Microsoft has quietly released a new utility called Windows File Recovery for Windows 10 version 2004 or later. But here’s the thing: Windows File Recovery is a command line application. And it is only available in Microsoft Store.
Accidentally deleted an important file? Did you clean your hard drive? Not sure what to do with the corrupted data? Windows File Recovery can help you recover your personal data, “explains the app’s store listing.” For photos, documents, videos[,] and more, Windows File Recovery supports many types of files to help ensure that your data is not permanently lost. Recover from a camera or SD card? Try Signature mode, which expands beyond NTFS recovery and meets the needs of your storage device. Let this application be your first choice to help you find what you need from your hard drive, SSD (* limited by TRIM), USB drive or memory cards. “
You can find more information about Windows file recovery on Microsoft’s support website, which notes that the tool works in three different modes:
Default mode. This mode uses the Master File Table (MFT) to locate missing files. The default mode works well when MFT and file segments, also called File Log Segments (FRS), are present.
Segment mode. This mode does not require the MFT but it does require segments. Segments are summaries of the file information that NTFS stores in the MFT, such as name, date, size, type, and cluster / allocation unit index.
Signature mode. This mode only requires data to be present and search for specific file types. It does not work for small files. To retrieve a file to an external storage device, such as a USB drive, you can only use the Signature mode.
It seems like a good option if you’re stuck. Thanks to Walking Cat on Twitter for the information.
