You can filter results by file type, path (location), or date (of deletion). Furthermore, the utility recovered a highly-respectable 223,000 files. Seagate supports the most common file types, as well as others (for example, 3GP, CHM, and MPP) that I, for one, don't regularly use. File signature support isn't necessarily the Holy Grail. Moreover, because Seagate focuses on common user file types (as opposed to system files), the recovery suite seeks fewer file signatures: 60 compared to as many as 357, in the case of Disk Drill. Once again, Seagate was the racehorse: it completed an advanced scan of the entire hard drive in about four hours, markedly faster than its closest competitor, Prosoft Data Rescue 4, which required the better part of a day to scan the desktop's heavily fragmented HDD. I was unable to recover any of the files I had intentionally deleted on my SSD, though I saw better results using CleverFiles Disk Drill Pro 3 or Prosoft Data Rescue 4. The rub is that, like Stellar Phoenix, Seagate didn't find much. The scan required less than six minutes, twice as fast as its quickest peer, Stellar Phoenix. I began by running the most exhaustive scan on my SSD.

There is, however, a possibility that utilities can retrieve recently deleted files. By clearing sectors that are no longer in use, TRIM extends the lifespan of a SSD, but it also greatly reduces the efficacy of data recovery utilities. The issue is a command called TRIM, which zeroes out the parts of the drive where deleted files are stored. HDD feature for the differences between the two storage mediums).

I opted to test both an SSD and HDD because of the challenges solid-state drives present for data recovery software (check out our SSD vs.

In the interest of testing real world usage, I selected six common file types (DOC, XLS, PDF, JPG, MP3, and MP4). To ensure uniform testing, I deleted the same files on both machines two weeks prior to testing. The MacBook Pro features a 120GB solid-state drive (SSD), whereas the Mac Mini uses a 500GB hard disk drive (HDD). Both systems run the same version of macOS Sierra. I tested Seagate's Recovery Suite alongside four other recovery utilities using two Macs: an early-2015 MacBook Pro and a late-2014 Mac Mini. The Mac version supports Apple operating systems dating back to OS X 10.10 Yosemite. The Mac and PC versions of the recovery suite are parallel, which simplifies roll-outs in offices with mixed environments. Seagate stands out for its compatibility. And, similar to its peers, Seagate lets you preview results before they purchase the utility. That said, many people might not need 24 recoveries: after all, deleting important files isn't a regular occurrence (hopefully). This makes Stellar Phoenix's single transferable license look generous. To put that tally in context, I used one-third of my license restoring eight files. When you purchase the Seagate Premium File Recovery Suite 2.5, you get one installation of the software useful for either 24 file restorations or one year's use, whichever comes first. While it's not as feature-rich as some competitors, Seagate Premium File Recovery Suite 2.5 provides a simple, fast, and capable utility backed by one of the largest names in data recovery. It's a sensible approach, especially considering that you can draw upon the company's prodigious resources, including an in-house data recovery lab, data recovery service plans, and a Technician version of the software. The Recovery Suite is designed to test physical hard drives and to recover lost files. Of the utilities I've tested, Seagate offers one of the most straightforward approaches to data recovery, perhaps because it isn't trying to do too much. The $99 Seagate Premium File Recovery Suite 2.5 is a data recovery utility designed for general consumers, but equipped for enterprise clients.

Seagate recovery software for mac