File Scavenger for Windows

Cross-platform file system scanner

File Scavenger runs as a Windows-native data recovery utility that performs sector-level analysis across physical disks, removable media, RAID sets, and supported virtual disk containers. It executes read-only scans to parse on-disk structures directly. This engine supports diverse file systems like NTFS, ReFS, and ext4, ensuring safe metadata retrieval without modifying the original source media.

File Scavenger utilizes advanced signature carving and manual RAID reconstruction to recover lost data from corrupted volumes. The system builds an index and saves scan states in reloadable session files. This allows you to resume recovery tasks later, thereby avoiding time-consuming, repetitive hardware reads.

File Scavenger implements Quick and Long Scan modes with distinct traversal depths. Quick Scan reads file system metadata, such as Master File Tables, to rapidly locate deleted entries. Long Scan performs a full-surface traversal for signature detection when metadata is lost, though it can potentially produce duplicate records that require manual filtering. The engine manages sector read errors through configurable skip ranges rather than retries.

Recovery logic

Advanced recovery functions are controlled through the Advanced Volumes engine, which maps detected partition traces and reconstructed layouts. The Volume Affiliation control reassigns records to alternate traces and recalculates cluster offsets without rescanning. However, manual alignment settings are required to ensure that reconstructed data points point to the correct physical sectors. Signature-based recovery groups files by internal headers rather than directory structures, often resulting in differences from orphaned folder listings.

The software includes a RAID reconstruction module and virtual disk loader for VMDK, VHD, VHDX, and SparseBundle containers. RAID setup requires manual entry of disk order, stripe size, and parity schemes. Incorrect values cause predictable offset corruption. Snapshot chains must be loaded in chronological order to reflect the latest states. Large-disk handling depends on correct sector alignment settings; mismatches can shift critical scan offsets.

plete overhaul of its scanning engine. You can also scan your system with the help of an online tool, if you do not have a Windows PC Registry cleaner installed on your machine.

Rebuilding complex raid arrays

File Scavenger version 6 runs on Windows and performs sector-level scans across physical, virtual, and RAID storage using metadata parsing and signature carving. It supports multiple file systems from Windows, Linux, and Apple environments while executing only on a Windows host. Advanced recovery depends on manual RAID, affiliation, and sector parameters. Deep scans and raw carving can produce duplicate or misaligned records when configuration values are incorrect.