Every
Mac user needs to have this recovery utility called Data Rescue. For starters,
it's very easy to use and comes in to save the day whenever your files encounter any mishap. It's always advisable to create a backup in preparation
for such events but if you didn't, Data Rescue 3 and 5 can help you recover lost
files even from failing drives.
Data
Rescue 3 is focused on data recovery. You would use it if you accidentally
deleted files formatted a drive without first making a current backup, or have
a drive that is failing or has failed, and no longer allows your Mac to access
any data on the drive.
Some
drive utilities attempt to recover data by repairing and modifying the drive;
Data Rescue 3 and 5 however, don't do any type of drive repair. If you want to try
to repair your drive, give Prosoft Engineering's companion app, Drive Genius, a
try. There are also other third-party drive repair tools available.
Data
Rescue 3 and 5 use non-invasive methods to recover data, leaving the driver in the
same state it was in when you first attempted to recover data.
Getting Started With Data Rescue 3 and 5
Data
Rescue 3 comes on a bootable DVD, which you can use to start up your Mac. This is
especially handy if the drive that's misbehaving is your startup drive. If
you're purchasing Data Rescue 3 as a download, you can burn the drive image to
a DVD or USB flash drive.
Once
you start the app, you will find multiple methods for evaluating and recovering
the data from your drive.
Data
Rescue 3 works with any storage device that's attached to your Mac, both
internal and external, including the flash drives used in most cameras and USB
thumb drives.
Data Rescue 3 Feature Set
Quick Scan - If your drive's directory
structure is intact, Quick Scan can find most of the files on the drive in just
a few minutes. Quick Scan will even work for drives that fail to mount.
Deep Scan - This scanning method uses
advanced techniques to recover data, even when a drive has severe issues. The
only drawback to the Deep Scan method is the time it takes; approximately 3
minutes per gigabyte of data. Drives with a specific type of problem can take
much longer.
Deleted File Scan - This the handy feature can recover just about any recently deleted file, which you will
find useful if you accidentally delete a file.
Clone - When your drive has severe
problems, cloning the data to another drive will allow you to use Data Rescue
on the clone, without worrying about the original drive failing completely
while you work with it.
Analyze - test the drive's ability to
read data across the entire platter. It doesn't attempt to recover any data,
but it's useful for troubleshooting severe drive issues.
FileIQ - Allows Data Rescue to
recognize new file types when you attempt to recover lost files. Data Rescue
comes with a large list of known file types, but if you're trying to recover a
new or obscure file type, you can have Data Rescue learn the file format from a
good example.
User Interface
Data
Rescue 3 and 5 uses a simple interface. The default interface, called the Arena view,
is a single-window where all of the app's features are represented by clickable
icons. The interface is easy to use and doesn't require a help system to
navigate.
Data Rescue 3 and 5- Review
Data
Rescue 3 is very easy to use. It comes on a bootable DVD, which will be very
handy for the many Mac users who only have a single drive built into their
Macs.
Pros
·
Very easy to use, with an interface that guides
you through the recovery process.
·
Able to learn new file types, which is
essential for keeping the app current.
· The high rate of data recovery success.
·
Multiple scan types give you the options you
need when you're trying to recover files. When a drive is in decent shape, you
can use Quick Scan and be done in a short amount of time. When a drive has
hardware issues, you may need a Deep Scan to get to your data.
Cons
·
The default interface which is the Arena view
is not so functional. The Detail View would have made a better default.
·
Data Rescue requires a scratch drive to be
available before you begin. It does its work not by repairing a drive, but by
extracting the files and copying them to another drive, leaving the original
files intact. Because of this, it's obvious that a second drive must be
available to assist in the recovery process. However, Data Rescue insists the
second drive be present before any scans are performed.
Data
Rescue 3 from Prosoft Engineering is a must-have utility. Remember that drives
fail when you least expect it. And while Data Rescue is not an alternative to
backing up your data, it's an important option to have, because even backups
fail once in a while too.
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