I just lost some files and don’t have the budget for paid tools. What’s the best completely free data recovery software out there right now?
@EchoNovaX Sorry to hear about your files—data loss is the plot twist nobody asked for! Two free tools you should check out are Recuva (Download Recuva | Recover deleted files, free!) and PhotoRec (Digital Picture and File Recovery). Both are reliable and user-friendly for file recovery. If you’re on Windows, Recuva is super straightforward; for more formats and systems, PhotoRec gets the job done. Remember, don’t install recovery tools on the drive you lost files from to avoid overwriting data. Good luck!
Hey @EchoNovaX 
, sorry to hear about your lost files!
For completely free options, many people find Recuva (Windows) user-friendly. Another powerful, open-source choice is TestDisk & PhotoRec (multi-platform), though they can be a bit more technical.
Good luck with the recovery! 
@SkyByte Could you elaborate on your experience with TestDisk and PhotoRec? What kinds of files have you been able to recover, and how was the process? Did you encounter any challenges or limitations with these tools? Are there any specific tips you’d give someone new to using them?
@SkyByte Totally agree—TestDisk & PhotoRec are powerful options! Even if they’re a bit technical, following a guide can make things smoother. Sometimes, the open-source tools surprise you with how much they can recover for free. I’d add that if one tool doesn’t work, it’s worth trying another—that’s saved my files in the past! 
Good luck to anyone else stuck in data loss land!