R-Studio Data Recovery Review: Pros & Cons

R-Studio is a heavyweight in the data recovery industry. It includes a vast array of useful tools and features that help recover data from even the most complex data-loss situations. But, how well can it recover the data that you’ve lost?

In this R-Studio review, I’ll take a close look at what R-Studio has to offer in terms of features, efficiency, pricing, and support. Read on if you’re interested to learn more about what this application can do for you.

Main Recovery Features in R-Studio

R-Studio comes jam-packed with many useful features. So many, in fact, that a basic user may struggle to understand what most of them do. However, having a wide selection of features to use opens up a lot of functionality from a single application.

• RAID Recovery – If part of your RAID (0/1/4/5/6/1+0) has broken down, you can create a virtual RAID within R-Studio to access and recover your data before attempting to fix it.
• Network Recovery – You can recover data from computers that are connected to the network and running a compatible operating system. Not only that, but the recovered data can be stored to the guest computer or any network location that it’s connected to.
• Disk Imaging – Create an image file of your entire hard drive or partition. This allows you to perform recovery on an image of the drive rather than the actual drive to prevent any further loss of data.
• S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring – R-Studio monitors your drive’s S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) data and alerts you to any potential failures that may occur. This gives the opportunity to make copies of your data if you drive is starting to fail.
• Hex Editor – For confident users with a technical understanding of how data is stored, you can edit data directly using the built-in hex editor.
• Filter/Mask – Use a mask to quickly search for files according to their file extensions. If you want to recover all files of that type, use a filter to automatically mark them all for recovery.

Suffice to say, R-Studio is a complete recovery solution that equips you with everything you need to recover data, plus more.

How to Recover Data Using R-Studio

Now that we know what R-Studio brings to the table, how does it actually perform? While all of those additional features and tools are useful for other tasks, R-Studio file recovery is the focus. I’ve tested the software in a real-world data recovery scenario to see how it holds up.

In this test, I’ve deliberately deleted three text documents containing lorem ipsum from my Documents folder and three image files from my Pictures folder. I also deleted them permanently from the Recycle Bin.

1. Download R-Studio and open the install file.
2. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Open it when finished.
3. Select the drive or partition that contains the lost or deleted files. Click Scan.
4. Click Scan. If you’re a technical user and prefer to customize the scan parameters, this is where you can modify what part of the drive is scanned.
5. Click Show Files.
6. Use the Find/Mark function to automatically find and mark files for recovery based on their file type.
7. When ready, click Recover Marked.
8. Specify the output location. Click Ok.

At the end of it, R-Studio didn’t allow me to recover any of the image files due to them all being above 256KB. However, using the Preview function, I was able to determine at least one image file was found. As for the text documents, none of them were recovered. The closest discovery to recovering the text files was other text files that simply contained the old file names and directories of the text documents before they were deleted.

Interface and User Experience

Downloading and installing R-Studio data recovery is super easy. The installation file is 63.95MB and the application takes up 932.8MB of space on your drive when it’s installed. During the installation, you’ll even receive a friendly notice that warns you about the dangers of installing software on the same drive you want to recover data from. A small but very nice touch for those who are unaware of the potential dangers associated with doing so.

The main interface of R-Studio is easily overwhelming the first time you see it. It favors showing the user as much technical information as possible, and as a result, it appears overcomplicated and challenging to navigate. For recovery experts, having this information readily available can make your life easier. For the average person who wants to recover a few documents, a lot of it is unnecessary.

I think R-Studio would benefit from offering two views: Basic or Advanced. Giving users the ability to ‘simplify’ the process will make it more appealing and easier to navigate and use.

Security and Privacy

R-Studio makes it very clear during their checkout process that the security of your personal information is of utmost importance. As you make payment, you’re protected by SSL encryption to protect your information from prying eyes. Alternatively, if you’d prefer not to pay for security reasons, you can pay using wire transfer, personal checks, bank drafts, or money orders.

Performing a scan using Windows Security yielded no concerns regarding this software. If you’re concerned about your digital safety, consider trialing the software in a virtual environment before attempting actual recovery to familiarize yourself with the software and assure yourself of its safety.

Pricing and Plans

The pricing structure for R-Studio is unconventional and comprehensive, to the point where buying a license can be confusing. You first need to decide what operating system you want to buy a license for, then what sort of file systems you want to recover data from.

Windows Pricing

If you’re buying a Windows license, you’ll need to choose one of four plans, five if you include the Technician license. I’ve broken down each plan below, as well as what you’ll get with it. 

On first impression, it seems R-Studio could simplify their pricing by removing the R-Studio NTFS and R-Studio FAT versions and just keep the standard R-Studio license. Most data recovery tools already support both NTFS and FAT file systems in their base versions, and by making this change, making a choice will be easier.

Mac and Linux Pricing

If you’re using Mac OS X or Linux, deciding is much easier. Each operating system has three licenses each to choose from when you include the Technician license. It seems they’ve dropped the NTFS and FAT versions for Mac and Linux, opting for a singular version that includes both.

Support

In terms of support, R-Studio really shines. If you want to tackle the problem yourself before escalating through an official support channel, you can use the FAQ page or knowledge base. You also have the choice of posting to their public forum. 

Customers can reach the Customer Support team through email form on the R-Studio website. Alternatively, you can reach a customer service representative over the phone from Monday to Friday 9am-6pm EST.

For technical support, it’s even better. The Technical Support team is available 24/7 if using the email form and has an average response time of less than four hours. That’s really fast compared to some competitors. Additionally, if you prefer to call, you can reach their phone line from Monday to Friday 9am-6pm EST.

Customer Reviews

Let’s look at what other users have to say by checking out some R-Studio reviews.

TechRadar says:

“An impressively complete recovery utility, with options for retrieving lost data, managing disks and partitions, and creating virtual RAIDs. While there might be too much here for the beginner, the wealth of options cannot be overlooked.”

PCWorld says:

“If you want the best shot at retrieving lost data without resorting to a service, this program is the bullet.”

Rachel on Capterra says:

“Overall it seems like a very worthwhile platform, but extremely time-consuming to learn the basics. This can be frustrating and discouraging.”

Final Verdict

R-Studio comes ready to use as a complete recovery solution. It offers the user complete control over the recovery process and equips them with the tools necessary to perform advanced recovery in complex situations. There’s little that it doesn’t include in terms of features, offering so much more than other recovery solutions on the market.

In my tests, it wasn’t able to recover the data I had deleted, which had me disappointed considering I was so impressed with what R-Studio has to offer. However, seeing as the demo version only allows you to recover files up to 256KB in size, this prevented me from recovering all of the files I wanted to. Despite that, I was able to preview them, which may indicate they could be recovered with a paid license.

As a whole, R-Studio has what you need to recover your data. At first, it can be difficult to navigate and use. But, once you’re familiar with the application, scanning and recovering your data is easy.

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