TestDisk vs PhotoRec vs Retrova: which one do you need?
TestDisk fixes lost partitions and boot sectors, PhotoRec carves files by their contents, and Retrova reads file systems and copies files out through a graphical interface. They overlap less than the names suggest, and each one is free.
Lost partition or broken boot sector: TestDisk. Formatted card or wiped drive where only contents remain: PhotoRec, or Retrova’s Deep scan if you prefer a graphical tool. Drive that will not mount but is mostly intact: Retrova, or TestDisk’s file copy for FAT, NTFS and ext.
The short version
TestDisk and PhotoRec come from the same project at CGSecurity and are distributed together. TestDisk works on the structure of the disk: partition tables, boot sectors and file-system records. PhotoRec ignores structure and looks for file signatures in the raw data. Retrova is a separate, newer project that reads supported file systems directly and also has a signature-based Deep scan. Both CGSecurity tools are covered in their wiki: TestDisk, PhotoRec.
Side by side
| TestDisk | PhotoRec | Retrova 1.1.1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Find lost partitions, repair boot sectors and tables, undelete files | Carve files by signature, ignoring the file system | Read file systems and copy files out; Deep scan; verify |
| Interface | Terminal menu | Terminal menu (QPhotoRec on some platforms) | Graphical, Mac and Windows |
| Cost, limits | Free, GPL, no limit | Free, GPL, no limit | Free, AGPL, no limit, no account |
| Keeps names and folders | Yes, when undeleting on FAT, NTFS, ext2/3/4 | No | Yes when reading the file system, including deleted files on NTFS, FAT and exFAT; no in Deep scan |
| Can write to the disk | Yes (partition and boot repair) | No | No, read-only |
| File systems | FAT, NTFS, exFAT, ext2/3/4, others for partitions | Any (content-based) | APFS, Mac OS Extended (HFS+), NTFS, FAT12/16/32, exFAT, ext2/3/4, XFS, Btrfs |
| HFS+, BitLocker, RAID | Partition-level only | Carving only | HFS+ read; BitLocker, LUKS and FileVault open with your key; no RAID |
| Verify copies | No | No | Byte-for-byte, SHA-256 manifests, one-click repair |
| Image first / resume | Not built in | Can work from an image | Resumable imaging built in |
When to use TestDisk
If a partition has disappeared, the disk shows as unallocated, or a boot sector has been damaged, TestDisk can rebuild the table so the disk mounts again. It can also copy or undelete files on several file systems while keeping their names. The catch is that repairing writes to the disk. Before using any write option on a drive with files you care about, make an image and work on that. See recover files from a failing hard drive for imaging.
When to use PhotoRec
Use it when the structure is gone: a card was formatted, a partition was wiped, or the file system is too damaged to read. It supports hundreds of file types and handles some fragmented files. You get numbered file names in recup_dir folders, which can be thousands of files to sort through. It never writes to the source.
When to use Retrova
Use it when you want a graphical tool, or when the drive is intact enough to read: a USB drive macOS says is unreadable, an NTFS disk on a Mac, a Linux card on a Windows PC, or an APFS volume that fails First Aid. It shows your original folders, lets you preview files and copies them to another drive, then Verify confirms they match. It also has ddrescue-style, resumable imaging for flaky drives. For a formatted card it falls back to Deep scan, which carves 72 common types of contiguous files; PhotoRec covers many more.
What Retrova cannot do
Where TestDisk and PhotoRec are ahead of Retrova today:
- Undelete with names outside NTFS, FAT and exFAT. Retrova lists deleted files with their names and folders on NTFS, FAT12/16/32 and exFAT only. On APFS, ext and other file systems it falls back to deep scan, so names and folders are lost and fragmented files may come back damaged. On NTFS, compressed or encrypted deleted files, and ones whose details span several records, are not listed.
- Encrypted drives without the key. Retrova opens BitLocker (password or 48-digit recovery key), LUKS 1/2 (passphrase) and FileVault or encrypted APFS volumes (password) only when you have the key. It cannot open BitLocker startup-key (.bek) or TPM-only drives, or the startup disk of a T2 or Apple silicon Mac away from that Mac. Decryption runs at about 100 MB/s.
- RAID and NAS volumes, APFS snapshots, bootable media and phones. Not supported.
- Code signing. Builds are not signed or notarised yet, hence the first-launch warning.
- Fragmented file carving. Deep scan finds contiguous files of 72 types, which is fewer than the 400 to 1,000 types some paid tools claim. Names are lost, and files stored in pieces may come back damaged or not at all.
A sensible order of work
- Stop writing to the drive. Do not format, initialise or run repairs yet.
- Image it if it is unhealthy (clicking, disconnecting, slow), then work from the image.
- Try reading it first. If a file-system reader such as Retrova can open it, copy files out with names intact.
- If not readable, carve. Use Deep scan or PhotoRec on the image or card, saving to a different drive.
- Repair last. Only after your files are safe, use TestDisk to fix the partition if you want the drive usable again.
The first-launch warning
Retrova’s builds are not signed or notarised with a paid Apple or Microsoft certificate yet, so the first time you open it you will see a warning. On a Mac, open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down, click Open Anyway and confirm (on macOS 14 or earlier, right-click the app and choose Open). On Windows, when SmartScreen says “Windows protected your PC”, click More info, then Run anyway. You only do this once. The source code is public if you would rather build it yourself or read what it does.
More on reading drives that will not open: external drive not mounting on a Mac. And a wider open-source roundup: open-source data recovery software.
How we checked
We compared the TestDisk and PhotoRec documentation with Retrova 1.1.1’s shipped behaviour. We did not run head-to-head recovery tests, so the page makes no claim about which finds more files. Competitor details were checked in October 2026 and are dated in the text. Vendor prices and free limits change often and many run permanent sales, so treat every figure here as approximate and confirm on the vendor’s own page before you buy.
Get Retrova
Free and open source for macOS 11+ and Windows 10/11. No account, no recovery limit, and it never writes to the drive you’re rescuing.
Download RetrovaFree for Mac and WindowsQuestions
Are TestDisk and PhotoRec the same thing?
They are separate programs distributed in one package by CGSecurity. TestDisk deals with partitions and file-system records; PhotoRec carves files by signature.
Should I run TestDisk or PhotoRec first?
Run PhotoRec first if you only want files back, because it never writes to the disk. Use TestDisk when you need the partition itself repaired, ideally on a copy.
Does Retrova replace TestDisk?
No. Retrova does not repair partitions or boot sectors. It does undelete files with their names on NTFS, FAT and exFAT, and covers the read-and-copy side with a graphical interface.
Can I use these on a failing drive?
Image the drive first, then run them on the image. Repeated scanning stresses a failing drive.