Comparative Analysis of Data Recovery Tools

PROJECT REPORT
Submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of degree of
M.Sc. ITIMS & Cyber Security
(5 Year Integrated course)
by
Abhay Jitendra Chhaya

Enrolment number: 201818100050

Under the guidance of

MR. GIRISH VIDHANI

GUJARAT UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMATION,
IT IMS & MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Batch 2018-2023
 GUJARAT UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMATION,
IT IMS & MOBILE APPLICATIONS

Certificate
Enrolment No:201818100050

This is to certify that Mr. ABHAY JITENDRA CHHAYA student of M.Sc.

IT IMS and CS (Integrated) Semester – 7, has duly completed his/her Term
Work for the semester ending in December-2021, in the subject of Project
towards partial fulfillment of his Degree of Master program.

Date of Submission 18/12/2021 Mentor (s)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is pleasured to take this opportunity to thank all those who helped me
directly or indirectly in our research work. I would like to express my sincere
thanks to internal guide MR. GIRISH VIDHANI , Department of Animation,
ITIMS & Mobile Applications for their valuable help during the work of this
thesis. Their suggestions were always there whenever it is needed. His wide
knowledge and his logical way of thinking have been great value for me.

Abhay Jitendra Chhaya

201818100050

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 ABSTRACT
Data Recovery is the process of retrieving data from damaged, failed or corrupted storage.
There are so many number of data forensic tools used for forensic data recovery. All this
tools are used for recovering the different types of data based upon the functionality of the
tool used. we can retrieve or recover the lost data from different sources such as external or
internal devices. This paper mainly focuses upon the comparison or analysis of all this
different data recovery tools based upon the features of the tools.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement 3

Abstract 4

List of Figures 7

List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………….7

CHAPTER:1 INTRODUCTION & PROBLEM SUMMARY

1.1 Inner Text 8

1.2 Inner Text 9

1.3 Inner Text 9

CHAPTER:2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

2.1 Inner Text 10

CHAPTERS: BIBLOGRAPHY

REFERENCES 23

5
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIG: 1.1 Inner text 10

6
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.1 Inner text 10

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 CHAPTER :1

INTRODUCTION &
PROBLEM SUMMARY
IMPORTANCE OF DATA
Every individual or business has crucial data and they can’t afford to lose, but unwanted disasters can affect
the data of their computer. Unfortunately, more than 50% of both medium and small businesses do not use
the right back up, and also not aware of the danger. That’s why a reliable data backup is important.

PROBLEM SUMMARY
Forensic data recovery tools are used by hundreds of digital forensic professionals around the world. The
functionality of this forensic data recovery tools varies, although several features appear to be provided
consistently, including hard disk image preparation and storage, data hashing of entire disk images or
individual, disk image mounting and filesystem reconstruction.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The main aim of this research is to comparatively analyse some different widely used data recovery tools
aiming directly at its features to better understand the need and working of these tools .

PROBLEM SPECIFICATION

What is Data Recovery?

Data recovery is a process of recovering or restoring the salvaged data from any type of damaged or
corrupted storage media when it becomes inaccessible. The recovery process becomes very crucial
whenever our data become corrupted or damaged and due to this we cannot access our data.

Sometimes data retrieval process is also required when our data has been accidentally deleted from the
storage media. There are several causes due to which we can lose our data and require data recovery. Some
of the most common causes are mentioned below:

Causes of Data Loss

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There are various reasons behind data loss such as virus or malware attacks, damaged/corrupted files,
unexpected system shutdown, unrecognized format, natural disasters, theft and etc.

1. Physical Damage
● The breaking of magnetic tapes
● Scratching off of the dye layer of the metallic substrate of CD/DVDs
● Mechanical failures of hard disks such as motor failure or head crash
● Electrical failure
2. Logical Damage
● Virus or Malware attacks.
● Damaged/corrupted files.
● Overwritten data.
● Corrupt software, etc.

Data recovery services are of Two Types

1. Data is available but cannot be accessed: It means the data is still available in your storage device
you cannot access it. The primary reason for this situation is corruption. Whenever our computer
data gets corrupt, it becomes inaccessible. In such a critical situation, you have only one solution:
data recovery.
2. Data is not available: It means the data is not available at the location due to accidentally deletion. It
becomes very important to recover our data before it gets overwritten.

