Videos stored in various devices can be lost for several unintentional reasons. The key factor for recovering deleted/lost videos is using trustworthy and free video recovery software. This post evaluates the most popular data recovery software available and highlights the top choices for your consideration.

Videos may be lost due to various reasons, such as accidental deletion, disk formatting, virus infection, and other common data loss scenarios.

If you are looking for effective methods to rescue your videos on Windows, one of the practical solutions is to use a free video recovery tool.

When you search for video recovery software, you’ll find numerous options. For data safety, it is important to select a reliable video recovery program.

This article lists several of the best free video recovery software, including their features, pros and cons, and overall ratings.

Before introducing the software details, we will first outline the criteria to consider when choosing a recovery tool.

Key Factors to Consider for Good Video Recovery Software

Many video recovery software options are available, and when selecting the most appropriate one, you might need to consider the following factors:

1. Recovery Capability

File Types and FormatsFor video recovery, data recovery tools need to not only support recovering videos but also various video formats.
Scanning SpeedVideo recovery software should have a high scanning speed. Spending too much time scanning is frustrating.
File PreviewThe option to preview recoverable video files before performing a full recovery helps save time and ensures data integrity.

2. Compatibility and Usability

Device and OS CompatibilityEnsure the video recovery software is compatible with your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux) and the type of storage media (internal/external hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, or SD cards).
File System SupportThe software should support the file system of the affected drive, like NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and so on.
User-Friendly InterfaceChoose software with a simple interface to ease data recovery, especially if you’re not tech-savvy.
No OverwritingA reliable tool should ensure original files remain intact during recovery and recommend saving recovered files to a different drive to prevent data overwrite.

3. Security and Support

Technical SupportHaving access to specialized technical support can be extremely helpful if you face difficulties during the recovery process.
Free or Trial VersionMost data recovery products aren’t fully free. Therefore, consider if the tool offers a free or trial mode and if the upgraded version fits your budget.

After learning key considerations when selecting a video recovery tool, proceed to the next part to explore the best one.

The Best Choice: MiniTool Power Data Recovery

MiniTool Power Data Recovery is the best and free data recovery software that can easily recover permanently deleted videos and other file types.

Key Features of MiniTool Power Data Recovery

  • This tool addresses data loss scenarios like accidental deletion, hard drive corruption, or disk formatting.
  • It enables recovery of various data types, such as videos, documents, pictures, and audio files.
  • It is compatible with multiple file systems, including NTFS, FAT, and RAW.
  • It can work with Windows 11/10/8/8.1.
  • It can recover files from internal and external hard disks, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, and more.
  • It features an intuitive interface and allows filtering or searching for files after scanning.
  • This tool offers versions like MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free, Monthly, and Annual Subscription.
  • The free version allows scanning, previewing, and recovery of up to 1 GB of data for free.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

3 Steps to Recover Deleted/Lost Videos Using MiniTool Power Data Recovery

Step 1. Launch this tool to enter its main interface.

Here are three scan modules:

  • Logical Drives: All detected partitions will be displayed in this section, including existing and lost partitions. Select the target partition where your lost videos are stored and click Scan.
  • Devices: All physical disks connected to your PC will be shown in the tab.
  • Recover From Specific Location: This section allows you to scan and find lost videos from a specific folder, the Recycle Bin, and the desktop.

For example, we choose to scan the E drive to recover videos.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery window showing the three scan sections, with the E partition and Scan button highlighted.

Step 2. Once the scan process is finished, locate the wanted videos through the original folder structure under the Path tab.

Furthermore, to locate your video files more effectively, switch to the Type tab and then click Audio & Video.

Type interface in MiniTool Power Data Recovery showing the file formats of audio and video, with Audio and Video selected.

To set up some filtering conditions to locate your desired files, click the Filter button.

Moreover, try using the Search feature to locate the wanted files specifically by typing the file name in the box and pressing Enter.

