UFS Explorer Professional Recovery
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UFS Explorer Professional Recovery

Full-featured data recovery software for complex tasks
from $629.95

  • Enhanced storage reading mechanism
  • Advanced possibilities for creating disk images
  • Support of various storage technologies
  • Built-in disk decryption techniques
  • Automatic reconstruction of different RAID types
  • Adjustable RAID builder with an embedded script handler
  • Comprehensive toolkit for work with defective storages
  • Diverse means for effective analysis and editing of binary data

Overview

UFS Explorer Professional Recovery is an expert-level software instrument created to address highly complicated data recovery challenges.

Along with linear electronic media, like hard disks, thumb drives and memory cards, the program handles RAID-based storages with various layouts, including standard, nested, custom and specific configurations – Drobo BeyondRAID, Synology Hybrid RAID, Btrfs-RAID and ZFS RAID-Z. The integrated decryption algorithms make it possible to open volumes encrypted with BitLocker, LUKS, FileVault 2 and APFS without having to unlock them in the operating system. The software also supports numerous file systems used in Windows, Linux, macOS and BSD, offering direct access to their content, well as a variety of storage technologies, among which are Windows Dynamic Disks, Storage Spaces and deduplication, Apple Software RAID, Core Storage and Time Machine, Linux mdadm and LVM with Thin Provisioning. Furthermore, the application allows working with various virtualization systems, like VMware, Hyper-V, VirtualBox, QEMU, XEN and many formats of disk images.

Moreover, UFS Explorer Professional Recovery features extended possibilities for efficient processing of storage devices, especially ones that demonstrate certain hardware problems. The software offers an advanced procedure for opening storages with parameters as to their usage and an opportunity to save a sparse image file with the processed data. Operations with drives connected to DeepSpar Disk Imager can be performed via LAN and controlled by the software without the need for any third-party solutions. A full or partial image of a disk can also be created with the help of an embedded imaging function with various settings for disk reading and omission of damaged blocks. A map with defective areas can be generated during imaging or through the conversion of used/free file system space to mask and employed during the recovery procedure. The raw content of files and storages can be analyzed and edited directly in the software with a broad set of supplementary tools.



  • Professional data recovery
  • RAID
  • SAN
  • NAS
  • WD My Cloud
  • Decryption
  • BitLocker
  • FileVault
  • LUKS
  • eCryptFS
  • TrueCrypt
  • VeraCrypt
  • Synology
  • Drobo
  • Btrfs-RAID
  • RAID-Z
  • LVM
  • Thin Provisioning
  • Virtual disk
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V
  • VirtualBox
  • ZFS
  • F2FS
  • ReFS
  • VMFS
  • DeepSpar DDI
  • EnCase

