Recuva 1.55.133

Piriform Ltd. ❘ 5.2MB ❘ Freeware ❘
Windows
out of 160 votes ❘
Rank 1 among competitors

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Recover Your Lost Files Easily with Recuva!

Boris Weber

06/23/2026

Recuva is a reliable file recovery software that helps you retrieve deleted files from your computer or external storage devices.

Recuva Review: Powerful Windows Data Recovery Tool

Recuva by Piriform (now part of CCleaner) is a lightweight, fast, and effective Windows data recovery application designed to recover deleted files from hard drives, SSDs, USB sticks, memory cards, digital cameras and other rewriteable media. Built for both casual users and IT professionals, Recuva combines a simple wizard-driven interface with advanced options like deep scan, secure overwrite and recovery from damaged or newly formatted disks.

Core Functionality and Recovery Capabilities

Recover deleted files: Recuva restores photos, documents, videos, music, emails and other file types that were accidentally deleted or lost after system crashes.
Deep Scan mode: An advanced deep scan scours drive sectors to locate traces of long-deleted or hard-to-find files, improving recovery rates on corrupted or formatted volumes.
Damaged disk recovery: Recuva can recover data from damaged or newly formatted drives, increasing the chance of retrieving files from problematic media.
File preview: Preview images and some documents before recovery to confirm you are restoring the correct files.
Secure overwrite: Built-in secure deletion uses industry- and military-standard overwrite algorithms to permanently erase sensitive files so they cannot be recovered.
Portable edition: A portable version can run from USB drives, letting you recover data on multiple PCs without installation.

Editions, Updates and Downloads

Recuva is available as a free edition and as Recuva Professional with additional features. The Pro edition adds virtual hard drive support, automatic updates and priority support. Piriform publishes stable installer builds and makes downloads available from the official site; the installer download file is provided as a direct executable for easy setup.

User Experience and Interface

Wizard-driven workflow: A guided recovery wizard helps non-technical users choose the right scan type and target location quickly.
Advanced options for experts: Experienced users can run deep scans, select specific drive regions and use secure overwrite settings.
Lightweight and fast: Recuva installs quickly and imposes minimal system overhead, making it suitable for running on older hardware.

Compatibility and System Requirements

Recuva is developed for Windows platforms and supports a wide variety of storage media including internal and external hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, memory cards and digital cameras. The portable build is useful for technicians who need a recovery tool without installing software on the target machine.

Why Choose Recuva

Free, capable recovery for everyday deleted files and lightweight forensic needs.
Deep scan and damaged-disk recovery options extend its usefulness beyond simple undelete tasks.
Secure overwrite provides both recovery and reliable file destruction within one tool.
Portable edition and straightforward installer builds make deployment and use convenient across multiple PCs.

Overview

Recuva is a Freeware software in the category System Utilities developed by Piriform Ltd..

The users of our client application UpdateStar have checked Recuva for updates 6,629 times during the last month.

The latest version of Recuva is 1.55.133, released on 06/22/2026. It was initially added to our database on 10/30/2007. The most prevalent version is 1.54.120, which is used by 54% of all installations.

Recuva runs on the following operating systems: Windows. The download file has a size of 5.2MB.

Users of Recuva gave it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Pros

User-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and use
Effective file recovery capability for a wide variety of file types
Deep scan feature allows for thorough search and recovery of lost files
Ability to preview recoverable files before restoring them
Supports both internal and external storage devices

Cons

Somewhat limited customer support options
May not always be able to recover files that have been overwritten or corrupted
Free version includes some limitations compared to the paid version

FAQ

What is Recuva?

Recuva is a data recovery program developed by Piriform Ltd. It is designed to recover deleted files from various storage devices, including hard drives, USB drives, and memory cards.

Is Recuva free?

Recuva has both a free and a paid version. The free version can recover most deleted files, while the paid version offers more advanced features, such as virtual hard drive support and automatic updates.

How do I use Recuva?

To use Recuva, first download and install the program. Then, select the storage device that contained the deleted files and click the "Scan" button. Once the scan is complete, select the files you wish to recover and click "Restore".

Is there a risk of overwriting my deleted files when using Recuva?

There is a risk of overwriting your deleted files when using Recuva if you save the recovered files to the same drive they were originally deleted from. To avoid this risk, it is recommended to save recovered files to a different storage device.

What types of files can Recuva recover?

Recuva can recover a variety of file types, including photos, videos, music, documents, and emails. However, some files may not be recoverable if they have been overwritten or damaged.

Can Recuva recover files from formatted drives?

Recuva can recover files from formatted drives, but the chances of successful recovery depend on the extent of formatting and the amount of data that has been overwritten since formatting.

Is Recuva safe to use?

Recuva is generally safe to use, but it is important to download it from a trusted source to avoid downloading malicious software. Additionally, as with any program, be sure to read and follow the instructions carefully.

What operating systems is Recuva compatible with?

Recuva is compatible with Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

How long does it take for Recuva to scan a drive?

The time it takes for Recuva to scan a drive depends on the size of the drive and the amount of data it contains. Larger drives with more data will take longer to scan than smaller drives with less data. However, in general, scans tend to take several minutes to several hours depending on the complexity of the recovery.

What should I do if Recuva fails to recover my files?

If Recuva fails to recover your files, you may want to try using another data recovery program or consulting a professional data recovery service.

Boris Weber

I am an editor at UpdateStar. I started as a support engineer, and am now specialized in writing about general software topics from a usability and performance angle among others. I telecommute from UpdateStar’s Berlin office, when I am not working remote as a digital nomad for UpdateStar. When I'm not analyzing the latest software updates, you can find me exploring new cities, immersing myself in local cultures, and discovering innovative tech trends across the globe.

Latest Reviews by Boris Weber

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Installations

6,629 users of UpdateStar had Recuva installed last month.

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