# Recuva

Application: Gen

Also called piriform recuva, recuva64

Gen, System

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

| 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.

| 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

| 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.

| Download      | [www.ccleaner.com/recuva ](https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva)Official installer or vendor page |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Help          | [support.ccleaner.com/ ](https://support.ccleaner.com/)Vendor support                        |
| Official site | [www.ccleaner.com/recuva ](https://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

Technical details

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

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[CCleaner: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/ccleaner)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [Recuva official site ](https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva)· Vendor product page
- [Recuva help ](https://support.ccleaner.com/)· Vendor support
- [Recuva download ](https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva/download)· Official installer
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

## Was this article useful?

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Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Developer**: Gen

  **Category**: File recovery

  **Process**: recuva64.exe

  **License**: Free edition and paid Professional

  **First released**: 2007

  **Official site**: [ccleaner.com/recuva](https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva)

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

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Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/recuva/)

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