Accidentally deleted files or formatted your drive and lost crucial data? It’s a nightmare most of us have faced at some point. Thankfully, recovery tools have become smarter, more intuitive, and accessible even for non-tech-savvy users. One such tool that’s been making its mark quietly in this space is WonderFox Data Recovery.
So today I tested the software on my system and found these interesting points.
First Impressions
WonderFox has always kept a minimalistic design language in their products, and this one’s no exception. The installation is quick, the interface is clutter-free, and it doesn’t try to push additional software or ads your way a welcome change in today’s bloated software environment.
The main screen is simple: you choose the drive or storage device you want to scan, and you’re good to go. There are no confusing settings or technical jargon. Just a straightforward layout designed for users who want to get things done without getting overwhelmed.
Core Features
Here’s what stood out during testing:
- Supports Common and Rare File Types: Whether it was photos, videos, Word documents, ZIP files, or system files, the software could detect and recover a wide range of formats. I tested it with some .RAW image files and even older .DOC formats both came back fine.
- Multiple Scan Modes: There are both quick and AI scan options. The quick scan is handy if you just deleted a file recently, while the AI scan digs through every corner of the drive to recover older or formatted files.
- Partition Recovery: This one was a surprise. If your drive got accidentally partitioned or became inaccessible, WonderFox gives you a chance to recover that data too a feature usually seen in more premium tools.
- Preview Before Recovery: This is something I always appreciate. It has the ability to preview photos, videos, or documents before recovering, which helps save time and ensures you’re restoring the right files.
Performance
I ran WonderFox on a formatted 32GB USB drive and a 500GB HDD that had some intentionally deleted files. The quick scan on the USB drive took just under 2 minutes and recovered all recent deletions. The AI scan on the HDD took around 45 minutes, which is fairly standard, and it managed to pull out files I deleted weeks ago impressive.
The system Resource usage was minimal, and during testing I didn’t experience any crashes or slowdowns. It also didn’t interfere with other programs, which is a good thing when you are doing multitasking with windows open.
What Could Be Better?
While it gets most things right, here are a couple of areas for improvement we personally feel after testing.
No Mac Support: As of now, WonderFox Data Recovery is Windows-only. That cuts off a sizable chunk of users who rely on macOS.
Simple UI: The UI is clean and functional, but we feel the interface feels a bit too basic in places. A modernly designed UI could elevate the user experience without compromising usability.
Final Verdict
WonderFox Data Recovery is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that’s a good thing. It focuses on the core problem of data loss, solves it effectively, and does so without unnecessary distractions. For Windows users looking for a no-nonsense, trusted tool to recover lost files, this is a solid point.
There are many reasons for data deletion accidentally. Whether you’ve lost data due to accidental deletion, formatting, or a corrupted partition, WonderFox Data Recovery provides a fast, lightweight, and dependable solution worth considering.