| Version | 5.0 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Smart Projects |
| Release date | Jul 22, 2022 |
| Date added | Jul 22, 2022 |
| Os requirements | Windows 10, Windows 2003, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows XP |
| Requirements | None |
| Total downloads | 1,521,814 |
| Downloads per week | 10 |
| Price | Free to try |
Description
IsoBuster is high-end software to do data recovery from all types of media ranging from optical (CD, DVD, BD) to flash drives (USB Sticks, MMC, Compact, or SD cards) and Hard Drives. All File-Systems are supported. Scanning for lost files and folders, Surface scanning. By better Error handling and several retry-mechanisms IsoBuster has a fair chance of recovering your data. The use of alternative ways to get to the data means that you get the best out of your drive. Furthermore IsoBuster circumvents Windows and does everything by itself, it communicates directly with the devices and takes care of all the data interpretation. As a result discs stay 'readable' after problems, such as a Buffer Under-run or a failed disc finalisation, and all common file-systems, even the ones not supported by Windows are recognised and interpreted by the program. The program is however not limited by the file-system standards, it copes with a vast range of possible issues, hard coded or via virtual intelligence and on top of this it is able to build file lists based on file-signatures, independent from any file-system data. Supported file-systems are ISO9660, Romeo, Joliet, Rock Ridge, UDF 1.02 up to 2.6, HFS, HFS+, IFO/VOB, NTFS, FAT. Additionally IsoBuster takes care of all sorts of drive-disc incompatibilities, such as support for Mount Rainier discs in non-Mount Rainier drives. All this means that any currently available optical disc (from CD to HD) is supported, even discs not created on Windows, such as Mac HFS discs or Mavica digital camera disc. Additional features include the support of an enormous range of image files, which are identical copies of CD, BD or (HD)DVD saved into a file, they are dealt with as if they are actual discs.
Key details
- Recover lost files or data from your storage media
- Last updated on 07/22/22
- There has been 1 update within the past 6 months
- The current version has 0 flags on VirusTotal
Review
IsoBuster is designed to help you recover data from just about anywhere, including hard drives, Flash drives, and discs. While it isn't pretty, it did prove effective in recovering usable data.
Pros
Effective: IsoBuster is fairly easy to use. It searches for available drives and displays the options as soon as the software is opened. Once you find data you want to recover, you'll have several options to choose from to help you get the best results. This includes just saving the files or folders to a location of your choosing, or choosing to extract the raw data. In our tests, the app was quick, and we were able to extract all the data we found on an old CD that we hadn't been able to access in the past.
Install warnings: IsoBuster tries to help you achieve success by guiding you through the install process. It warns you not to install the program on the drive/partition that you are going to try and recover data from and, on the flip side, to not save data in the same place as you are recovering it from to avoid overwriting data. If you tend to just hit Next during the install process without reading the fine print, you could run into some trouble later on. But during the installation process, you can easily hit Back to reread each message if you think you missed something important.
Cons
Two steps to access: You'll install IsoBuster as you would any other app, but depending on your user account settings, you also may have to click through the box asking if you want to permit the publisher to make changes to your computer each time you open the app.
Outdated look: It doesn't seem like the design area and even the options for icons have been updated in a while.
Bottom Line
It may not have the most appealing interface, but IsoBuster gets the job done when you need to recover data.
Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of IsoBuster 3.5.