To verify if the file is needed, double-click it to preview.

The preview interface in MiniTool Power Data Recovery showing a tree and a lake for file verification.

Step 3. Check the boxes for wanted files and click Save. Select a secure location to save the recovered videos, and click OK.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery interface showing the save location for recovered files, with Save and OK highlighted.

Comprehensive Evaluation

MiniTool Power Data Recovery: ★★★★☆

Pros:

  • Restores a variety of file formats.
  • Enables fast recovery from specific locations such as the desktop or Recycle Bin.
  • Offers an effective deep scan feature.
  • Allows for free file previewing.

Cons:

  • Offers a free data recovery limit of 1 GB.

Other Perfect Video Recovery Tools

In addition to MiniTool Power Data Recovery, there are other professional data recovery software you can try to carry out a video recovery.

Option 1. Windows File Recovery

Windows File Recovery is a Windows built-in tool that enables the free recovery of files (including videos) from various storage devices.

It functions similarly to the Command Prompt, requiring you to enter specific commands for data recovery.

Key Features:

  • Two recovery modes are available: Regular Mode and Extensive Mode.
  • It operates with internal and external HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, and SD cards; compatible with NTFS, FAT, exFAT, and ReFS file systems.
  • It allows you to customize the scan by settings up specific file types, keywords, file names, or paths.
  • It allows you to use wildcards (like *.jpg) and text strings to locate files when you only recall part of the name.
  • It conducts scans without altering the original data, ensuring secure recovery.
  • It forces the storage of recovered files in a different drive from the source to avoid data overwriting.
The Command Prompt interface of Windows File Recovery displaying the Windows recovery tool’s detailed information.

Comprehensive Evaluation

Windows File Recovery: ★★★☆

Pros:

  • No cost for recovery, unlike many third-party tools.
  • Officially developed by Microsoft, reducing security risks.
  • Offers two recovery modes for different data loss scenarios.
  • Compatible with many file types and file systems.

Cons:

  • Doesn’t allow viewing files before recovery.
  • The process isn’t intuitive; it requires specifying file paths, extensions, and switches.
  • May retrieve files without original names or folder structure.
  • Only compatible with Windows 10 (build 19041) and newer.
How to Use Windows File Recovery Tool & Best Alternative
How to Use Windows File Recovery Tool & Best Alternative

This post introduces how to use Windows File Recovery and an alternative data recovery tool to recover deleted files on Windows.

Read More

Option 2. Disk Drill

Disk Drill is a professional data recovery application designed for Windows 11/10/8/7. It supports a wide range of file types, including videos.

Key Features:

  • Recover videos, audio files, images, documents, archives, and more.
  • Compatible with both Windows and macOS.
  • Retrieves data from internal and external drives, USB flash drives, memory cards, cameras, RAID arrays, and is capable of handling NTFS, FAT, HFS+, and APFS.
  • Provides quick scans as well as detailed, deep scans for complete file recovery.
  • Restores fragmented videos (advanced camera recovery) and can locate lost partitions.
The Disk Drill interface showing the scan result for local disk E, and the file types are listed in the left panel.

Comprehensive Evaluation

Disk Drill: ★★★★

Pros:

  • Quick scanning speed.
  • Clear and intuitive scan results by file type.
  • Free file preview before data recovery.
  • High success rate.
  • Offers additional features such as S.M.A.R.T. monitoring and byte-level backup, making it a comprehensive tool.

Cons:

  • Installation of the Disk Drill application is sluggish.
  • 100 MB data recovery limit.
  • Sometimes misidentifies unrecoverable files.

Option 3. Recuva

Recuva is well-known free software for video recovery created by Piriform. It is favored for its quick recovery process and user-friendly interface.

This tool offers a dependable method for recovering lost or deleted videos in various formats.

