For important data, we usually store them on hard disks, optical discs, memory cards and other storage devices. However, once the storage device is damaged, files in it may not be opened or read. At this point, we need to use data recovery software to save as much data as possible. There are a lot of excellent data recovery software for hard disks and so on, but for optical discs you can try IsoBuster first.

To do forensics to a computer, we can use WinHex; whereas to do the same thing for smartphones, you can use the all-in-one and pioneer phone forensics solution in this field - MOBILedit Forensic Express to gather evidence from phones on Windows.

Zero Assumption Recovery (X) (ZAR or ZAR X for short) is currently the only best data recovery solution (with the most accurate data scan and recovery capabilities) for FAT, NTFS, EXT, and XFS filesystems. It was developed by Alexey V. Gubin from Russia, and enjoys a pretty good reputation and popularity around the world on data recovery field. It seems to have been specifically designed for recovering digital photos from digital devices at first, which has exposed as a free feature now (camera compatibility list for photo recovery).

Many external factors can lead to file or data loss (such as: accidentally delete, format some hard disk or partition, virus infection, forcibly remove external storage devices, power failure, system crash, software breakdown...). But their root causes are primarily: MBR (Master Boot Record), BS (Boot Sector), DPT (Disk Partition Table) or MFT (Master File Table) is lost or damaged/corrupted. At this point, the only and ultimate solution that can restore any non-overwritten hard disk data is to use WinHex such kind of hex editor to manually correct them. But that requires you to be proficient in assembly language and the working principle of hard disk. So, what most of us need are some automation tools such like GetDataBack.

7-Data Photo Recovery (now Disk Drill) is a professional and guaranteed multimedia data recoverer with compact UI and simple operation. It can quickly and effectively recover lost, deleted, damaged or formatted photo, image, video and audio files on all kinds of storage devices (like: local drive, SD Card, smartphone memory card, camera memory stick, USB pendrive, etc.).