Technical specifications

Supported host operating systems:
Microsoft Windows ®: Windows ® XP with Service Pack 3 and later
Apple macOS: version 10.15 and above
Linux: Debian Linux 6.0 (or compatible) and above
Supported host computer architectures:
Intel Architecture, 32-bit (IA-32, x86)
AMD64 (x86-64)
Apple Silicon (arm64)
Supported file systems:
Data access and advanced recovery:
Windows: NTFS, FAT, FAT32, exFAT, ReFS/ReFS3;
macOS: HFS+, APFS;
Linux: Ext2, Ext3, Ext4, XFS, Extended format XFS, JFS, ReiserFS, UFS, UFS2, Adaptec UFS, big-endian UFS, Btrfs, F2FS;
BSD/Solaris: ZFS volumes;
VMware: VMFS, VMFS6.
Data access only:
macOS: HFS;
Novell: NWFS, NSS, NSS64;
IBM/Microsoft: HPFS.
Recovery from complex RAID storages:
Automatic recognition of known RAID metadata, saving and editing RAID configurations
Automatic reconstruction of mdadm, LVM, Apple Software RAID, Intel Matrix, etc.
Support of most popular standard RAID patterns for RAID 0, RAID 1E, RAID 3, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 7, etc.
RAID-on-RAID support: RAID level 10, 50, 60, 50E, etc.
Support of custom RAID patterns via RDL or Runtime VIM
Support of "stripe"-volumes with ZFS and RAID-Z (RAID-Z, RAID-Z2, RAID-Z3)
Adaptive reconstruction of RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 5E, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 0+1 and nested RAID (levels 50, 51, 60, 61, etc.) using maps of bad sectors and in case of presence of defects (reading errors)
RAID assembly from virtual disks
Support of Drobo BeyondRAID, Synology Hybrid RAID, Btrfs-RAID
Recovery from Dell EqualLogic Storage Arrays with degraded RAID 5, RAID 10, etc. and up to double-degraded RAID 6, RAID 60; volume data recovery (using an external data map)
Supported encryption techniques:
Full-disk encryption
LUKS encryption
Apple FileVault 2 encryption
Encryption of Apple APFS volumes
File system conversion (eCryptFS)
BitLocker and BitLocker To Go encryption
Supported virtual technologies:
VMware VMDK, Hyper-V VHD/VHDX, QEMU/XEN QCOW/QCOW2, VirtualBox VDI, Apple DMG, Paralles, EnCase E01 and Ex01 non-encrypted files, simple disk images
Internal sparse format
Support of drive as a disk image (for XEN and others)
Synology Sparse iSCSI
Opening a partition/file within a storage as a virtual disk
Support of split DeepSpar DDI images
Custom "virtual image" files of Runtime Software
R-Studio image files (RDR file format)
Dynamic definition of virtual bad blocks on disk images using an external map or by recognizing a given pattern
Work with disk images created by MRT data recovery tools (sorting and combining file image chunks into an image file)
Supported technologies:
Full support:
Logical Disk Manager, Storage Spaces, Microsoft volume deduplication, Apple Core Storage, LVM with thin provisioning, mdadm
Recognition:
Providing a partition table, information about Spans and Stripes of LVM2, AIX LVM, HP-UX LVM, Apple Software RAID
Giving a partition structure for MBR, Apple Partition Map, BSD/Adaptec/Solaris/Unix Slice Map, GPT, Novel, Intel Matrix
Drobo volumes, HP EVA, HP LeftHand, Symphony SAN
Ways and means to work with damaged disks:
Advanced “Open storage” procedure with drive reading configuration
Option of read-once disk access with saving of processed data
Direct network access and processing of disks connected through DeepSpar Disk Imager, including imaging by a bitmap
Embedded disk imager with settings for read method/timeout and parameters for skipping defects
Production of a defects map during the imaging process
Conversion of used file system space to a mask
Imaging of used space with the help of a file system map
Creating "dynamic" (pattern-based) maps of bad blocks for disk images
Use of disk images instead of original disks (including ones from third-party software)
Defining damaged regions using bad sector maps created by UFS Explorer or compatible third-party tools (ACE Lab solutions, DeepSpar DDI)
Interaction with MRT Data Explorer, including the support of task files and control over disk imaging performed by MRT data recovery tools (imaging by a bitmap, choosing specific ranges, files/folders, etc.)
Supplementary features:
Tools for low-level data analysis:
Hexadecimal viewer for storages, partitions, files, file fragments
Hexadecimal editor for disks and partitions
Field highlighting
Data interpreter
Parity calculator
Storage content comparison
Bitwise "exclusive OR" (XOR) function
Parallel search
Data allocation tracing through reverse address translation
View of file fragments with virtual offsets and sizes
Indication of used file system space
Additional functions related to storage scan:
Pausing the scan
Previewing intermediate scan results
Saving scan results for further work
Full-range storage scan for all-at-once data recovery
Visualization of the scanning process
Five options for handling the existing file system
Options for work with partitions:
Detecting lost partitions
Automated partition aligning
Defining partitions manually
Auto-span tool
Reporting capabilities:
Interactive HTML report
Basic list of folders and files (HTML, CSV, XML)
Recoverable data size with metadata test
Software events log
Minimal configuration:
any of the supported operating systems
at least 20 MB of free space on the disk for the software executable files
at least 1 GB of RAM
Linux software version can run from most modern Linux Live CD
Recommended configuration:
64-bit edition of any of the supported operating systems
over 1 GB of free space on the disk for the program and temporary files
at least 2 GB of RAM and 4 logical cores CPU
default web browser
Trial limitations:
The software will copy files with the size below 768 KB.

