Data Recovery Guru for OS X ($99)

Mac OS X File Recovery introduced Data Recovery Guru 1.0 for OS X, their new utility app that recovers files that have been accidentally deleted due to user error or hardware malfunction.

Files that have been emptied from the Trash appear gone, but actually remain on the disk until written over by new data. Data Recovery Guru locates and ‘unerases’ these seemingly deleted files. Data Recovery Guru stands out among data recovery apps because it can find and save files that other apps cannot, generates preview thumbnails of recoverable files, and it can recover files at the same time it is scanning for lost files. Employing proprietary algorithms, the app’s GUI makes data recovery ‘non-technical.’

Even the most experienced Mac users occasionally delete a file by accident. This can be a frustrating, even frightening, experience, because users rely on their Macs in managing so much of their business and personal lives. Fortunately, experienced users have also learned that files emptied from the Trash are not really removed from the disk. On erasing a file, the disk’s file index is instructed that the location of the file is now ‘free space,’ and can be used to hold new data. But until it is overwritten, the original file remains unaltered, though it cannot be seen in the Finder.

Disk recovery apps perform two related jobs. One, they scan the disk, looking for intact files that the file index erroneously believes are gone. And two, they allow the user to select for recovery any missing file identified in the scan. When successfully recovered, the file again appears in the Finder and is ‘good as new,’ ready to be used.

Data Recovery Guru 1.0 for OS X is part of new disk recovery apps for three reasons. First, Data Recovery Guru is uncomplicated. The user does not need to make any choices about which of several possible scanning modes they want to use. There are no Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced data recovery methods. There is one default that works flawlessly. Again, unlike some competitors, Data Recovery Guru does not use an esoteric control panel or display window. Rather, the user sees the same Finder window to which they are accustomed. From the sidebar, the user selects the Volume or Drive. In the window’s first column are listed folders showing the different types of files that have been located. Then, in the next column is a list of individual files contained in the folder selected. Finally, in the last column is one single file chosen for recovery.

The second reason is that its scan will find deleted files (even some files on failing hard drives) that other apps miss. In addition, it can scan and recover files from a number of different kinds of devices, including: Macintosh disks, Windows disks, Linux disks, Unix disks, digital cameras, mobile phones, USB drives, memory cards, CDs/DVDs, and more.

Third and last, Data Recovery Guru does not force the user to wait until the disk scan is complete before they can recover a file. Users can browse through deleted files that are found during the scanning process, while the app continues to scan. Selected files appear as text or graphic previews, displaying the file’s content even before it is recovered. The larger the number of files on the disk, the longer the scan time. Data Recovery Guru features a thorough, high-speed scan, and allows users to recover their file the moment it appears in the scan window. Should additional files need to be recovered, hitting the ‘Recover’ button does not interrupt the ongoing scan.

Feature Highlights

• Undelete files in Mac OS X
• User-friendly Finder window interface
• File thumbnail previews
• Scan for deleted files and recover files at the same time
• Finds lost files other disk recovery apps miss
• Identifies bad sectors
• Recovers files from failing hard drives
• Free demo version available for download

"The main benefit of Data Recovery Guru is its ease of use and tight integration with OS X; it looks like a Finder window, but it allows you to view deleted files rather than regular files," stated CEO Ben Slaney of Mac OS X File Recovery. "In the past, data recovery software had an appreciable learning curve, but Data Recovery Guru just works as soon as it’s launched."

System Requirements

• Mac OS X 10.6 or latter
• 2 MB HD Space
• 2 GB RAM

Pricing and Availability
Data Recovery Guru 1.0 is $99.00 (USD) and available worldwide directly from the Mac OS X File Recovery website. A free demo version is available for download.

Mac OS X File Recovery is based in Breckenridge, Colorado. Through his endeavors, CEO Ben Slaney has created Mac OS X File Recovery, and plans on the website becoming an authority on data recovery in general by providing both data recovery technology, as well as news on the latest research and developments in the field.