You’ve probably been bored at least once by a security guru telling you how important backing your files up is. Alongside virus scanning it’s one of the standard pieces of advice the industry dispenses, even if many of us are less than vigilant in following it.

If you’ve failed to back up before losing a file to a crash or an accidental deletion, you may think you’ve lost your data for good. Fortunately, file recovery tools give you the opportunity to take back the files that have been lost from the front-end of your computer. The only question now is which one is the best?

Price: Free native version; Portable version available from $20

OS: Windows

Notes:

– Lightweight

– Can run recovery on connected devices

– Bundled with web browser toolbar

Price: Free; Premium version available for £20

OS: Windows

Notes:

– Lightweight

– Recovers deleted emails

– Available as portable version

– Multiple languages available

Price: Free for personal use; Commercial licenses from $30

OS: Windows

Notes

– Lightweight

– Several scan settings of several depths

– Available as portable version

– Search supports wildcards