Stellar Data Recovery is a comprehensive software solution designed to retrieve lost, deleted, or formatted data from a wide array of storage media, including hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and iPods. It supports various file systems such as NTFS, FAT, and exFAT on Windows, and HFS, HFS+, ext2, ext3, ext4 on macOS and Linux drives. This non-destructive, read-only utility is adept at recovering critical files lost due to accidental formatting, virus infections, software malfunctions, file/directory deletion, unexpected shutdowns, or even sabotage.

The software is capable of recovering a diverse range of file types, including MS Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), photos, audio, video files, emails, and database files. It features a powerful Raw File Recovery engine that recognizes and recovers over 300 file types, ensuring data retrieval even in severe data loss scenarios. For unbootable systems, Stellar Data Recovery offers a BOOT CD option (available with Professional and higher licenses) to facilitate data recovery.

In This Post

Why It Stands Out

Optimizing Scan Performance with Custom Recovery

Launch Stellar Data Recovery and select Custom Recovery instead of scanning the entire drive.
Choose specific file types (e.g., Documents, Photos) and the exact location or partition where data was lost.
Initiate the scan, which will be faster and more focused on your specific recovery needs.

Why: Using custom recovery significantly reduces scan time by targeting only the relevant file types and locations, making the recovery process more efficient and less resource-intensive.

Safe Recovery from Failing Drives using Disk Imaging

If you suspect a hard drive is physically failing or has bad sectors, use the Create Image feature within Stellar Data Recovery.
Create an image of the entire hard disk or logical volume to a healthy storage device.
Perform the data recovery scan on this newly created disk image, rather than the original failing drive.

Why: Scanning a physically failing drive can exacerbate damage and lead to permanent data loss. Creating a disk image first ensures that you work with a stable copy, preserving the original drive’s state and maximizing recovery chances.

Leveraging Deep Scan for Comprehensive Data Retrieval

After an initial Quick Scan if you don’t find all your desired files, look for the Deep Scan option (often at the bottom-left of the wizard or as a follow-up option).
Enable Deep Scan to perform a comprehensive, signature-based search across the selected drive.
Allow the software to complete the deep scan, which will dig deeper into the drive to locate files deleted a long time ago or from formatted/corrupted drives.

Why: While a quick scan is fast, Deep Scan is essential for severe data loss scenarios like drive formatting or corruption. It thoroughly examines the drive based on file signatures, significantly increasing the chances of recovering hard-to-find or older deleted files.

Download Stellar Data Recovery

File size: 162 MB

OS support: Windows, macOS, iOS

Software Specifications

Software Name	Stellar Data Recovery
Version	12.6.0.0
License	Freemium/Trial
File Size	162 MB
OS Support	Windows, macOS, iOS
Language	English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Hindi
Developer	Stellar
Homepage	https://www.stellardata-recovery.com
Last Updated	May 25, 2026

Important Features

Partition Recovery: Recovers data from lost, deleted, or formatted partitions with FAT, NTFS, and exFAT file systems, ensuring comprehensive recovery from various logical drive issues.
Deleted File Recovery: Effectively restores accidentally deleted files, including crucial documents like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as photos, audio, and video files from various storage media.
Raw Recovery: Utilizes a signature-based recovery method to retrieve every bit of data from severely corrupted hard disks, pen drives, or logical volumes, supporting over 300 file types.
Bootable Media Creation: Allows users to create a bootable disk to recover vital data from systems that are unbootable or crashed, a critical feature for severe system failures.
Drive Status Monitoring: Monitors the hardware status of attached drives, providing insights into drive health for preventive care and more secure data recovery operations.
Clone Drive & Create Image: Offers the ability to create an exact replica (clone) of a hard disk or to create an image of an entire hard disk or logical volumes, which is crucial for safe recovery from failing drives.
Email Recovery: Specializes in recovering lost or deleted emails from popular clients like Microsoft Outlook (PST) and Outlook Express (DBX), ensuring no critical communication is permanently lost.
File Preview and Filter: Enables users to preview all recoverable files before saving and to filter scan results based on file extensions, streamlining the recovery process and ensuring desired files are found.

Hardware Requirements

Minimum

OS: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7; macOS Ventura 13, Monterey 12, Big Sur 11, Catalina 10.15, 10.14, 10.13, 10.12; iOS
Processor: Intel compatible (x86, x64)
RAM: 4 GB
Disk Space: 250 MB for installation files

Installation Guide

Show Installation Steps

Installation Steps

Click the download button above to get the installer for your operating system.
Locate the downloaded file (e.g., StellarDataRecoveryWinfree.exe) and double-click to run the installer.
Follow the on-screen installation wizard, accepting the license agreement and choosing the installation directory.
Once installed, launch Stellar Data Recovery to begin your data recovery process.

Compatibility: Compatible with Windows 7 and later versions, and various macOS versions. Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements for optimal performance.

Problem Solving

Show Common Issues

Issue: Slow or freezing scans → Solution: Close background programs, ensure at least 8 GB RAM for large drives, run as administrator, add to antivirus allow list, use a quality USB cable for external drives, or create a disk image for failing drives.
Issue: Cannot find desired files → Solution: Enable Deep Scan for a more thorough, signature-based search, especially for formatted or severely corrupted drives.

FAQ

Is Stellar Data Recovery free to use?

Stellar Data Recovery offers a free edition that allows users to scan, preview, and recover up to 1 GB of data. For unlimited data recovery or advanced features, users need to upgrade to one of its paid versions, which include Standard, Professional, Premium, and Technician editions.

What types of data can Stellar Data Recovery recover?

Stellar Data Recovery is designed to recover a wide range of file types, including documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF), photos (JPEG, PNG, RAW formats), videos (MP4, MOV, AVI), audio files, emails (PST, DBX), and database files. It supports recovery from various data loss scenarios like accidental deletion, formatting, corruption, and virus attacks.

Does Stellar Data Recovery support recovery from unbootable systems?

Yes, Stellar Data Recovery Professional and higher editions include the capability to create a bootable recovery media (CD/USB). This feature allows users to recover data from Windows systems that have crashed or become unbootable, providing a crucial solution for severe system failures.