data recovery program · Microsoft

Windows File Recovery

Free command-line app from Microsoft that recovers deleted files from NTFS, FAT and exFAT drives.

36/100

#11 of 11 data recovery programs
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

The app is free to download from the Microsoft Store².
It runs only in Command Prompt, with the format winfr source: destination: /mode¹.
Regular mode suits recently deleted files on healthy NTFS drives; Extensive mode covers FAT, exFAT, formatted and corrupted disks¹.
Source and destination must be different drives¹.
It does not recover from cloud storage or network file shares¹.

Windows File Recovery suits people who accept a command-line tool in return for no cost and no stated data cap^1,2. It covers NTFS, FAT and exFAT and has a signature mode that works from file headers¹. The catch: there is no graphical interface, and the support page says nothing about lost partitions, BitLocker, disk images or previews¹.

Best for: People comfortable with Command Prompt who want a free tool.

Where the points come from

Price26 of 26

What it finds6 of 20

Drives and systems4 of 19

Tools0 of 26

Trust and support0 of 9

Price 26 of 26 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free recovery limit	100Entirely free; Microsoft's page states no cap on recovered data. Counted as no limit^1,2.	9 / 9
Cheapest paid licence	$0The app is free to download from the Microsoft Store; no paid edition is listed².	11 / 11
One-time licence	YesEntirely free, so no subscription is needed².	3 / 3
Money-back period	30Entirely free product, recorded as 30 under the rule².	3 / 3

What it finds 6 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Signature (raw) scan	YesSignature mode recovers files using file headers on all file system types¹.	6 / 6
Lost partition recovery	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page, which does not cover lost partitions¹.	0 / 6
File types listed	Not publishedNot published as a count; the page points to the /# switch for the list¹.	0 / 4
Repairs damaged photos or videos	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page¹.	0 / 4

Drives and systems 4 of 19 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Drives and media	Hard drive or SSD, USB drive, SD or memory cardPage names internal drives, external drives, USB devices, and SD cards under FAT and exFAT¹.	3 / 6
File systems beyond NTFS and FAT32	exFATThe page names NTFS, FAT and exFAT; ReFS, APFS, HFS+ and ext4 are not named¹.	1 / 4
BitLocker drives	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page¹.	0 / 4
RAID recovery	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page¹.	0 / 5

Tools 0 of 26 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Disk image before recovery	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page¹.	0 / 6
Bootable recovery media	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page¹.	0 / 5
Preview before you pay	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page; the app is command-line¹.	0 / 7
Pause and resume a scan	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page¹.	0 / 3
Drive health check	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page¹.	0 / 3
Runs without installing	Not publishedNot published; the page calls it a command line app available from the Microsoft Store¹.	0 / 2

Trust and support 0 of 9 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Open source	Not publishedNot published on Microsoft's support page or Store listing^1,2.	0 / 6
Support with a paid licence	Not publishedNot published; the page offers a feedback form and no support forum or contact route for the tool¹.	0 / 3

The rule behind each line: how we score data recovery programs.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
Free1 person	Free²	$0	Microsoft Store download; no paid edition

Strengths

Free, with no purchase or recovery cap stated^1,2.
Signature mode recovers files by their headers on any file system type¹.
Works on Windows 10 and Windows 11¹.

Limits

Command-line only; Microsoft describes it as a command line app¹.
The recovery destination must be a different drive from the source¹.
Cloud storage and network file shares are not supported¹.
Lost partitions, BitLocker, disk images and RAID are not covered on the support page¹.

Other data recovery programs

1
Stellar Data RecoveryPeople who need partition, BitLocker or photo repair features and accept a paid licence
75/100
$59.99/yrcheapest paid licence
2
DMDETechnical users who want RAID, imaging and partition tools
66/100
$20.13/yrcheapest paid licence
3
Tenorshare 4DDiG Windows Data RecoveryPeople who want one program for recovery, bootable rescue and repairing damaged photos
65/100
$59.95/yrcheapest paid licence
4
R-StudioPeople who need RAID, BitLocker or virtual-disk recovery with a permanent licence
65/100
$79.99/yrcheapest paid licence

All 11 data recovery programs

Sources

Windows File Recovery, Microsoft Support. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Windows File Recovery - Free download and install on Windows, Microsoft Store. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n26s50ln705 · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Microsoft.