A complete review of Stellar Data Recovery to protect you from the biggest data breach incidents and ensure complete data protection:
According to a report published in IT Governance, there have been 5 billion security incidents in 2023 alone. While organizations and institutions have become more vigilant, the security measures available today do not guarantee total data protection.
There may come a time when your business too becomes a victim of a severe data breach incident. Fortunately, there are tools out there that will help you retrieve data lost, regardless of what caused the incident.
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Stellar Data Recovery Tool: A Detailed Overview
Now I’ve used a plethora of such solutions, each varying in their overall usability and functionality. With cybersecurity threats becoming bolder with each passing day, it is imperative that a data recovery tool can meet the strengthening needs of individuals and businesses today. This brought my attention to Stellar’s Data Recovery Tool.
All those who’ve used it swear by Stellar’s exceptional performance. Naturally, I was curious. So I installed the software on my Windows system and tested every aspect. The following review entails my experience using the tool.
How We Tested The Software
While assessing Stellar’s competence as a data recovery solution, I focused on the solution’s usability and functionality the most. I carefully assessed the software’s UI, especially tinkering with the software’s settings to see just how easy it was to use.
Then I diverted my attention to the software’s core function of data recovery. I took notes on how fast the software scanned my Windows drive and in what condition it retrieved my lost files. Besides the core functionality, I assessed all features offered by the solution.
Finally, I considered Stellar Data Recovery’s price and compared it with other popular data recovery tools in the market.
Available for both Windows and Mac, Stellar Data Recovery is a software that allows you to retrieve lost data. Widely hailed as one of the best hard drive data recovery solutions, the software comes jam-packed with advanced features that all work together to make the data retrieval process as smooth as possible for the end user.
Stellar guarantees data retrieval regardless of the file format. It also promises to retrieve custom data as well. It also allows you to preview the files before attempting to recover them. While you can preview not all of the files, you can still recover them via this software. The software can help you recover data from a hard drive, removable storage device, optical media, etc.
You can count on this software to recover data from non-bootable, encrypted, RAID, and virtual drives.
Stellar Data Recovery promises a lot to its users. To know whether it lives up to those promises, I assessed the solution thoroughly. So let me now chronicle my experience using the tool, starting with the software’s UI.
Tech Specifications
| OS | Windows 7 and Above, macOS Ventura 13, Big Sur 11, Monterey 12, Catalina 10.12 and above. |
| Processor | Intel Compatible (x64 and x86) |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Hard Disk Space | 250 MB free space required |
| Price | Windows version starts at $59.99. The Mac version starts at $69.99. |
| Official Site | Stellar Data Recovery |
The User Interface
A UI can either make or break the tool for me. So I am glad to share right away that Stellar Data Recovery won me over with its UI. The very first thing you’ll notice is the minimalistic and immaculate design of the UI. Once you launch the software, you are immediately dropped into the action.
You simply follow the instructions on the dashboard to scan and retrieve the files. The clean UI also makes navigation extremely simple. The UI also makes configuring the tool’s settings very simple. We can do everything from turning previews on to selecting the file types to retrieve via a single click.
I used the software on my Windows system. The Mac version’s UI looks slightly different with a black background replacing the white that’s a staple of the Windows version. Barring the look, however, both versions work in the same way.
In hindsight, I liked Stellar Data Recovery’s UI. It’s designed to keep the convenience of end-users in mind. It’s clean and makes the recovery process as easy as a walk in the park.
How to Retrieve Data Using Stellar Data Recovery
Retrieving data via Stellar Data Recovery is very simple and only entails a few simple steps. Here’s all you’ll need to do:
#1) As soon as you launch the software, select the type of data you wish to recover from the options presented to you.
#2) Select the folder location or drive volume from where you wish to recover data from.
#3) Once selected, hit the ‘Scan’ button at the bottom.
#4) The software will present all the files you can recover.
#5) You can choose to preview them before selecting the file you wish to retrieve and hitting the ‘Recover’ button.
As you can see, the process is very simple and you barely have to do any heavy lifting. The software will guide you until the end. It impressed me with how fast the entire process was. The scan didn’t take a lot of time. However, I did notice a difference in retrieval speed when the previews are on as opposed to when they are off.
I will shine a light on this issue later in the article as I share my thoughts on the various features offered by Stellar Data Recovery.
Top Features
#1) Dual Scanning Mode
Stellar Data Recovery provides its users with two scan modes. Recover data lost from accidental deletion and formatting with the quick scan mode. The deep scan comes to your rescue when the data loss scenario is rather complex.
You can count on the deep scan to restore data when there’s been a logical drive failure or BSoD errors or to retrieve data from lost partitions and RAW drives.
#2) Supports a Myriad of File Types
No matter the type or format of your file, you can rely on Stellar Data Recovery to retrieve it without fail. They also provided you with the ‘Add-File-Type’ feature, which you can use to retrieve file types with unique extensions.
This is perhaps what impressed me the most about Stellar Data Recovery. You don’t need to worry about the format of your lost file. Stellar Data Recovery will retrieve it.
#3) Encrypted Drive Recovery
Stellar Data Recovery makes it very easy to retrieve files from drives that are encrypted. You can use the software to retrieve data from BitLocker-encrypted SSDs and HDDs effortlessly. You’ll also be able to retrieve data from a disk image that’s BitLocker encrypted as well. All you have to do is enter the BitLocker password to successfully retrieve the data.
#4) Recover Data from Corrupt or RAW Drives
Besides performing data recovery on encrypted drives, you can count on Stellar Data Recovery to come to your rescue with a corrupted drive. The software will perform a detailed scan to reach deep into your corrupted hard drive to find any lost data hidden there. Stellar’s Deep Scan mode is excellent at retrieving data from corrupt drives and lost partitions.
