User Reviews
Restoration
Restoration is an easy to use and straight forward tool to undelete files that were removed from the recycle bin or directly deleted from within Windows, and we were also able to recover photos from ...
Average of 52 user ratings: 
- May 09, 2008
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Keep this ready for when you need it 
- Interface: 3
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I love these kind of apps - lightweight, simple, and incredibly useful. Everyone should have this utility sitting on your desktop, USB drive, or somewhere handy. Come the day when you wipe a file from the recycle bin by accident, use Restoration to get it back (hopefully). Thanks to the author for a wonderful tool.
Review by: VikingMan (13)
Read all 13 reviews by VikingMan
- Sep 08, 2007
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Won't scan a thumbdrive?
- Interface: 5
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Although it works great "from" a thumbdrive to scan any other drive, I could not get it to scan the thumbdrive without getting an error. I'm using a new 4 gig cruzer sandisk drive. Maybe its not supposed to recover from a thumbdrive, but it would sure be nice if it would. It seemed like it started but maybe the file transfer was too slow causing it to error?... only a guess. Thumbdrives are very popular now... we really need that support too.
Review by: windstrings
First post
- Aug 20, 2007
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Lifesaver
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I lost all the pics on my camera's memory card. With this program, I got all of them back. Warning: As with any recovery program, do NOT write to the source that you want to recover from prior to recovery. I.E. don't take more pictures after formatting you camera's memory card if you want to recover those images.
Review by: Azguard98 (19)
Read all 19 reviews by Azguard98
- Aug 07, 2007
- For version:
- 2.5.14
This rescued all my photos
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I thought I had lost my huge picture file and was frantic. I found a recommendation for Restoration, downloaded it, and had my photos restored within minutes. The program was extremely easy to use.
Review by: DThurston
First post
- Feb 04, 2007
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Excellent utility - just what i needed!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I think this app is excellent. I accidentally deleted all my email from the past 10 years from my computer so this app was a God-send. It is very easy to use (point it to the drive where the file was and it will look for it). And it works like a charm. Only thing about the interface that I didn't love was that I could only restore one file at a time. I would have loved to be able to select all the files I want to restore and hit one button. (Maybe you can do this and I used it wrong, I dunno.) But that aside, the result was fantastic! I got everything back as if nothing happened. I also got to have a peak of what used to live on my hard-drive - so may be this is a handy app for spouses with suspicions ;) Thanks Brian, you made my day!
Review by: brisnicki
First post
- Nov 04, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Thank you brian kato
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Very easy to use
Review by: pathat
First post
- Oct 18, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Best restoration software yet!!
- Interface: 5
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I have a list of the BEST software i have ever found and when i found this,i added it to the list!! Is there a way to WIPE only selected files instead of the whole drive?? (Takes 12 hours or so) This program rocks! Thanx Brian!
Review by: Dude111
First post
- Aug 31, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
2 thumbs up!!!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I have compared restoration to other similar programs and they all fell short to restore. I was able to restore pictures that were previously deleted by other so called strong delete programs. yet when i deleted it with restore. it was totally gone. I'm not saying this is the best one out there but from what i have come across, as far as freeware goes - i give it the proverbial 2 thumbs up!
Review by: rosellor
First post
- Aug 24, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Simple and fast recovery tool
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Thanks Brian, I used your software for recovering a 4GB Notes it took less than 20 minutes. Very effective. Best regards.
Review by: CGENSE
First post
- Aug 06, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Everything needed
- Interface: 5
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Loading...loading...end it takes long for it to work. but it is great... everything you expect it does it job im a bit sad becouse i coldny find 1 of the files for the rest it works
Review by: LuisPuche (4)
Read all 4 reviews by LuisPuche
- Jul 01, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Seemed to locate files, but restoring?
- Interface: 3
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 3
- Overall:
Could be improved in several ways - should have a better method of specifying types of files to locate and restore. Also, I found that after waiting for it to restore a large number of mpeg files, none of them worked. Didn't do the job for me.
Review by: dkny4773 (4)
Read all 4 reviews by dkny4773
- Jun 28, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Great quality utility!
- Interface: 5
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Excellent utility, great at undeleting files -- better than others that are freeware. Just wish it could undelete more than one file at a time.
Review by: ErikBertrand
First post
- Jun 03, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Great!!
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
All movie files were recovered. Great!
Review by: ryoichan
First post
- May 25, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Don't bother!
- Interface: 2
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 2
- Value: 3
- Overall:
I deleted a 50+mb directory, it found every directory and all jpg's and vid files. It even told me the location and how big the file was. When you 'undelete' the file, it makes you think everything will be undeleted and working again. Think again! This piece of software is limpware, it is rubbish! No file was useable and when it did undelete a directory, even though it says it contains files etc. It doesn't. This would have to be one of the worst freeware titles I have used to date. Just because you can see what you deleted, doesn't mean you can recover it! Keep away from it and find something better.
Review by: dhemil
First post
- Apr 15, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Verry good
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This is the best overall file recovery tool I have seen. It is portable, and can be run off of a USB flash drive or floppy.
