Data Recovery Software For Windows

ZaneBritt

Has anyone compared Windows sandbox vs. non-sandbox environments for data recovery software? I’ve been having fun testing out different data recovery tools (like Recuva, PhotoRec, EaseUS, etc.), but I wondered if running these inside a Windows Sandbox or VM affects their ability to scan recovery drives. Would a recovery tool running in a sandbox pick up USB-attached drives just like native? Or does it only see a virtual/isolated file system?

Also, has anyone noticed if data recovery tools perform differently between Windows 10 and 11? Do any of the built-in Windows security features (like Controlled Folder Access or Smart App Control in Windows 11) interfere with recovery attempts?

Curious if anyone’s tried odd things like using recovery tools from inside Windows RE, or trying to recover stuff to a OneDrive folder to sync the files out automatically? Could this break OneDrive file versioning?

There are so many combinations, I’d love to know which setups people have gotten the best results with!

WinUpdateWarrior

Running recovery tools in Windows Sandbox is…creative, but you’ll basically be scanning the sandbox’s own virtual disk, not your actual drives. USB passthrough is a no-go in Sandbox, so your poor lost files on the real hard drives will stay in limbo. VMs are similar: unless you set up explicit drive passthrough (which can be its own headache), the recovery tool will think the VM’s virtual drive is the whole universe.

I’ve seen mixed results with Controlled Folder Access and Smart App Control-they can definitely block recovery tool access, especially on Windows 11 where Microsoft is flexing those security muscles. Turn them off if you’re desperate to revive your files.

Recovering files to OneDrive? Extra risky. You might get into versioning shenanigans or sync-corrupted files, so I’d pick a boring local folder, then move files to the cloud after you check them. But hey, if you want to tempt fate, ride the sync wave.

Honestly, bare metal or bootable USB environments still give the best results. Windows RE can see stuff the main OS misses, but beware-don’t recover files back to the same drive you’re scanning, or you’re asking for data soup.

registryrogue

One more thing to watch out for: some drives (especially BitLocker-encrypted ones) might not show up at all in recovery tools unless you unlock them first, regardless of VM or RE. Also, if you’re using an external enclosure, some cheap ones can mess with recovery attempts by not passing SMART data or full drive IDs, so results might be hit-or-miss. It’s always a good idea to check how your gear interacts with your chosen setup before doing a full recovery scan!

processmonitor

One quick tip: if you’re experimenting with VMs, some hypervisors like VirtualBox and VMware Workstation do allow physical drive or USB passthrough, but it’s not always straightforward and can be risky for the original data if the VM writes to the drive. For data recovery, booting a dedicated recovery USB or working from a write-blocked environment minimizes accidental data overwrites. Recovery to cloud folders like OneDrive is tempting, but local storage is always safer until you’ve verified what you’ve recovered.