, which is live and cost-free. This Linux data recovery distro intends to recover files and fix the Linux and Windows systems. It has a special feature to allow versatile keyboards and English users to accomplish maintenance and patch-up on a computer. The features range from resetting of a password to the scanning of the virus.
Important features
- The menu interface is simple and easy to use.
- Supports a wide range of hardware.
- Takes updates automatically to ensure the security of your data.
- It can even restore the missing partitions because of being a versatile Linux partition recovery tool.
- Can empty a failing disk.
- Availability of easy script that lets you locate and mount each local file system.
Get Trinity
10. GParted Live
‘GParted Live’ is a small Linux distribution that offers each feature of the up-to-date GParted program. Though the distribution cannot be a long-lasting Linux distribution, you can run it using a bootable CD. The USB stick can also run the Linux data recovery distro for data rescue, recovering spoiled partitions, creating the partition, etc.
Important features
- Ensures 100% data recovery from the missing partitions.
- Can activate and inactivate both boot or concealed partition flags.
- Can generate gpt or msdos like partition tables.
- Expert in creating, moving, copying, resizing, checking, labeling, and deleting partitions.
- Compatible with a wide range of storage devices.
11. Foremost
Foremost is another forensic-based Linux data recovery application that recovers your lost files using data structures, footers, and headers. The method of recovering files is popularly called “file carving.” Though this Linux hard drive recovery utility is written for law enforcement organizations yet, you can use it freely as a regular Linux file recovery tool.
Important features
- Owns the ignoring capability of the core filesystem
- Able to retrieve particular filetypes such as png, jpg, BMP, gif, avi, mpg, exe, wav, wmy, riff, mov, pdf, doc, ole, zip, and many more
- An additional configuration file is available in it that you can use to define extra file types.
- Can be used to retrieve files from the iPhone through a computer
- Can retrieve data from image files as well
12. Scalpel
This excellent file carver tool is primarily founded on Foremost and aims at being prudent in its process. The Linux data recovery distro makes the best use of asynchronous output/input and multi-threading to search from end-to-end images effectively.
Important features
- Able to sort out various dissimilar file types.
- Can carve disks irrespective of their formation with a certain filesystem.
- The Linux hard drive recovery program provides you with the capability of specifying the figure of headers and footers.
13. grep
grep is an amazing command-line program that searches for “plain-text data sets” for lines, which counterpart a typical expression. Its name has been derived from the ed command “g/re/p.” Though this fabulous Linux hard drive recovery utility was initially advanced for the Unix system, it is currently accessible via all Unix-like systems.
Important features
- Powerful enough to locate and recover missing data from a disk image or block device.
- Can discover excessive lines.
- Produces binary files as output with quite human readability.
- It forces you to find out the required data manually.
14. Ultimate Boot CD
“Ultimate Boot CD” is a bootable set of the top freeware programs for any Linux data recovery task. The tool has been patched together for more than 15 years. With this Linux hard drive recovery application, you can properly figure out where the problem lies and thus get your things back to proper condition.
Important features
- Easily runnable from USB.
- Capable of performing multiple tasks, including cloning from failing disks and examining distinct hardware elements.
- Works perfectly for excessively aged hardware.
- Automatically gets updated frequently to offer you the best service.
- It has authority over HDD, BIOS, CPU, System, Memory, Peripherals, and many more.
15. Mondo Rescue
Mondo is another great Linux hard drive recovery utility that is free and trustworthy. Many large and tiny companies, blue-chip enterprises, and around 10 thousand users use this fabulous program extensively. You can run it on all the foremost Linux distributions.
Important features
- Verifies the reliability of any computer.
- Restores files and amend “/etc/lilo.conf” and “/etc/fstab” maintaining sequence.
- Reorganizes partitions before formatting and partitioning the drives.
- RAID, LVM, ext2, JFS, ext3, ReiserFS, VFAT, XFS, and many other additional file systems are easily supported by Mondo.
- It can back up a system operated on a particular format and retrieve it as another.
Concluding Words
In the end, we hope that you have gone through each of the Linux file recovery tools and understood the reason for our choosing these. We think the Linux partition recovery utilities discussed can bring you out of the depression caused by losing your precious files. This is where our toil of writing for you will get fulfillment.
Finally, we humbly request you to share this article to help others save their data. Also, leave a comment below, letting us know your opinion regarding our writing and information.
Power cut off and Gmail refuses me re-entry because I changed my phone # and failed to register? When I used Microsoft I tried a return to an earlier date and I wish I could do this with Linux? Can anyone help with simple directions to retrieve my Linux date to an earlier date? I’m npn-tech!
Hello! sorry, how to launch ddrescue and safecopy?
I installed them both but I cannot find a way to run them.
If I open the graphical menu and search, they do not come up. If I try via cmd line I am not able to run them, I tried several commands and in different paths, but nothing works.
Could you please help me here? I use Fedora.
Thanks a mil in advance
Hi
Which of these softwares be useful to recover a hard drive that has a gouged groove in the FAT sector, closest to center, where it’s head broken.
I have a second drive identicle and want to switch platters to pull all data from the platters to a 2 TB hd. I want to do this imeadeatly after noting that is is operational to recover the data just incase the platter dies or damages the head of the new drive!
I can be reached at kb8qeu@gmail.com. It is fairly secure, but stil prefer POP2 or 3 methodology.
I am desperate to recover a lot of personal and engineering data. BTW it is a 250 GB HD.
TTFN
Seven Three
Ed – KB8QEU