Provider of data recovery services ensures the recovery of lost data which was damaged from any of the
reason without back-up, but it should be present in fragments inside the data storage devices otherwise, it is
impossible to recover data again.

Generally, data recovery is performed or executed by some third-party data recovery applications. A data
recovery application is designed to recover maximum possible data from the storage media.

Introduction about the Project

we are going to compare the following data forensic and data recovery tools.
• Photorec
• Disk Drill

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• Stellar data recovery
• Recuva
• EaseUS data recovery wizard
• Undelete my files PRO
• Hetman
• Recover it
• Do your data
•Puran file recovery

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 CHAPTER 2 : KNOWING
THE TOOLS
A. Photo Rec
Photo rec data recovery tool is a recovery tool which is available for all the operating systems. It is a free
data recovery tool that can be used to recover the recover the deleted data in 300 different file formats. It is
designed to repair the lost or the damaged data. The interface of this tool is not user friendly for all the users
so the user must know the basic of command line software to use this tool. It is quite powerful data recovery
tool as compared to others recovery tools.
Features:
• It is an open-source data recovery software which can be used to recover 300 file types including photo,
video, text files, documents and archives from the hard disk. It is based on a simple but powerful interface. It
is GNU general public license which is free in which the user of the software is free to perform operations
like run, study, share and modify.
Pros:
• we can recover almost every kind of data that has been lost.
• we can also recover the lost partitions.
cons:
• We cannot recover the data that can be recovered using very deep scan technique
• It does not feature GUI ( graphical user interface)
B. Disk drill
Disk drill is a free data recovery tool. Disk drill is designed to recover the data from both external and
internal storage devices including the local hard disk, USB, SD cards etc. we can only recover upto 500 MB
of data by using the free version and for the further recovery we need to purchase the paid version to recover
the lost data. This tool also offers backup drive, data protection and fast scanning option. We can recover
almost all commonly used files system. This tool is very different from others as it offers data loss
prevention capabilities. It is very well known for hard-disk recovery.
Pros:
• It have extra features other than just recovering is that it has backup drive and data protection feature
• The recovered files are filtered on the basis of data size
• Provides support for several file system.
• The files recovered are in sorted form based on file type.
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Cons:
• It takes more time for scanning as compared to other softwares
• Sometimes it ends up recovering the files partially and not all the files
C. stellar Data recovery tool
Stellar data recovery has 3 different version that is professional premium and technician which have
different functionality for all three. Stellar Data Recovery can be used to recover photo, USB, and hard drive
recovery. The application is recommended to beginners and non-technical users because of its easy-to-use,
intuitive user interface. . The program can run on Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7, Vista, XP, and macOS Ease of Use.
This is an excellent disk recovery software that is recommended for recovering data lost in real-life
situations. With Stellar Data Recovery, you can restore data that has been lost from corrupted or damaged
hard disks.
Features:
• Recovers all file types including documents, emails, photos, videos and more
• Recovers the data lost due to deletion, drive corruption, or deleted partition
• Recovers data from all storage devices like HDD, SSD, SD Card etc.
• Inbuilt feature of Drive Monitoring, Disk imaging and Cloning
. • Creates Bootable USB Data Recovery Media For Crashed Systems Facilitates data recovery from
BitLocker encrypted storage devices
Pros:
• Simple and Great user interface
• Easy to use
• Recovers a huge amount of data
• High quality data recovery
Cons:
• Very much time consuming for performing deep scan.
D. Recuva
Recuva is an data recovery tool. Recuva is another top name in the free data recovery software. owned and
Created by Piriform, Recuva can recover permanently deleted files, which have been marked as free space
by the operating system. This software can work on hard drives, USB flash drives, memory cards, MP3
players, and other storage devices supported by FAT and NTFS file systems.The portable version does not
risk the possibility of overwriting the data still on a hard drive. If you have accidentally lost files from your
hard disk, Piriform Recuva software is widely recommended for you to use in getting back those files.
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Features:
• Easy-to-use wizard.
• Portable and Virtual hard drive support.
• Automatic updates
• Premium support
• Recover up to 3TB drives.
• Preview files
• 7Overwrite deleted files for security reasons using Gutmann, NSA, Secure Erase, and DoD 5220.22-M
methods.
Pros:
• There’s a lot to like about Recuva. It comes in both installable and portable versions. It contains a simple
wizard and advanced options, and it supports a wide range of Windows operating systems.
• It uses a light system to denote whether the recovery is available or not
. • It has a feature to wipe out your files securely that you actually want gone.
Cons:
• No free trial.
• No option to toggle back normal view from the advanced view.
• Online help file
• macOS/Linux not supported.
• The download page is a little confusing, and the installer might try to add other programs to your
computer.
• The wizard controls all the actions.
