Complete Review of Microsoft Windows File Recovery Tool | Limitations and Alternatives

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Did you know Microsoft had its own data recovery utility called Microsoft Windows file recovery? In this article, we will find out if that tool is any good. However, if you have already tried recovering lost data, but it did not yield effective results. It is recommended you switch to a specialized file recovery tool like Remo Recover.
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What is Microsoft Windows Recovery Tool?

Windows Recovery Tool is a free data recovery utility by Microsoft. Originally released in 2020 for Windows 10 19047 and other newer versions.

The tool is designed to recover deleted, lost, missing, or even formatted data from any computer or laptop running on Windows 10 and Windows 11. 

Let’s find out if that is true.

Still, using Windows 10 in 2023? Then we suggest you go through this article to find out how to upgrade to Windows 11 for free.

Can Microsoft Windows Recovery Tool Help You Get Back Files?

So here we have tried and tested the tool and here’s the final review. 

How To Use Microsoft Recovery Tool To Recover Files on Windows?

Follow the below-mentioned steps carefully to recover deleted files from Windows 10/11:

  • Type Windows File Recovery Software in the Search bar and double-click on the software
  • You will be prompted with a question asking, Allow the app to make changes to your device, click on Yes
  • The format of the command to recover files is like this
    winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/switches] where source drive is the drive from which you want to recover drive and destination drive is where you save the recovered data. “/” to specify the modes of recovery.

Regular Mode:

If you are looking to recover recently deleted files then you can use Regular mode with the following command to specify any file type and recover it:

  • Winfr C: E: /regular /n *.MOV /n *.PNG
  • Enter Y to confirm and start the recovery process.

Extensive Mode:

You can make use of this Extensive Mode when you are looking to recover data from a formatted or corrupted disk.

For example, you can use the following command to recover photos from a formatted hard drive

Winfr C: E: /extensive /n \Users\<username>\Pictures\*.JPEG /n \Users\<username>\Pictures\*.PSD

Similarly, you can use the above commands by changing file formats or specifying filenames.

Why is Windows Recovery Software Not the Best Bet When it Comes to File Recovery?

As they say, “All good things also come with a few flaws”. Microsoft’s File Recovery tool is also a mixed blessing for Windows users. 

  1. The tool was a command line utility. Most of the specialized data recovery tools come with a graphical interface. Which are designed to make the data recovery process simple.
  1. One of the biggest drawbacks of the tool is the user needs to follow certain commands to utilize the tool.
  1. Even though it is a free tool, you can try other thoughtfully designed and well-built tools or freeware that can assist you in recovering files without paying anything.
  1. Not all files are recovered. Enough though the tool claims to recover almost all files from various storage devices. But the tool has failed to recover most of the files. Mind you, this happens in some cases.
  1. Compatibility is one of the most hated issues.  As discussed earlier the tool works only with Windows 10 and Windows 11. The users of other older versions need to try other solutions to get back deleted or lost files.
  1. The data recovery process takes much longer time when compared to other data recovery solutions.
windows file recovery tool user experience on reddit
Source: Reddit

What Are The Other Alternatives To Microsoft File Recovery Tool?

If you don’t want to spend money to get back your crucial files. Then we suggest you try other tools that are available for free.

Tools like PhotoRec, TestDisk, Freeundelete, Kickass undelete, FreeRecover, Scrounge NTFS, etc. are all open-source file recovery tools that can help you recover deleted files.

All of these tools come with a few drawbacks. That’s why the experts recommend you utilize any good data recovery tool.

Recovering Files Using the Microsoft Windows File Recovery Tool looks a Bit Complicated, isn't it?

Here is an Easy Alternative to Perform Deleted Windows File Recovery.

As we mentioned earlier, this Windows File Recovery Software is not everyone's cup of tea.

Hence, we recommend a tool that puts you first and takes pride in helping you get back your data with minimal effort.

That's why we have built Remo File Recovery Tool

Why Remo Recover is The First Choice When it Comes To File Recovery?

Remo Recover is an absolutely free-to-use at the same time extremely reliable data recovery tool when it comes to recovering files on Windows.

The tool is tried, tested, and recommended by hundreds of thousands of Windows users as well as Tech experts across the globe.

Remo Recover Review by Robots.net

Remo is designed to work when all other data recovery solutions have failed to bring back your vital files and folders.

The tool is ingrained with our most advanced search algorithms that can easily identify and recover more than 500 types of files effortlessly.

On top of that, Remo Recover comes with 24/7 tech support to assist you in the file recovery process.

Download and try the tool for free now!!!

Conclusion:

Here we end our article on Windows File Recovery Tool. where we talked about the tool and shared our experience using it. 

However, if you have already tried recovering lost data using the Windows File Recovery utility but it did not yield effective results. It is recommended you switch to a powerful file recovery software like Remo Recover.

Do let us know in the comment section below what was your experience with the tool.

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John Harris

Senior Editor, Content Analyst and a fan of exceptional customer service. John develops and publishes instructional and informational content regarding partition management, Windows hot-fixes, data management and computer troubleshooting.

As a tenured data recovery specialist, John shares exceptional insights and blog posts about data loss and data recovery across any storage device. With 8+ years’ experience in writing for Data Recovery for both Mac OS and Windows OS computers, he is an avid learner who always wants to polish and simplify the data recovery process. John passes his free time playing Chess and reading Science Fiction novels.

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