How to Use iSkysoft Data Recovery — Step‑by‑Step GuideLosing important files — photos, documents, videos — is stressful. iSkysoft Data Recovery is a popular data-recovery tool available for Windows and macOS that aims to simplify file restoration from hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, memory cards, and other storage devices. This guide walks you through using iSkysoft Data Recovery step by step, offers practical tips to maximize recovery chances, explains common settings, and covers troubleshooting for difficult recoveries.
Before you begin — important precautions
- Stop using the affected device immediately. Continued use (especially writing new files) can overwrite deleted data and reduce recovery success.
- If the device is your system disk, avoid installing recovery software on it. Install iSkysoft on another drive or use a portable version when available.
- Work from a different drive (external drive or another internal drive) when saving recovered files — never save recovered data to the same location you’re scanning.
- Know what you’re looking for. File types, approximate deletion date, and the drive or folder where files were stored help focus scans and save time.
Step 1 — Download and install iSkysoft Data Recovery
- Visit the official iSkysoft website and download the correct version for your OS (Windows or macOS).
- Run the installer and follow prompts.
- On Windows, allow the app through your antivirus if prompted.
- On macOS, you may need to grant permissions for device access in System Preferences → Security & Privacy.
- After installation, launch the program.
Step 2 — Choose the recovery mode / scan location
iSkysoft typically opens with a list of common recovery scenarios or devices (e.g., Deleted File Recovery, Recycle Bin, Lost Partition, External Devices, etc.). You can also choose a specific disk or partition.
- For general deleted files: select the drive or partition where the files were stored (e.g., C: drive, external USB).
- For formatted drives or partitions: choose the “Formatted Drive” or “Lost Partition” option if available.
- For external media (SD cards, USB sticks): connect the device, then select it from the device list.
- For specific folders: choose the folder path when the option is presented.
Tip: picking the most specific location (partition, folder, or scenario) usually reduces scan time and improves relevant results.
Step 3 — Run a quick scan (and when to use deep scan)
- Click “Start” or “Scan” to begin. iSkysoft runs a Quick Scan first to find recently deleted files.
- If the Quick Scan doesn’t find your files, run a Deep (or Advanced) Scan — this performs a sector-by-sector scan and can recover more data but takes much longer.
- For formatted drives, lost partitions, or complex corruption, start with Deep Scan directly.
Estimated times vary by drive size and scan type: a quick scan on a small USB may take minutes; a deep scan on a multi-terabyte drive may take many hours.
Step 4 — Preview found files
- After the scan completes (or progressively during scanning), use the built-in preview function to view files before recovery. iSkysoft typically supports previews for images, documents, and some video formats.
- Previewing is useful to confirm file integrity (openable, not zero-byte, correct content) and helps avoid recovering unnecessary items.
Bold fact: Previewing does not recover the file; it only shows a temporary view.
Step 5 — Select and recover files
- Browse the scan results organized by file type or path. Use filters (file type, size, date) to narrow results.
- Check the boxes next to the files or folders you want to recover.
- Click “Recover” (or equivalent).
- IMPORTANT: choose a recovery destination on a different drive than the scanned drive. Saving to the same drive risks overwriting other recoverable files.
Recovery status will indicate success or partial success. If some recovered files are corrupted, try recovering again from a different scan result (if available) or use the deep scan option.
Step 6 — Post‑recovery checks and organization
- Verify recovered files by opening them in their native applications (image viewer, Word, media player).
- Move recovered files to secure backups: cloud storage, an external drive, or a NAS.
- Consider creating a disk image (full drive clone) for future forensic work if the data is critical. iSkysoft or other utilities can create images to attempt further recovery without risking the original drive.
Advanced features and options
- Deep Scan (thorough sector-by-sector searching).
- Lost Partition Recovery — when partitions are deleted or missing.
- System Crash Recovery — bootable media creation to recover from unbootable systems (create USB/DVD that starts the recovery tool).
- RAW Recovery — for files with missing metadata when file systems are heavily damaged.
- File filters and search bar — quickly find filenames or file types in scan results.
- Export/Import scan sessions — save scan results to continue later without re-scanning (useful for long deep scans).
Troubleshooting common problems
- Scans are slow: ensure the drive is connected via the fastest interface available (USB 3.0 vs USB 2.0), close other programs, and avoid scanning failing drives repeatedly (may worsen hardware).
- Drive not detected: check cables/ports, try another computer, ensure drivers are installed, or use Disk Management (Windows) / Disk Utility (macOS) to view hardware.
- Files preview shows garbage or zero bytes: try deep scan. If still corrupted, the data may be partially overwritten or physically damaged. Consider professional data recovery services.
- Software crashes or fails to install: run as administrator, check system requirements, temporarily disable antivirus, or try the portable/bootable version if available.
Tips to maximize recovery chances
- Act quickly and avoid using the affected drive.
- Always recover to a different drive.
- Use Deep Scan for missing or older files.
- If the drive shows mechanical failure symptoms (clicking, not spinning), stop using it and consult a professional — home software can’t fix hardware failures.
- Keep regular backups (automated cloud or local backup) to prevent future loss.
When to consider professional recovery
- Drive shows physical symptoms (loud clicking, failure to spin up).
- Extremely valuable or irreplaceable data that must be recovered with the highest chance of integrity.
- Prior recovery attempts with software failed or made the disk worse.
Professional labs can perform hardware repairs and work in clean-room environments; their services are costly but necessary in many hardware-failure cases.
Short checklist (quick reference)
- Stop using the device.
- Install iSkysoft on a different drive.
- Select correct partition/device and run Quick Scan.
- If needed, run Deep Scan.
- Preview files, select, and recover to a different drive.
- Verify and back up recovered files.
If you’d like, I can:
- Provide a short script for a blog post or step-by-step checklist you can paste into a webpage.
- Create screenshots mockups or captions to illustrate each step.
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