How to Use iSkysoft Data Recovery: Step-by-Step Guide for Windows & MacLosing important files—photos, documents, or project work—can be stressful. iSkysoft Data Recovery (also marketed as Recoverit in some regions) is a user-friendly tool that helps retrieve lost data from hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, SD cards, and other storage devices. This guide walks you through installation, recovery modes, scanning, previewing, and best practices for both Windows and macOS.
Before you start — important precautions
- Stop using the affected drive immediately to avoid overwriting recoverable data.
- Do not install the recovery software on the drive that contains the lost files. Use a different internal drive or an external USB/SSD.
- Have a separate destination drive ready to save recovered files. Restoring to the same drive reduces recovery success.
System requirements (general)
- Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP (some legacy versions may have reduced support)
- macOS 10.9 and later (check iSkysoft site for the latest compatibility)
- At least 200 MB free disk space for installation (more needed to store recovered files)
- Administrator privileges to install and run the application
Downloading and installing iSkysoft Data Recovery
- Visit the official iSkysoft website and navigate to the Data Recovery product page.
- Choose the correct installer for your operating system (Windows or Mac).
- Download the installer file and run it.
- Windows: run the .exe, accept the license agreement, choose an install folder (not the drive you’ll scan), then finish.
- Mac: open the .dmg, drag the app to Applications, then run. You may need to grant system permissions in System Preferences > Security & Privacy for macOS Catalina and later.
- Launch the application. If prompted, allow necessary permissions (full disk access on macOS; administrator access on Windows).
Overview of recovery modes
iSkysoft offers several recovery modes suited to different data loss scenarios:
- Deleted File Recovery — recovers files deleted accidentally (including emptied Recycle Bin/Trash).
- Partition Recovery — restores files from deleted, lost, or formatted partitions.
- RAW Recovery / Deep Scan — locates files by signature when file system metadata is damaged or the disk was formatted.
- External Device Recovery — recovers from USB drives, memory cards, cameras, and other attached media.
- System Crash Recovery (Windows only) — helps recover data after system failures or unbootable OS (bootable media creation may be required).
Choose the mode that best matches how data was lost; start with quicker scans (Deleted File Recovery) before deep scans.
Step-by-step: Recovering files on Windows
- Connect the affected drive (unless it’s the system drive).
- Open iSkysoft Data Recovery and select the recovery scenario (e.g., “Deleted Files” or “Formatted Disk”).
- Choose the drive or partition you want to scan and click “Scan.”
- For quick results, start with a standard scan. If results are incomplete, run a Deep Scan.
- Wait for the scan to complete. Progress and found file counts display during scanning.
- Use filters and the search box to narrow results by file type (Photos, Documents, Videos, Email, etc.).
- Preview recoverable items by double-clicking (images, documents, and many other formats can be previewed).
- Select files/folders you want to recover and click “Recover.”
- Save recovered items to a different drive than the one scanned.
- Verify recovered files open correctly.
Step-by-step: Recovering files on macOS
- Connect the affected external drive or ensure the internal drive is accessible.
- Open iSkysoft Data Recovery. On first run, you may need to grant Full Disk Access (System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access).
- Select the recovery mode appropriate to your situation.
- Choose the target disk or partition and click “Scan.” Use Deep Scan if needed.
- After scanning, use previews and filters to find desired files.
- Select files and click “Recover.” Choose a destination on a separate drive.
- Check recovered files for integrity.
macOS-specific notes:
- For APFS or encrypted disks, you may need the correct password or key to access and scan.
- If the disk is not mounting in Finder, you can still attempt recovery if iSkysoft detects the device at a hardware level.
Recovering from a formatted drive or lost partition
- Select “Partition Recovery” or choose the drive and enable Deep/RAW scan.
- Let the scan complete; this can take significantly longer than a quick scan, depending on disk size.
- Look for partitions listed in scan results—iSkysoft may display discovered partitions and their file contents.
- Preview and recover files from the discovered partition. Save to a different disk.
Recovering after system crash (Windows bootable media)
- In iSkysoft, select the System Crash Recovery option and create a bootable USB or CD/DVD using a working PC.
- Boot the crashed computer from the created media (you may need to change BIOS/UEFI boot order).
- Run the recovery environment and scan the internal drive.
- Recover files to an external drive.
Tips for maximizing recovery success
- Act quickly and avoid writing new files to the affected drive.
- Use Deep/RAW scans when quick scans fail, but expect longer times.
- Recover files to a different physical drive (external USB, another internal drive).
- For important or complex cases (physically damaged drives), consider a professional data recovery service.
- Keep regular backups (Time Machine for macOS, File History or third‑party backup for Windows) to prevent future loss.
Common file types supported
iSkysoft supports recovery of many formats including:
- Documents: DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PDF, etc.
- Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, RAW formats from cameras.
- Video: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, etc.
- Audio: MP3, WAV, M4A, etc.
- Archives and other file types.
Troubleshooting
- No files found: run Deep/RAW scan; ensure correct disk selected and permissions granted.
- App cannot access drive on macOS: grant Full Disk Access and check Finder/System Information to ensure the disk is visible.
- Scanned files are corrupted/unopenable: try different file recovery options; corruption may be permanent if overwritten.
When to contact professional recovery services
- Physical drive noise (clicking/grinding) or failure to spin up.
- Severe physical damage, burnt components, or water damage.
- Very high-value data where DIY recovery risks further damage.
Final notes
iSkysoft Data Recovery is a capable tool for many common data-loss scenarios, offering guided workflows and previews that help you identify recoverable files before restoring them. Always follow the precautionary steps above to maximize your chance of successful recovery.
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