Review by: 41149512 (2)
Read all 2 reviews by 41149512
- Mar 20, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Easy to use and straight forward tool
- Interface: 2
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 5
- Overall:
It does what it promises to do! Not full featured but, as far as I as been able to test, it does the job.
Review by: EMendes
First post
- Feb 24, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Garbage! just doesn't work!
- Interface: 1
- Features: 1
- Ease of use: 1
- Value: 1
- Overall:
I tried an experiment and deleted some music files. I used the program and tried to recover the songs and it apparently did so, but when I went to play them back, they were all screwed up. It was just garbled up noise. Beeps and screeching and not one of the songs was recovered in a playable state. In other words, it is useless! If it can't even recover a song, how can you try to recover anything else. Sorry, but this is crap!
Review by: tomcat (17)
Read all 17 reviews by tomcat
- Feb 02, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Tried the restoration file rescue...
- Interface: 3
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 1
- Value: 1
- Overall:
Tried the restoration file rescue utility and couldn't get it to find anything! i even tried "search all clusters" and had the 2 boxes checked. i even deleted a file from the recycle bin and run the program again with the exact name of the file and still nothing! maybe i'm just missing something here, but there are no help files or support that i can find. suggestions welcome. thanks, wolfgang
Review by: wolfgang
First post
- Jan 24, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Excellent free undelete tool
- Interface: 3
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Easy to install and use, works like a charm, and it's free! What more can I say? Five stars.
Review by: DavidLandy
First post
- Jan 19, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
A true life saver
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I had a piece of mal-ware delete several directories, taking several hundred files. This program found and recovered a vast majority of them where a commercial undelete utility couldn't do the job. The only files I was unable to recover were a few mp3s that were corrupted after the recovery. (Fortunately, I still have the CD's to make new mp3s of those songs)
Review by: NiteHawke
First post
- Jan 13, 2006
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Excellent program.
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
A very useful program, easy to use, easy interface and great results. Give it a try.
Review by: Anticanalla
First post
- Dec 30, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
I'm so relieved
- Interface: 3
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This program saved my mp3 and picture collections after i accidentally deleted them. i highly recommend using this program. It's a little intimidating at first but thats because it's actually really simple to use and doesn't bombard the user with useless features. Just get your files hasslefree. Also a note to those complaining about not being able to select multiple files, just look for the root directory of the files you want and restore it.
Review by: geemzee
First post
- Dec 30, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Amazing
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Being the total klutz that I am, I accidentally deleted a folder full of my artwork... while pressing shift. So I did what I always do; I turned on my computer, got on Snapfiles, and bingo, there was this. I love you, Brian!
Review by: Shinra (5)
Read all 5 reviews by Shinra
- Dec 09, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Thank you!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
The power cord on my laptop went today. I have an Ebay business and this weekend is my biggest of the year. 90 new pictures for my auctions were on my computer, but I could not get them! With only a couple tries I managed to get them all off of my camera after deleting them last night. I never think programs are going to work and usually I'm right. But, thank goodness this one did!
Review by: Deborah
First post
- Dec 01, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Small, easy to use, free!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
The bad thing about it is i deleted an .asf movie file and it cant find it. :( but it seems to find other stuff quite well, also alot lot lot better than some others, just missing key features, but for the size (90 kb), speed and price it's just nice, should never be with out it. To the author please add support for .asf files this is great tool. sadly i still am not recover my movies :(
Review by: Ghost_grey (58)
Read all 58 reviews by Ghost_grey
- Nov 23, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Fantastic freeware!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I tried about a dozen undelete programs over a period of 3 hours tonight. I accidentally deleted a 13 MB zip file that I thought was a duplicate, but in fact was my ONLY copy! Although most of the other programs told me the file could be restored, none of them would actually restore it unless I purchased the full version. The only OTHER free product did not find my file. But "Restoration" saved the day and recovered my file flawlessly and instantly (some other products were much slower). I'm super pleased with this product and this company!
Review by: deveau
First post
- Oct 10, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Just what i needed
- Interface: 3
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
[Facts:] I spent hours on download websites and P2P programs, but everything was huge and charged big dollars. This program really is free, easy, small, and effective. The interface isn't refined, but it gets the job done. [Story:] I downloaded another program that allowed me to restore 1 meg of files. I used Restoration for everything it could restore, and for what it couldn't I tried the other program. Although the other program had great graphics and would have charged $100/gig, it couldn't do any better than Restoration. What a life saver Restoration was.
Review by: CUFirebird
First post
- Oct 04, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Very powerful
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
2 great aditional qualities: 1st - It is small one 2nd - It should not be installed before and it is possible to run from CD! It is basis of Your `PC First Aid Kit`.
Review by: lotron (2)
Read all 2 reviews by lotron
- Oct 03, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
I'm stylin'...
