DMDE Data Recovery Software Review

The feeling of despair after you've lost vital files can be overpowering. While your first reaction will undoubtedly be to panic, there's no need for that. After all, data recovery tools have come a long way and can help in these situations.

DM Disk Editor and Data Recovery Software is one of those tools, and today, we'll review everything it offers for those battling data loss. We'll review its advantages, disadvantages, features, recovery steps, performance, and more. If you're unhappy with DMDE recovery by the end of this review, we'll also offer a powerful alternative you're bound to like.

Quick Check: DMDE Data Recovery

Developed in 2006, DMDE is a well-known data recovery utility with almost two decades of experience. While its user interface doesn't showcase nearly 20 years' worth of upgrades, its recovery capabilities certainly do. The app has a relatively high data recovery success rate and flies through the process.

This cross-platform tool is available as a GUI or a Console app for multiple OSs, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and DOS. Even better, it's portable, so there's no risk of damaging lost data through an installation.

Key Features of DMDE Software

The DM Disk Editor and Data Recovery tool packs features that make your file retrieval journey effortless. Here's what DMDE recovery offers:

• Support for Various OSs – The app works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and DOS through a portable app that runs without needing to be installed on the device;
• Dual App Modes – DMDE is available as a GUI and a Console version;
• Dual Scan Modes – The app features Full and Raw Scans;
• Extended File System Support – DMDE works with NTFS, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, ReFS, HFS, HFSX, HFS+, APFS, btrfs, Ext2, Ext3, and Ext4 file systems. It also has NTFS tools that include NTFS drivers, compression, and encryption;
• Cluster Mapping – With this advanced feature, DMDE users can investigate file allocations and reconstruct Full Scans for challenging data recovery situations;
• Partition Manager – With DMDE's integrated feature, searching, diagnosing, and restoring lost partitions is a breeze;
• Disk Editor – This app feature lets you view and edit different disk structures;
• Disk Image Support – DMDE also comes with a disk image creation and cloning tool;
• RAID Support – The app has a RAID constructor that supports RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, and 6, JBOD, and custom striping.

With these features, DMDE file recovery can be a piece of cake, regardless of your operating system.

How to Use DMDE Data Recovery Tool

While the app's interface is undoubtedly outdated, using DMDE file recovery isn't overly complicated. Here are the detailed steps for trying DMDE file recovery at home:

1. Go to the official website, select your OS, and download the DMDE recovery app. Unless you know what you're doing with the Console version, a GUI app is recommended.
2. Extract the ZIP file and run the DMDE executable. Then, select a language and accept T&C.

   

3. You'll be met with a window to choose a disk drive.

   

4. Select the entire disk or a specific partition, and tap the blue Play button to launch a Full Scan.

   

5. Adjust the Scan Parameters. Alternatively, leave them as they are and tap the Scan button.

   

6. Wait for the app's Full Scan to locate your lost files and track progress in the bottom left corner.

   

7. Select a volume once the scan is complete and tap the Open Volume button in the bottom left corner.

   

8. Browse the discovered files in this full reconstruction of the volume. When ready, right-click the files you want to restore and tap "Recover…"

Such an interface is undoubtedly overwhelming for beginners. If you don't have experience with such apps, you likely won't be able to find your way around DMDE data recovery.

On the other hand, if you need help running the app on your device, you can always visit the website's Manual section and open a PDF file with detailed instructions for your specific operating system. A how-to guide is also available.

DMDE Recovery: Performance & Efficiency

Like any data recovery tool, the performance and efficiency of DMDE file recovery ultimately depend on the storage device you're using. USBs can be scanned, and files restored relatively quickly, but HDDs and SSDs can take much longer.

The app's recommended Full Scan of the 250GB SSD took almost five minutes in our test. However, it found nearly 300,000 files and successfully recovered all the data we selected, proving its high recovery success rate.