Key features

Work with various storage technologies Work with various storage technologies
This professional application provides effective means for processing a variety of storage technologies implemented in modern devices. Among them are Windows Dynamic Disks and Storage Spaces, Apple Software RAID, Core Storage and Time Machine, Linux mdadm, LVM with Thin Provisioning, Btrfs-RAID, ZFS RAID-Z, Drobo’s BeyondRAID, Synology’s Hybrid RAID and other specific configurations. The software also supports the technology of Microsoft data deduplication (Windows Server), enabling users to recover data lost from deduplicated NTFS and ReFS volumes.
Support of a wide range of file systems Support of a wide range of file systems
UFS Explorer Professional Recovery offers immediate access to the available content and allows restoring lost information from a comprehensive set of file systems applied in Windows (FAT/FAT32/exFAT, NTFS and ReFS/ReFS3), macOS (HFS+, APFS), Linux (Ext2, Ext3, Ext4, SGI XFS, JFS, ReiserFS, Sun ZFS, Btrfs, F2FS), BSD/Solaris (ZFS) and VMware (VMFS, VMFS6), along with the possibility to read volumes with the legacy Apple HFS and IBM/Microsoft HPFS file systems, Novell NetWare (NWFS) and Novell Storage Services (NWFS, NSS, NSS 64) file systems.
Data recovery from RAID Data recovery from RAID
The utility offers automatic assembly for various RAID setups, including non-redundant RAID level 0 and JBOD, 1 and 1E mirrors, levels 3 and 4 with dedicated and 5 and 6 with distributed parity as well as nested RAID layouts. A special syntax makes it possible to define custom RAID configurations with different data distribution algorithms. The program is also capable of performing adaptive reconstruction of a defective RAID using parity (for RAID 5 and RAID 6) or a copy of data (for RAID 1). A RAID set can be also reconstructed using disk images with the imitation of bad sectors with the help of bad sector maps.
Decryption of encrypted storges Decryption of encrypted storges
The software supports most common disk encryption technologies, including LUKS, BitLocker, FileVault 2, APFS encryption and eCryptFS, providing the possibility of access to the intact data and recovery of lost files from encrypted volumes in cases when the encryption key is known to the user. There is no need to run the operating system and unlock the drive – the password/key can be inserted directly in the software and it will use it to decipher the storage for further operations.
Support of modern virtualization technologies Support of modern virtualization technologies
UFS Explorer Professional Recovery allows working with virtual disks used by leading virtualization systems, including VMware, Hyper-V, VirtualBox, QEMU and XEN, as if they were ordinary physical devices, and makes it possible to open them or recover lost data even when they are stored on RAID or on another virtual machine. For example, the user can build RAID storing a VMware ESX virtual machine (VMFS file system), open a virtual disk directly from VMFS and recover data straight from the virtual machine without the need to extract the virtual disk first.
Advanced disk reading procedure Advanced disk reading procedure
UFS Explorer Professional Recovery allows choosing the method of data access and specifying an I/O timeout for cases when reading fails due to a device error. A “read-once” option makes it possible to avoid extra read requests to the same location on the disk and save the processed information to a sparse image file, reducing the load on unstable storages and preventing their further degradation.
Extensive disk imaging possibilities Extensive disk imaging possibilities
The software allows creating a full bit-to-bit copy of a storage or customizing the imaged area either by specifying ranges on the disk or by selecting a group of files to be cloned. The embedded disk imager also provides adjustable parameters such as read timeout, block size, direction, protocol and settings for the omission of defective blocks after unsuccessful reading attempts. The bad blocks encountered during the process get indicated in a map file while a log of reading errors can be saved as a report.
Defining damaged sectors Defining damaged sectors
UFS Explorer Professional Recovery produces defects maps during disk imaging and supports ones created by other compatible solutions. The program can utilize such a map for the virtual definition of damaged sectors on the storage or identify bad blocks dynamically by recognizing a specified content pattern. What is more, the software provides the possibility to create a mask with emulation of defects from the used or free file system space and employ this mask for disk imaging, scanning and other operations. The masked areas can also be filled with a given template.
Customizable scanning Customizable scanning
The software offers several scanning options, including a quick scan for defined file system types, longer profound search for lost data by known content with the possibility to provide custom IntelliRAW rules, scanning of the space used by the file system or just the “free space” areas. The scanning procedure can be paused for checking the intermediate result while its results can be saved for further references.
Sector size mutation Sector size mutation
While a typical sector size of a hard drive is 512 bytes, some vendors, like NetApp, EMC, HP, etc. use proprietary block formats in their storage systems which makes it impossible to access data on such disks without specialized hardware. UFS Explorer Professional supports SCSI and SAS drives with a non-standard sector size (520 bytes, 524 bytes, 528 bytes and others) and performs automatic sector conversion in the conventional size of 512 bytes through metadata truncation for subsequent data recovery or access to files.
Support of DeepSpar Disk Imager Support of DeepSpar Disk Imager
UFS Explorer Professional Recovery enables direct access via network and allows restoring files from damaged disks connected to a DeepSpar Disk Imager device with the possibility to adjust the read timeout, block size and other parameters for maximum safety and efficiency of the procedure. Moreover, the software supports disk images generated by DDI, including the “split” image format. The imaging can also be performed by DDI by a bitmap loaded into the program.
Interaction with MRT data recovery tools Interaction with MRT data recovery tools
The utility is compatible with MRT Data Explorer, supports task files created by this software along with defects maps associated with them and provides control over disk imaging carried out by MRT solutions, including the possibility to image by a bitmap, choose specific ranges, files/folders, etc. Also, the program allows loading file image chunks from an MRT task, sorts them automatically and fills them with the necessary spacers for further operations.
Comprehensive toolkit for data analysis Comprehensive toolkit for data analysis
UFS Explorer Professional Recovery offers all the necessary means for efficient work with the raw content of storages, partitions, files or their fragments in a hexadecimal mode. A convenient hexadecimal viewer with a raw data inspector, position bookmarks, structure templates, reverse data address translation, parallel search, data comparison and other features significantly facilitates data parsing while a hexadecimal editor with a set of auxiliary tools enables it easy manual modification.