• Only previews image files.
E. EaseUS Data Recovery wizard
EaseUS is the data recovery tool used to recover the lost data in case if the operating system fails to load or
the operating system gets corrupt. In case if the operating system fails to boot this software can be used to
easily recover the common file types present in the system or the computer.
Features:
• Recovers the files from any devices such as USB drive , computer system, Laptop, etc.
• Recovers the data lost due to system crash or accidental file deletion or file loss due to virus attack.
• it supports all file types such as NTFS,Ext2-3-4 file system.
Pros:
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• This tool is user friendly
• 2-GB of data can be recovered using the free version of the tool
• there is a function for previewing the data before recovering it
• it is available for both MAC OS and Windows machine
Cons:
• the process of recovering is very time consuming.
• this software has 4 variants in which each variant is used for different file types and this makes it quite
complex compared to other tools
• Data larger than 2 GB can be previewed but can not be recovered using free version.
F. Undelete my files PRO
Undelete my file PRO is the data recovery tool created by seriousbit technologies. Undelete my files PRO is
the professional tool which can be used to recover the deleted file from the external digital storage devices.
This software can be used to recover the accidentally deleted files from any of the external media or devices.
Features:
• It has various features that can be helpful in the data recovery process. this features includes file rescue,
media recovery, mail rescue and many more
• It can easily recover the mail using the mail rescue funtion.
• It can easily recover media files using media recovery .
Pros:
• It supports various file types.
• We can recover data from internal hard drive and removable devices.
• We can perform deep scanning for file recovery even in the free version.
Cons:
• This software is only available for windows OS.
• The process of deep scanning is very slow as compared to other software.
• Recovery of damaged file is not possible.
• Recovery of data from the inaccessible hard drives is not possible.
G. Hetman
Hetman is the data recovery tool developed by the Hetman software. This tool is used for recovering the
files that had been deleted mistakenly deleted or removed from the hard drive. It has been developed in such
a way that we can recover the files from the damaged as well as working partition of the hard drive which is
not damaged.
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Features:
• It supports NTFS and FAT windows file types.
• File name and the attribute of the file is shown in the preview function
• It supports recovery of all file types such as ZIP file, encrypted files and normal files.
Pros:
• The graphical user interface of the software is very userfriendly.
• It supports recovery for both internal and external devices.
• The step for recovery of the data is very simple and easy.
Cons:
• This software is only available for windows OS.
• we can not recover the data from the bootable device if the OS is not present on that device
• The process for recovery and the scanning is very slow compared to other recovery tools.
H. Recover it
Recover it is the data recovery tool which has been developed by the Wonder share. This tool is used for the
data recovery of the deleted or the corrupt data in the computer system. This data recovery tool has so many
features related to data recovery such as smart scan can be performed on the data using this tool. deep scan
can also be performed.
Features:
• It supports recovery of more than 500 file types.
• It supports the recovery from external devices
• This tool has a feature in which it keeps the record of all the files that been scanned.
• It supports recovery of the crashed system.
Pros:
• The graphical user interface of the software is very userfriendly.
• It is available for various OS: windows, MAC OS, Linux.
• we can recover the data from DSLR, Digital camera, Dtones, etc.
Cons:
• Overwritten files can not be recovered.
• Free version is not good as it is very difficult to recover the files using free version.
I. Do your Data
Do your data is the data recovery tool which helps the user to recover the lost or damaged data from the
computer, laptop, hard drive, digital devices, USB flash drive, etc. using this tool we can recover the lost
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data easily. The preview of the files is also show to the user before the recovery is done which makes it very
user-friendly data recovery tool compared to other tools.
Features:
• It can also recover the permanently deleted files.
• It supports quick scan in which you can easily examine the canceled files.
• Using this we can recover almost all type of files such as audio, video, email, report, archives and many
file types.
• Using this tool we can also regain the data that has been deleted using any of the attack .
Pros:
• This tool is easy to use and the recovery process is very fast compared to others.
• This tool sorts the data according the file type.
Cons:
• Only the review of all the files is available in free mode and recovery can be done using the PRO version
only.
J. Puran file recovery
Puran File Recovery is the data recovery tool that recovers files either from the system’s hard drive or from
the external drives like USB, Memory cards, CDs, Pen Drives, etc. The tool scans the drive with deep
scanning mode to provide the desired results, with the full path of the deleted items.
Features:
• Recovers permanently deleted and lost files and partitions
• Provides deep and full recovery modes
• Recovers files from 50 formats
Pros:
• The tool is portable and can be used in the BartPE environment.
Cons:
• The recovery process of the tool is a bit slower Not suitable for advanced recovery cases.

