Use a separate destination
Never copy output back to the troubled source. Different physical storage is safest.
Designed around data preservation
Preview first. Copy second.
Drive Rescue Assistant focuses on inspecting accessible storage and copying readable files elsewhere before any repair attempt is considered.
STOP BEFORE USING SOFTWARE
Is the drive clicking, grinding, scraping, repeatedly spinning down or disconnecting?
Disconnect it. Repeated scanning can make physical damage worse. Contact a professional data-recovery service, especially when the files are valuable or irreplaceable.
SUPPORTED RESCUE PATH
What DRA can do
- Inspect mounted drives and selected folders
- Preview readable files before copying
- Copy selected files to a separate destination
- Check destination capacity and writable state
- Continue around individual unreadable files
- Record results in a local report
- Optionally verify and Resume folder output
NOT INCLUDED
What DRA will not do
- Erase, format or repartition storage
- Repair or force-mount a volume
- Delete files from the source
- Recover deleted files or carve raw sectors
- Bypass encryption or permissions
- Repair mechanical hardware
- Guarantee that every file can be copied
Treat “unknown” as unknown
If a volume’s writable state cannot be confirmed, do not treat it as a writable destination.
Verify before relying on it
Open a sample of copied files, review the local report and keep the source unchanged until you are satisfied.
Unmounted and encrypted storage
Operating-system access comes first.
If a volume is visible but not mounted, DRA may explain the state, but extraction cannot start until the operating system exposes readable files. If storage is encrypted, you need the correct password or recovery credentials. DRA cannot bypass them.
Recovery is never guaranteed.
Results depend on drive condition, filesystem, encryption, permissions, operating-system support and hardware health.