When to use UFS Explorer Professional Recovery

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Get access to files or cope with data loss from common storage media: hard disk drives, USB sticks, memory cards, etc.

The utility effectively works with various linear storage devices, including internal as well as external hard disk drives, USB flash drives, memory cards and many others, thus serving as an essential data recovery tool for handling most typical cases of data loss, like accidental deletion of files, storage formatting, malware attack, hardware or software malfunction, etc.

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Recover data from complex storage systems: RAID and RAID-based devices

UFS Explorer Professional Recovery is an efficient solution for restoring data from RAID of different complexity, both software and hardware, and various RAID-based storages, like DAS, NAS and SAN. Moreover, the software makes it possible to perform data recovery from systems that apply specific RAID configurations, like Drobo BeyondRAID, Synology Hybrid RAID, Btrfs-RAID, ZFS RAID-Z, Dell EqualLogic and HP MSA with diagonal XOR.

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Work with devices implementing specific technologies: Apple Core Storage, LVM with thin provisioning, Storage Spaces, etc.

The software is enhanced with wide support of modern storage technologies employed in different environments. It allows processing composite volumes, including Apple Core Storage, LVM with thin provisioning, MS Storage Spaces and Dynamic Disks, deduplicated NTFS and ReFS partitions, SCSI/SAS-drives with non-standard sector sizes, etc. which significantly expands the list of target devices it can be applied to.

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Access or restore files from encrypted storages: LUKS, FileVault 2, BitLocker, APFS, etc.

The application is able to decrypt disk volumes for data recovery and data access purposes (if the encryption key is known). The list of supported methods includes LUKS, FileVault 2, BitLocker, encryption of Apple APFS volumes and eCryptFS.

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Retrieve files from defective disks

The application gives the possibility to recover data from storages that have damaged sectors or other hardware issues with maximum efficiency. Not only it offers highly configurable disk reading and imaging procedures, but also generates a map of bad blocks during the imaging process. In addition, virtual bad blocks can be defined dynamically on disk images by recognizing a given pattern or by reading bad sectors maps created by other compatible solutions. The software also allows converting the used or free file system space to a mask with emulation of defects and use it for imaging/scanning. Bitmap-based imaging via DeepSpar DDI is supported by the program as well.

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Open or recover data stored in virtual machines: VMware, Hyper-V, VirtualBox, etc.

UFS Explorer Professional Recovery effectively deals with disk images and virtual disks created by major virtualization software, like VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, VirtualBox, QEMU, XEN, etc. and successfully copes with data recovery from such storages as though they were ordinary physical devices.

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Work with "disk-on-disk" storages of any hierarchy

The software is capable of imitating work of virtualization software and consequently provides access and restores files from multi-level virtual storages with no additional operations required. For example, the user can scan a virtual disk stored inside another virtual disk and promptly retrieve files that were lost or deleted from it.

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Reconstruct damaged file systems: Windows, macOS, Linux

A set of tools integrated in the software allow effectively solving practically any case of logical data loss, including the most severe ones. The program will either simply read file system metadata or conduct its detailed analysis and predict the allocation of files based on the file system specifics, allocation of other files or file content analysis to produce the best possible data recovery result.

Software Releases
The current version of the product can be obtained on the download page available via the button below.
  • Download links for all previous product versions starting from Version 7 (including Versions 7.*, 8.*, 9.*) and up to the current version are provided in the Changes log. There you will also see the record of updates and their descriptions.
  • Older Version 5.25.1 of the software can be downloaded from its product page in the Software Store.
  • Other discontinued versions (Version 3, Version 4.9.2 up to Version 5.9) can be found on the Legacy downloads page.

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