It can even retrieve data from a severely corrupted removable storage device, regardless of whether your removable storage device has become inaccessible or RAW. The software is extremely competent in how it scans drives and devices in a bid to effectively restore data.
#5) Preview Files before Recovery
Stellar Data Recovery grants you the privilege of previewing a found file before you can recover it. There is a full-screen mode, which allows you to view your images or documents so you clearly understand what you are retrieving. One thing to note, however, is the impact of this feature on the software’s speed.
While the previews were on, the software became much slower while scanning a drive. This was an issue that was resolved when I turned the previews off. While the speed does get slower, this is still a useful feature to exactly retrieve the file you are looking for.
#6) File Sorting
Another feature that makes file recovery simple is the software’s ability to sort files. The files found are divided into three categories. They are ‘The File Type’, ‘Tree View’, and ‘Deleted List’.
The files are neatly organized into each of these three categories. From here, you can easily identify the file you wish to recover in no time and restore it with just a click.
#7) 4K Hard Drive Data Recovery
This feature is a testament to just how sophisticated the software is. Stellar Data Recovery is one of the very few software today that can retrieve data from modern 4K hard drives. The tool can effectively retrieve data from the storage sectors of 4096 bytes.
The software supports recovery from almost all types of modern 4K drives, especially those formatted with ExFat, NTFS, and FAT32 file systems.
Finally, you get another feature that makes Stellar Data Recovery a very convenient software for its users. The software facilitates data recovery on two monitors. This means that the software can work on two monitors simultaneously, thus making the process of data recovery more precise and efficient.
Stellar Data Recovery on Mac
Stellar Data Recovery on Mac is more or less the same as its Windows counterpart. The software can easily recover files from a drive formatted in a Mac-compatible file system. However, users can feel a major difference in its UI. The Mac version’s UI has a black background and features toggles instead of checkmarks to select options.
The process of data recovery is the same. Another difference is in the plans of both versions. The Mac version’s standard plan is more expensive than its Windows counterpart. However, the prices for the Mac’s professional and premium plans are the same as the Windows version.
Price
Stellar Data Recovery offers three pricing plans to its users. The Windows version of Stellar starts at $59.99. You pay a onetime fee for unlimited data recovery. Then there is the professional plan that will cost you $89.99 and allow you to recover data from lost partitions and bootable hard drives.
The premium version, which costs $99.99, performs all the functions promised in the professional and standard plans. Besides that, the premium plan of the tool can also repair damaged media files.
Stellar’s Mac Version offers the following subscription plans:
- Standard: $69.99
- Professional: $89.99
- Premium: $99.99
There is a free trial of the tool available as well, with limited capabilities. You can download and use the tool for free without any registration hassle.
Customer Support
In the support department, you have a comprehensive knowledge base to rely on. You can also find FAQs and video tutorials on the official website to get you out of a bind. Furthermore, you have the alternative to raise a ticket or start a live chat with one of Stellar’s representatives to have your queries addressed.
I found the support very responsive and eager to help. The information provided through the tutorials and knowledge base is enough for you to help yourself. In conclusion, I have no complaints whatsoever about the support offered by Stellar’s team.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Deep and Quick scans are available | The previews can slow down the scanning speed of the tool. |
| Preview files before recovery | |
| Unlimited file type support | |
| Free to download, scan, and preview lost files | |
| Affordable price | |
| Easy-to-use UI | |
| Can recover data from corrupt and encrypted drives |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time does the Stellar Data Recovery solution take to retrieve lost data?
There isn’t a definite answer to this question. The time it takes to retrieve data will depend on various factors like the size and volume of the hard disk. The higher the volume of the hard disk, the more time it will take to scan and retrieve data
Can you recover specific files with the help of this software?
Yes. Once the scan is complete, you will presented with all the found files that you can recover. Simply select the file you wish to retrieve and press the ‘Recover’ button presented to you at the bottom.
Can the software be used to recover deleted email files?
Yes, the software can be used to recover the following types of deleted email files:
PST
EMLX
MSG
GWI
DBX
MBOX
EDB
NSF, etc.
What is the difference between a quick scan and a deep scan?
A quick scan, as the name suggests, is a method of quickly scanning a Windows or Mac drive to retrieve accidentally formatted or deleted files. If the quick scan fails, you can try Stellar’s Deep Scan mode to retrieve difficult-to-recover files. The Deep Scan can be used to recover data from corrupted or encrypted drives or storage devices.
Are exFAT partitions supported by Stellar Data Recovery?
Yes, supports data recovery from exFAT-based volume or drives. In addition to this, the software also supports NTFS and FAT partitions.
Should You Try Stellar Data Recovery? – The Final Verdict
After having assessed every aspect of this solution, I can confidently claim that Stellar Data Recovery is one of the most powerful solutions of its kind I’ve ever had the privilege of using. The software works brilliantly to recover unlimited amounts of data from different types of drives and storage devices.
No matter what the data loss scenario, you can count on Stellar to retrieve any type and format of data in no time. The software can even help you retrieve data from a corrupted, encrypted, or RAW drive. It is also one of those rare solutions that can retrieve data from advanced 4K drives.
It is extremely easy to use with an intuitive UI and offers flexible pricing plans to its users. Plus, if you purchase the expensive premium plan, you are also granted the ability to repair damaged photo or video files while you recover them.
In essence, I believe Stellar Data Recovery is worth every penny you pay for it. You can download the tool for free using the following link – Stellar Data Recovery.