In another scenario, its data recovery success rate dropped when tested with a freshly formatted USB drive with previously deleted files. However, the app could restore over 90% of the deleted files. The company also claims DMDE recovery isn't the best when handling SSDs with TRIM enabled or HDDs whose data was overwritten even once.

DMDE Data Recovery Software Pricing

One aspect where DMDE recovery has an advantage over many of its competitors is its accessible pricing. There are multiple license types: Free, Express, Standard, and Professional, and they're pretty affordable, making DMDE file recovery an excellent choice. However, there's a catch.

Getting any DMDE file recovery app requires first choosing your OS, as 4/5 license types are single OS only. It means purchasing a license gets you an app for Windows or Linux only, whichever OS you initially opt for.

On another note, the company provides discounts between 20% and 80% when you purchase a batch of licenses. That discount depends on the number of copies you buy.

DMDE Software: Support

One of the main disadvantages of DMDE file recovery is its lack of 24/7 customer support. Your problems will have to wait a day or two, as the only way to contact the company's tech support team is via email, where you must input "4DMDE" in the subject line. However, communication via email worked fine, and DMDE recovery experts were quick to respond and help.

Besides email support, DMDE's website also includes a FAQ section where you can find concise answers to several questions. There's also a comprehensive Manual section with PDFs with step-by-step instructions in English, Russian, and Polish.

User Comments of DMDE

Despite having a dozen reviews from various platforms, finding user comments wasn't fruitful. There are twelve pages of such reviews on the DMDE website.

On another note, TechRadar marked the DM Disk Editor and Data Recovery Software with a 4/5 star rating, praising its free version and speed. However, this review platform also disliked the app's limitations, old-looking interface, and lack of a knowledge base or help.

Slashdot, SourceForge, and CNET have also reviewed the DMDE recovery app, rating it 5/5 across all three review websites. Users' comments are nowhere to be found, though.

A Potential Alternative to Consider – Wondershare Recoverit

Although DMDE file recovery can be a breeze, it's not the only data recovery solution. Users who dislike DMDE recovery's limitations will find Wondershare Recoverit a far more attractive alternative. And before you ask. Yes, we'll compare the two software solutions. Let's get right into it.

As you can see, an alternative data recovery tool like Wondershare Recoverit has various advanced features. Its support for 500 data loss situations, 1,000+ file systems and formats, and 2,000+ storage devices make it a better option than DMDE recovery.

Having 20 years of experience, 24/7 free tech support, 35 patented technologies, and a data recovery success rate of 98% also plays a significant part.

With Wondershare Recoverit, ease of use is on another level. Here's everything you'll need to do to get your precious files back:

1. Open the app, click Hard Drives and Locations, and choose a disk drive.

   

2. Once you select a disk drive, the recovery app will start a deep scan of lost data.

   

3. You can add and adjust multiple file filters for easier lost data discovery.

   

4. You can also use keywords to pinpoint the app's deep scan and look for specific items.

   

5. Once it finds files, the app will let you verify their integrity and ensure they are the ones you want to restore. Tap Preview to do that before recovering the data.

   

6. If you're happy with file previews and ready to restore files, hit the Recover button to save the items to your device.

   

That's all you'll need to do, as the app will handle everything else. Please note that while the abovementioned steps are for Windows users, similar actions are needed on the macOS version of Wondershare Recoverit. If you're having issues navigating it, you can always look into the app's detailed step-by-step guide on the official website.

Conclusion

DMDE data recovery software is an attractive file retrieval tool. Its affordable pricing, excellent ease of use, and many positive reviews make it one of the best tools in the industry. The app is also available as a GUI and a console-based version for multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and DOS.

However, DMDE file recovery isn't the only data recovery tool on the market. Its limitations don't make it the best choice for everyone, as it struggles with overwritten HDD data and SSD trim technology.

Those who dislike its characteristics might find Wondershare Recoverit a worthy alternative. After all, its ease of use is far better, and it supports a wider variety of file systems, formats, and storage devices. It doesn't have the limitations of DMDE recovery, making it a more capable and overall better alternative solution for all your data recovery needs.