What to do right now
- Download TestDisk & PhotoRec from the official CGSecurity site and run qphotorec_win.exe.
- Select the drive, choose the file types and a destination on another drive.
- Expect results without original names; sort them by type and date.
Using QPhotoRec, step by step
Download from the official site
Get the Windows package of TestDisk & PhotoRec from cgsecurity.org and extract it. No installation is needed.
Start the graphical version
Run qphotorec_win.exe as administrator. photorec_win.exe is the text-mode version with the same engine.
Select the source and file types
Choose the drive or card and the partition. Under File Formats, limit the search to the types you need to reduce clutter.
Choose a destination on another drive
Pick a folder on a different disk and start the search. PhotoRec creates recup_dir folders and fills them with recovered files.
Sort the results
Files are named by their location on the disk, such as f1234567.jpg. Sort by type, size and date, and use thumbnails to find what you need.
What PhotoRec does well and where it stops
PhotoRec recognises hundreds of file formats and works on almost any media, including formatted cards and damaged file systems. It is read-only and has a long track record.
Because it ignores the file system, it cannot restore names, folders or dates, and it produces many small files that are hard to review. It also assumes files are stored in one piece, so fragmented files can come back broken.
The text-mode version offers more options than the graphical one, such as expert settings and a file signature editor, but it takes some practice. Both write a session file so an interrupted search can resume. For memory cards with only photos and videos, this is often all you need.
Combining both approaches
FileFix Ultimate reads NTFS, FAT32 and exFAT records first, so files come back with names and folders when those records survive, and then searches by signature. If PhotoRec is installed, the Compatibility and Advanced engine modes can run it as a separate process, keep its log and session files on the destination drive and merge its results.
Limits that apply to every tool
- Overwritten or trimmed data is gone for every carver, including PhotoRec.
- Fragmented large files such as videos often come back incomplete.
- Physically failing drives should be imaged first.
How FileFix Ultimate helps
- Recovers names and folder structure from file system records before carving.
- Previews and validates results, so broken files are labelled before you open them.
- Can run an installed PhotoRec as an external engine; it is not bundled.
- Supports custom file signatures for formats that are not built in.
FileFix Ultimate is free, works offline and never writes to the drive you are recovering from. Check the signature before you run it.
Frequently asked questions
Is QPhotoRec the same as PhotoRec?
Yes. QPhotoRec is the graphical front end for the same recovery engine.
Why are my PhotoRec files named f followed by numbers?
PhotoRec does not read the file system, so it does not know the original names. The number is the position on the disk.
Is PhotoRec safe?
Yes, when downloaded from the official site. It reads the source without writing to it.
Can PhotoRec recover a whole folder structure?
No. It recovers individual files by type. If you need folder structure, use a tool that reads file system records while they still exist.