Drive Rescue
Drive Rescue was a free data recovery tool that attempted to recover deleted files and data from damaged hard drives. It scanned FAT16 and FAT32 partitions for recoverable files and let you save them to another location. Development stopped in 2002.
What it did
The program scanned selected drives or partitions for deleted files that had not yet been overwritten on disk. It showed a list of recoverable files with their original names, sizes, and estimated recovery quality. You selected the files you wanted and saved them to a different drive or partition to avoid overwriting more data.
It worked at the sector level on FAT16 and FAT32 file systems, reading the disk surface directly to find file fragments. A preview function showed file contents before committing to recovery.
Advantages
- Free data recovery with no limitations
- File preview before recovery
- Sector-level scanning for thorough results
- Simple, straightforward interface
Drawbacks
- Only supports FAT16/FAT32 - no NTFS or modern file systems
- Last updated in 2002
- Cannot run on modern hardware or Windows versions
- Recuva or TestDisk are free modern alternatives
Who it was for
Drive Rescue was for Windows users who accidentally deleted files on FAT-formatted drives in the early 2000s. It cannot handle NTFS (standard since Windows XP) or any modern file system. Recuva (free) and TestDisk (free, open source) are current tools for file recovery on modern systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Drive Rescue?
Does Drive Rescue work on modern computers?
What free data recovery tools work today?
Features & How-To Guide
| # | Feature | How to use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | File recovery from FAT file system | Supports FAT12/FAT16/FAT32. Recovers files from hard disks, floppy disks, SmartMedia, and CompactFlash memory cards. |
| 2 | File recovery from NTFS file system | Supports NTFS volumes including encrypted (EFS) and compressed ones. Select NTFS in the file system selector. |
| 3 | Lost partition recovery 2 | File › Open Drive › Select the physical disk › Scan the partition table. Rebuilds the partition map in memory. |
| 4 | Recovery after quick format | Finds original file structures on the disk after a quick format. Scans raw clusters and rebuilds file names. |
| 5 | Selective file restoration | Check individual files or folders in the results tree › Click Restore Selected › Choose a target folder different from the source. |
| 6 | HIPS (Host Intrusion Prevention System) | Byte-by-byte scan of all clusters on the disk searching for file signatures. Progress bar displayed during scanning. |
| 7 | Multiple media type support | Works with internal IDE/SATA drives, external USB drives, USB sticks, and memory card readers. |
| 8 | Recovery after system failure | Recovers files after an operating system crash when the file system is not physically damaged. |
| 9 | File preview before restore | Right-click a found file › Preview. The built-in viewer lets you check the file before recovering it. |
| 10 | NTFS encryption and compression support | Correctly reads and recovers files stored on NTFS volumes with transparent compression or EFS encryption. |
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