- Interface: 3
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 4
- Overall:
Given the situation that I'm working in, this little, yet smart tool helped save this day! An ex-colleague suddenly departed and decided to delete all of her files as her last official duty. Having quickly gotten over this frustration, I happened upon the SnapFiles web site and the Restoration tool. I don't know who I should kiss first, I'm s-o-o-o giddy with joy! Now I know why they escort disgruntled ex-employees out of the building... Hmmm...
Review by: JenIsStylin
First post
- Sep 24, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Excellent tool
- Interface: 3
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Almost 95% of my files were recovered very quickly!!!!
Review by: acarlson
First post
- Sep 06, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Brian kato is my hero
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Restoration saved me! The programme is quick to download and easy to use. Given the panic I was in, it was important to get my files back quickly. After saying yes to "Are you sure you want to permanently delete these files?", I thought, this is it, 135,000+ files gone. Restoration brought them all back quickly and neatly. And thus Brian Kato is my hero.
Review by: tmalone
First post
- Jul 27, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
No complaints
- Interface: 3
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Ok, to all the people who complained: you do realize YOU deleted the files? You realize "delete" means forever? The simple fact that this program can recover a deleted file is amazing and worth so much! Who cares how many clicks you have to make? Who cares if the interface isnt pretty? This program saves lives I tell you. Excellent, fantastic, wonderful. A true life-saver. The author should put up a paypal account for donations, I'd be glad!
- Jun 29, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Wow!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This program saved all my work that I accidentally deleted. Great program! Run the program on a different drive than where you deleted files, also save the recovered files onto a different drive to prevent overwriting.
Review by: lenso82
First post
- Jun 22, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Restoration tip
- Interface: 4
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I found this program extremely helpful and quite fast. But there are some features missing, like multiple file select (so that you don't have to click a few hundred times to restore up a few hundred files). I found a solution for this though; use this: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/macromaker.html . With this program you can automate the filecopy-process.
Review by: Ravxvi
First post
- Jun 13, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Hard to beat this one!
- Interface: 2
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Ladies and gentlemen, this little utility program is in a special class. Takes a little time to recover multiple files, but when you thought you had lost them forever, you'll be happy to take the time to bring them back to life. A tremendously huge thank you for this gift to the world. God bless!
Review by: Barfup (2)
Read all 2 reviews by Barfup
- May 11, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Superb
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Accidentally deleted files from my USB-stick. A whole day of work seemed to be lost. Restoration got it all back.
Review by: Butterfly
First post
- May 01, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Freeware better than commercial?
- Interface: 3
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I can say yes. I have problem. I downloading some web pages (automatic) and experimenting with another programs. Win crash, my restart, scandisk. And where are my downlaoded files? Nowhere to find. I try many NEW commercial solutions and get nothing. But Restoration can find lost directories and back it up. I was surprised that 2 year old product is better than todays products (mainly not freeware), but it is reality. I can recommend it.
Review by: loginCZ
First post
- Apr 30, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Restoration
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This program is very good! Hard to believe it's freeware! I recommend it to everyone who owns a home computer(s)!
- Apr 11, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
It saved my butt!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I stupidly shift-deleted a main directory and I was able to restore it with all subdirectories and files intact with one selection. I advise RTFM carefully before proceding and be careful mixing Pinot Grigio with disk cleanup.
Review by: GeneralPublic
First post
- Apr 06, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Very effective, and easy to use
- Interface: 3
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I have been using it for quite a long time and it did many things other more "advanced" programs of this type couldn't. I love it because it is simple and, yes, in my case it has proved to be very effective. It is not perfect though, interface could be better, but it definitely deserves much more plusses than minuses.
Review by: Markan (32)
Read all 32 reviews by Markan
- Apr 05, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Did the trick, and quick
- Interface: 3
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
In response to the reviewer who said they couldn't restore multiple files, you can do this, as long as the files are in the same folder. Only problem with this was that there were viruses in the folder of deleted stuff I recovered, but Norton caught them immediately. After recovering the folder, I was able to simply delete all the unwanted files, and keep the ones that should have never been deleted in the first place.
Review by: Glyphdoctors
First post
- Mar 14, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Works, but slow to use
- Interface: 2
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This works OK and is very good value for freeware, but the ability to copy only one file at a time is very limiting. For recovering photos from damaged digital cards, try Art Plus Digital Photo Recovery 2.0 which is also freeware.
Review by: ianmacm (83)
Read all 83 reviews by ianmacm
- Feb 27, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Great!
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This little program is a lifesaver! It does require you to only restore one file at a time, but thats better than losing all my files... and you can't beat the price (free!)
Review by: OldFred
First post
- Feb 22, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Good tool
- Interface: 3
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Good tool, it works as it should work. Interface is little bit poor.
- Jan 27, 2005
- For version:
- 2.5.14
Nice - but word files garbled (help)
- Interface: 3
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 5
- Overall:
My Marketing Director mistakenly deleted a 500MB folder containing word files and jpegs. I downloaded this software and it restored the files; however, some of the jpegs don't work and ALL of the Word docs are garbled. (They have the Word 2000 icon) but when I click on them, We get that MS Word coded-boxy gibberish. Does anyone know what I did wrong?
Review by: Stealthviewer
First post