Disk Drill for Windows Review: How Well Does It Recover Deleted Files?
Disk Drill makes a stressful recovery job easier to navigate. It works best on deleted files, formatted memory cards, RAW drives, plus camera footage that has not been overwritten.
Disk Drill is one of the easier Windows recovery tools to operate without prior experience. It handles ordinary deletions well, offers useful support for damaged or formatted removable media, plus lets you preview many files before paying. SSD recovery remains uncertain because TRIM may erase deleted data before any app can reach it.
In detail
Expand any section for the specifics.
01 Deleted-file recovery Very capable if the data still exists
9.2
Disk Drill performs best in the situations where software recovery has a fair shot: recently deleted folders, emptied Recycle Bin files, formatted USB drives, RAW memory cards, plus lost partitions. A recent independent Windows 11 test recovered all 22 deleted sample files from an NTFS hard drive. A separate user test reported restoring 9 GB from a formatted USB drive. (techradar.com)
The less pleasant truth is that no recovery score applies to every drive. Overwritten sectors cannot be reconstructed. Deleted files on an SSD may disappear quickly after TRIM runs, while a clicking or disconnecting hard drive should usually go to a recovery lab instead of enduring repeated scans.
- Strong results in ordinary deletion scenarios
- Can scan RAW or reformatted removable media
- Advanced Camera Recovery targets fragmented video
- Recovery-chance labels help prioritize files
- Cannot restore overwritten data
- TRIM makes internal SSD results unpredictable
- Software is unsuitable for mechanically failing drives
02 Recovery workflow Clear enough during a stressful moment
9.4
The main path is pleasantly short: choose a disk, press Search for lost data, inspect the results, then recover selected files to a different drive. Categories for pictures, video, documents, archives, plus audio keep a huge result set from feeling like one endless folder.
Small details help. Scanning can continue while you inspect files already found. Filters cover file size, date, type, plus estimated recovery chances. The interface rarely exposes technical terms without context, though reconstructed files can still arrive with generic names or without their original folder structure.
- Simple scan, review, recover sequence
- Results grouped into familiar file categories
- Filters reduce time spent digging through results
- Files can be reviewed before a scan finishes
- Large reconstructed result sets can become messy
- Generic filenames are common after signature-based recovery
03 Drive plus format support More flexible than a basic undelete utility
9.0
Disk Drill works with internal hard drives, external disks, USB sticks, SD cards, CF cards, disk images, plus many RAID arrangements. Its file-system coverage includes common Windows formats such as NTFS, FAT32, plus exFAT, alongside APFS, HFS, EXT variants, plus disks that Windows reports as RAW. (techradar.com)
The byte-to-byte backup tool is particularly useful for questionable media. It creates an image that can be scanned without repeatedly reading the original device. That is sensible for a card producing errors, though a drive making physical noises is a different matter.
- Supports common Windows storage formats
- Scans memory cards, USB media, disk images, plus hard drives
- Byte-to-byte imaging reduces repeated work on the source
- Dedicated camera mode can rebuild fragmented footage
- A drive must remain detectable by Windows
- Physical damage needs professional equipment
- Complex RAID cases may require specialist help
04 Scan tools plus previews Good evidence before opening your wallet
8.6
The free edition can scan storage, display discovered files, plus preview supported content before purchase. That matters more than a flashy recovery percentage. If an important photo opens at full resolution or a video plays through cleanly, you have much better evidence than a filename alone.
Disk Drill also estimates each file's recovery chance. Treat that label as guidance, not a promise. Some recognizable files are incomplete, while reconstructed videos may need the Advanced Camera Recovery mode. One independent review also reported that leaving a scan could require running it again, which is frustrating on a large external disk. (techradar.com)
- Free scanning plus file previews
- Search by filename or extension
- Useful size, date, type, plus status filters
- Advanced Camera Recovery adds a focused second route
- A listed file is not guaranteed to open correctly
- Long scans may need to be repeated in some workflows
- Preview support depends partly on installed Windows apps
05 Cost plus licensing Easy to evaluate, less easy to justify for one file
7.7
Disk Drill Basic costs nothing to install. Windows users can scan, preview results, plus recover up to 100 MB. That is enough for several documents or a few photos, but not a typical video folder or full memory card.
Disk Drill PRO currently offers an annual plan plus a lifetime license covering Windows plus macOS for one user on as many as three devices. The annual plan has been listed at $89 per year. Checkout prices may change. CleverFiles states that digital purchases are generally non-refundable except where consumer law requires otherwise, so preview critical files before paying. (techradar.com)
- Free edition reveals scan results before payment
- 100 MB can cover a small emergency
- One PRO license covers Windows plus macOS
- Lifetime option avoids mandatory yearly renewal
- 100 MB is too small for most photo or video recoveries
- Annual pricing feels steep for a one-time mistake
- General refund policy is restrictive
How it scored
Our ratings across the criteria that actually matter.
| Category | Performance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Deleted-file recovery | 9.2 | |
| 02 Recovery workflow | 9.4 | |
| 03 Drive plus format support | 9.0 | |
| 04 Scan tools plus previews | 8.6 | |
| 05 Cost plus licensing | 7.7 |