Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PhotoRec, file recovery, and safe usage. For more help, visit the Support & Community page or the main PhotoRec page.
What is PhotoRec?
What is PhotoRec?
PhotoRec is free, open‑source file recovery software from CGSecurity. It ignores file systems and recovers underlying data by signature analysis (data carving). It restores photos, videos, documents, and archives from disks, memory cards, USB drives, CD‑ROMs, and more—even after formatting or severe file‑system damage.
Is PhotoRec completely free?
Yes. PhotoRec is 100% free and open‑source (GNU GPL). No paywalls, trials, or restricted features.
Is PhotoRec safe to use?
Yes. PhotoRec uses read‑only access to the source media; it never writes to the drive being recovered. Always choose a different destination for recovered files.
Capabilities & Limitations
Does PhotoRec work on formatted drives?
Yes. Because it ignores file systems, PhotoRec can recover files after formatting or when the file system is corrupted.
Can PhotoRec recover original filenames?
Generally no. Signature‑based recovery reconstructs files from content, so original names and folders are usually not preserved. If the file system is intact, use TestDisk’s undelete features (FAT/NTFS) to recover names.
What file types are supported?
PhotoRec supports 480+ file extensions, including photos (JPEG/PNG/RAW), documents (DOC/XLS/PPT, PDF, HTML), archives (ZIP/7z/RAR), and media (MP4/MOV/MP3/WAV).
Usage & Compatibility
Which platforms are supported?
PhotoRec runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and DOS. QPhotoRec offers a GUI for easier use.
Best practices for safe recovery
Stop using the affected media immediately, recover to a different drive, and verify package integrity when possible. No tool can guarantee recovery; success depends on overwrite, fragmentation, and hardware condition.
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