Key Features:

  • Recovers various file types, like pictures, music, documents, videos, and emails from PCs, the Recycle Bin, external drives, and so on.
  • Provides Deep Scan mode for hard-to-find files.
  • Recovers data from newly formatted or damaged disks.
  • A portable app runs from a USB stick, allowing recovery on different machines without installation.
  • Recovers data from virtual disks (Pro feature).
  • Permanently deletes files using military-standard techniques.
The Recuva Wizard interface showing the File type to scan and recover, with the Video type selected.

Comprehensive Evaluation

Recuva: ★★★★

Pros:

  • Unlimited data recovery. Offers strong features for free, including quick and deep scans.
  • Features a simple, wizard-driven interface that is user-friendly for novices.
  • Lightweight and runs efficiently in the background.

Cons:

  • Recovery success can vary, often resulting in damaged or incomplete files, particularly with deep scans or overwritten data.
  • Recovering from heavily corrupted drives, formatted partitions, or complex data loss situations can be challenging.
  • Recovered files frequently lose their original names.

Option 4. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is comprehensive file recovery software that effectively retrieves videos.

Key Features:

  • Its robust scanning algorithm helps recover deleted or lost files of all formats from various data storage devices.
  • It can handle different scenarios of data loss, including situations like Shift + Delete deletion, hard disk corruption, hard drive formatting, and more.
  • Beyond basic data recovery, it also includes features for repairing damaged videos, images, and documents.
  • It also offers features such as partition recovery and emergency disk imaging, which make it a robust and flexible tool.
The EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard interface displaying the Videos type, with the desired videos checked.

Comprehensive Evaluation

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: ★★★★☆

Pros:

  • Rapid data scanning speed.
  • 2 GB free data recovery quota.
  • Windows and macOS versions are available
  • Offers additional functionalities beyond data recovery, including video repair, photo repair, and document repair (paid Pro version).

Cons:

  • The button to go back to the product homepage on the scanning interface is not noticeable.

Option 5. Wondershare Recoverit

Wondershare Recoverit is robust data recovery software designed for Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista, enabling you to recover a variety of files effectively.

This file recovery application features an intuitive interface and ensures a secure and smooth experience for retrieving files.

Key Features:

  • It supports many types of data storage devices and various file formats for recovery.
  • It provides excellent compatibility with NTFS, FAT, HFS+, APFS, EXT4, BTRFS, XFS, and BFS file systems, along with support for NAS data recovery.
  • It allows for rapid video repair during the recovery process, making the fixed video playable.
The Wondershare Recoverit interface displaying the File Type section and videos, with the Video type selected.

Comprehensive Evaluation

Wondershare Recoverit: ★★★★

Pros:

  • Compatible with 1,000+ file formats.
  • Particularly effective at combining broken 4K/8K videos and restoring damaged files.

Cons:

  • The scanning process can take a long time, especially for larger drives.

Option 6. MiniTool Photo Recovery

MiniTool Photo Recovery is read-only and user-friendly software designed specifically for the recovery of deleted videos and photos.

It can efficiently and safely retrieve lost or deleted videos and images from various types of digital cameras and storage devices.

Key Features:

  • It can recover files from internal/external HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, digital cameras, and more.
  • The software’s read-only and secure nature prevents overwriting lost files during recovery, safeguarding original data.
  • It allows filtering and selectively restoring particular files or folders.
The MiniTool Photo Recovery window displaying the scanned videos for MP4 and the recovery interface.

Comprehensive Evaluation

MiniTool Photo Recovery: ★★★☆

Pros:

  • Handles numerous photo, video, and audio formats, including some RAW files.
  • Allows previewing found files.

Cons:

  • May not always restore original folder organization.
  • Scans can be noticeably slow compared to competitors.

Conclusion

This post introduces the 7 most professional video recovery software and explores the detailed instructions for video recovery using MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

Based on your actual requirements, select the best video recovery tool.

Should you need any assistance from the MiniTool support team, please do not hesitate to let us know via [email protected].

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