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 CHAPTER 3 :
IMPLEMENTATION
Using Disk Drill

Disk drill is a free data recovery tool. Disk drill is designed to recover the data from both external and
internal storage devices including the local hard disk, USB, SD cards etc. we can only recover up-to 500 MB
of data by using the free version and for the further recovery we need to purchase the paid version to recover
the lost data. This tool also offers backup drive, data protection and fast scanning option. We can recover
almost all commonly used files system. This tool is very different from others as it offers data loss
prevention capabilities. It is very well known for hard-disk recovery.

Step 1: install the Disk Drill from (https://www.cleverfiles.com/data-recovery-software.html

Step 2: Select the drive for which you want to perform recovery.

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Step 3: The recovered files are displayed in the list and you can recover the files you want. (by selecting the
files)

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Step 4: Select the files you want to recover and press the recover button.

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Step 5: After the restoration of recovered files Data recovery completed dialogue box will be appeared.

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Step 6: The files are recovered successfully.

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Undelete 360

Undelete 360 is a free tool that can recover deleted data from your hard drives, USB drives, floppies, and
digital cameras. It can recover files that have been deleted from the Recycle Bin as well as those too large
for the Recycle Bin that have been deleted directly by Windows. Of course, there are no guarantees your
data can be recovered, or that it will be completely intact. But Undelete 360 proved capable of recovering
accidently or recently deleted data. It includes a Wipe Files tool that can securely delete files beyond
recovery.

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Step 1: Install the stellar data recovery from (https://undelete-360.en.softonic.com/download)

Step 2: Select the drive for which you want to perform recovery.

Step 3: The recovered files are displayed in the list and you can recover the files you want. (by selecting the
files)

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Step 4: select the files you want to recover

Step 5: The files are recovered successfully

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 CHAPTER 4 :
SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSION
TABLE I
DATA RECOVERY TOOL TABLE

Data Recovery Tools

Name of tool Download Source Functions

PhotoRec Website Open Source Recover deleted photos

and videos.Photo File
Format eg. CRW, RAF,
MRW, MOS, ORF,
BMP, GIF, PNG, PSD,
PSP and Many More.

Disk Drill Website Free Upto 500MB It recovers all type of

File eg. NTFS, FAT,
HFS/HFS+,
EXT2/EXT3/EXT4

Stellar Data Recovery Website Open Source Recovery of deleted, lost

and formatted
files.Restores Data Loss
from HDD, SSD, USB
drive, SD card, etc

Recuva Website Open Source Recover pictures, music,

documents, videos,
emails or any other file
type you’ve lost.Recover
files from damaged or
newly formatted drives

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EaseUS Data Recovery Software Application Free Can recover images,
videos, audios, emails,
text files, and more.

Undelete my file PRO Website Free It recovers all type of

File from internal as
well as external storage
devices.

Hetman Website Free It supports file recovery

of NTFS and FAT
format windows files.

Recoverit Website Open and Purchase Recover Your Data

From SD Card, Hard
Drive, USB, Memory
Stick, PC, Camera, etc.

Do Your Data Website Free Recover deleted,

formatted or inaccessible
data from PC, laptop,
digital or other storage
media.

Puran File Recovery Website Free Recovers files, folders,

and other items either
from the system’s hard
drive or from the
external drives like
USB, Memory cards,
CDs, Pen Drives, etc

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 CHAPTER 5 :
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