File Scavenger review
A Windows utility for deep file-system recovery, with a $69 one-time starting price.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
File Scavenger is a Windows utility for recovering accidentally deleted files and data from reformatted, deleted, corrupted, or crashed volumes. It is aimed at Windows users who need more than straightforward undelete, including people working with RAID, RAIDZ, NAS, memory cards, or drives using Linux and macOS file systems. Recovery can retain original filenames, contents, folder paths, and dates when data has not been overwritten. The supported file systems include NTFS, FAT, exFAT, ext, HFS+, XFS, ZFS, and ReFS.
Its scope is a notable strength: the software can scan hard disks, SSDs, flash drives, RAID, RAIDZ, and NAS devices, while the snapshot browser helps navigate very large file systems. A hex viewer with annotations for common file-system structures adds a lower-level inspection option, and picture files can be previewed before licensed recovery. Although it can recover from an unbootable computer, the product page does not describe bootable recovery media. Because the application runs on Windows, it is not a fit for buyers who need a native macOS or Linux recovery application.
According to the vendor's pricing page, Standard Edition costs $69 one-time and activates on three computers owned by the same person. Premium Edition costs $129 one-time and is described as a premium license for power users; Professional Edition costs $249 one-time for data recovery professionals. There is no free plan. The demo permits saving files smaller than 64 kilobytes, so it offers a limited way to check recovery before licensing rather than a broad free recovery tier. File Scavenger suits Windows users who value file-system breadth and advanced inspection tools; buyers seeking a free option or a non-Windows application should look elsewhere.
File Scavenger pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Recovers from corrupted, reformatted, or deleted volumes and partitions
- Supports RAID, RAIDZ, NAS, memory cards, and multiple file systems
- Includes a snapshot browser, hex viewer, and picture-file previews
- Where it doesn't
- Windows-only operation, even when recovering Linux or macOS file systems
- No free plan; the demo only saves files smaller than 64 kilobytes
- Premium and Professional editions cost $129 and $249 one-time
File Scavenger fact sheet, pricing and score →
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