Recuva

ApplicationGen

Also called piriform recuva, recuva64

GenSystem

An undelete tool from Piriform, now Gen. The 64-bit process is recuva64.exe. SSDs and TRIM make success worse than on HDDs. It is not File History.

What you need to know

Recuva undeletes files. File History is a backup you had to enable first.

Gen's Recuva (formerly Piriform) scans for deleted files. Get it from ccleaner.com/recuva. SSD plus TRIM makes success worse than on HDDs. File History is a different Windows feature.

What is it?: An undelete tool
Same as File History?: No. File History is a Windows backup
Works on SSDs?: Often poorly, because of TRIM

Feex says

If the file lived on an SSD, I would not promise Recuva can get it back. TRIM often wipes the blocks. On an HDD I would scan and recover to another disk. File History is the better story if it was already on.

What is Recuva?

Recuva scans free space for leftover file records. recuva64.exe is the wizard. File History copies files you turned on in Settings. They are different jobs.

If you have never used it

If you deleted a file and it is not in the Recycle Bin, Recuva is Piriform's undelete tool, now under Gen. Download it from ccleaner.com/recuva. Recover to another drive. SSDs with TRIM often cannot bring the file back. It is not File History, not OneDrive version history, and not CCleaner.

What is it used for?

Undelete from an HDD or a USB stick

The wizard scans a volume. File History only helps if you already enabled it before the delete.

Deep scan when a quick scan misses

Deep scan takes longer. On an SSD with TRIM, even deep scan often fails. That is the flash translation, not a Recuva bug.

Recover to a different drive

Do not write the recovered file onto the same volume you are scanning. CCleaner's cleaner is the opposite job: it deletes more.

Who is it for?

People who emptied the Recycle Bin too soon
Anyone with an HDD or a camera card
Users who should try File History or OneDrive first if those were on

Current status

Recuva (2007) is a current file recovery from Gen. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva.

How old is it?

Recuva launched in 2007 when most PCs still used HDDs. TRIM on SSDs changed the odds. File History is a Windows backup feature, not this scanner. Gen still publishes Recuva next to CCleaner.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Free

Professional

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, per the current Recuva download
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Rises during a deep scan
Disk demand: Heavy reads on the source volume

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
recuva64.exe	Recovery wizard window
recuva.exe	32-bit build name on some installs

Startup components

Recuva should not start with Windows. Close it after the recover.

File locations

Common Recuva locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\Recuva\

File formats

Attempts to restore whatever the leftover records name

Common problems

Scan on an SSD after days of use

TRIM and new writes reuse the blocks. Recuva cannot invent data File History never copied.

Recover onto the same drive

That can overwrite the very clusters you need. Pick another disk.

Getting unstuck

Download from ccleaner.com/recuva

A "Recuva Pro key" host is not Gen. File History is Settings > Update & Security > Backup if you meant Windows backup.

Stop using the volume, then scan, then recover to another drive

That is the Recuva workflow. CCleaner is the wrong next click. It deletes more files.

If the disk is an SSD and the file is days old, look for OneDrive or File History instead

TRIM is why undelete odds drop. Recuva is not magic on flash.

Alternatives

File History and OneDrive versioning if they were on. Vendor recovery tools. A lab image if the data is critical.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.ccleaner.com/recuva Official installer or vendor page
Help	support.ccleaner.com/ Vendor support
Official site	www.ccleaner.com/recuva Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

HDDs keep deleted data longer. SSDs with TRIM usually do not. Recuva does not change that hardware fact.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Recuva official site · Vendor product page
Recuva help · Vendor support
Recuva download · Official installer
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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