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Product Key Explorer VS PhotoRec

Compare Product Key Explorer VS PhotoRec and see what are their differences

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Product Key Explorer logo Product Key Explorer

Product Key Explorer is a key inventory and recovery software designed for Windows. It's meant to help users recover, find, and backup their activation keys for more than nine thousand popular software programs... read more.

PhotoRec logo PhotoRec

Jun 4, 2016 - PhotoRec is file data recovery software designed to recover lost files including video, documents and archives from hard disks, CD-ROMs, and lost pictures (thus the Photo Recovery name) from digital camera memory.
  • Product Key Explorer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03
  • PhotoRec Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-26

Product Key Explorer features and specs

  • Comprehensive Key Retrieval
    Product Key Explorer is capable of retrieving product keys from over 10,000 software products, including major ones like Windows, Adobe, and Microsoft Office.
  • Network Support
    The software can scan and retrieve product keys from multiple systems within a network, making it useful for network administrators managing several computers.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The tool features an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
  • Export Options
    It offers multiple ways to save retrieved keys, such as exporting them to formats like TXT, CSV, and XLS, which is convenient for backup and documentation.
  • Regular Updates
    The software receives updates to expand its database of supported software and ensure compatibility with new versions of applications.

Possible disadvantages of Product Key Explorer

  • Cost
    Product Key Explorer is a paid software, which may be a disadvantage for users seeking free alternatives.
  • Limited Features
    While it excels in finding product keys, it lacks other hardware or software management features that comprehensive IT management tools might offer.
  • Potential Security Concerns
    Like any tool that extracts product keys, there are security considerations, as the misuse of retrieved product keys could lead to unauthorized software installations.
  • Windows-Only
    The software is designed primarily for Windows-based systems and may not support macOS or Linux environments sufficiently.
  • Dependence on Installation
    To retrieve keys, the software must be installed and run locally on each computer or scanned network, which might be cumbersome in some situations.

PhotoRec features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    PhotoRec is free to use and its source code is open to the public. This allows for transparency, community-driven improvements, and no cost to the user.
  • Wide File Format Support
    PhotoRec supports the recovery of more than 480 file extensions, making it versatile for retrieving different types of data including documents, archives, and media files.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    PhotoRec is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD, allowing users to utilize the tool across various environments.
  • Effective Data Recovery
    PhotoRec can recover files from hard disks, CD-ROMs, memory cards, and other storage devices even if the filesystem has been severely damaged or reformatted.

Possible disadvantages of PhotoRec

  • Command-Line Interface
    The software primarily relies on a command-line interface which may be intimidating or challenging for users who are not tech-savvy or familiar with command-line operations.
  • Lack of User-Friendly Features
    There is no graphical user interface (GUI), which can make the process of file recovery less intuitive and more cumbersome for some users.
  • No Filter for Specific File Types
    PhotoRec recovers a wide variety of files indiscriminately, which can lead to a large volume of recovered data that might require significant effort to sift through.
  • No Preview Functionality
    The software does not offer a preview option for files before recovering them, making it difficult for users to identify specific files they wish to restore.

Analysis of PhotoRec

Overall verdict

  • PhotoRec is considered one of the best free data recovery tools available, especially for users comfortable with a command-line interface and those looking for a reliable solution without any cost. While it may not have a graphical user interface, its performance and effectiveness in recovering files make it a worthwhile choice.

Why this product is good

  • PhotoRec is a highly regarded open-source data recovery software that specializes in recovering lost files from a variety of storage devices, such as hard disks, memory cards, and USB drives. It is particularly effective because it ignores the file system and goes after the underlying data, which allows it to recover files even from corrupted or reformatted partitions. It's also capable of recognizing numerous file formats, making it versatile for different recovery needs.

Recommended for

    PhotoRec is recommended for technically savvy individuals who need a robust data recovery solution capable of handling a wide range of file types across different storage media. It's also suited for users who are dealing with severe data loss situations where traditional file recovery tools might fail.

Product Key Explorer videos

Product Key Explorer 3.9.6.0

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to use Product Key Explorer
  • Review - Nsasoft Product Key Explorer v4.2.6.0 + Crack

PhotoRec videos

No PhotoRec videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Product Key Explorer and PhotoRec)
OS & Utilities
100 100%
0% 0
Backup & Restore
0 0%
100% 100
iPhone
100 100%
0% 0
Data Recovery Software
0 0%
100% 100

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Reviews

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PhotoRec Reviews

The 8 Proven Mobile Phone Data Recovery Softwares [Updated in 2023]
PhotoRec is an open-source software released under GPL v2+aimed at mobile data recovery. It can help users retrieve extremely damaged photos, audio, and video files stored on memory sticks, SD cards, MMC, Microdrive, and CF cards.
Top 6 Effective SD Card Recovery Softwares ( Updated in 2023 )
PhotoRec is an open source and free SD card data recovery tool that supports recovery of all types of files. It has been tested to efficiently recover deleted files and folders from SD, HDD, SSD, USB flash drives and memory cards. Compatible with all types of computers and hard drives, it is secure and reliable enough for business users. However, PhotoRec takes longer to...
Top 10 Free Paid Photo Recovery Softwares in 2022
PhotoRec is a software specially designed to recover photos from any PC. The service is open source, which means you can modify it if you have the necessary skills. PhotoRec is similar to TestDisk, with a DOS-based interface. Therefore, unlike other photo recovery softwares, PhotoRec does not have a graphical interface for viewing photos. On the other hand, one cannot deny...
Top 10 Best Data Recovery Software in 2021 (That Actually Worth Your Time!)
In terms of performance, PhotoRec can measure up to many paid data recovery software applications. It uses a non-destructive data recovery method, which prevents it from writing to the same storage device the user is about to recover from. In certain cases, PhotoRec can successfully recover even fragmented files scattered all over the place.
Top 5 Recuva Data Recovery Alternatives for Windows
PhotoRec is a powerful free Recuva Data Recovery software alternative for windows. It is quite safe as it does not write to either a memory directory or Drive from where you want to recover your data. The recovered files will be saved in the directory that was stored in. You can perform a series of processes like selection of a drive and partition, starting a recovery...

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Product Key Explorer and PhotoRec, you can also consider the following products

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder - The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware utility that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install windows from your registry. It also has a community- updated configuration file that retrieves product keys for many other applications.

Recuva - Accidentally deleted an important file? Lost files after a computer crash?

Recover Keys - Recover Keys is product keyfinder program which can recover lost product keys for Windows 8, 7, 10, Office, Exchange, Adobe Photoshop and many-many more.

TestDisk - TestDisk is a free and open source data recovery software tool designed to recover lost partition and unerase deleted files. DownloadDownload TestDisk & PhotoRec. TestDisk is a free and open .

Mac Product Key Finder - Mac Product Key Finder is a simple tool for recovering lost product keys for mac applications.

Disk Drill by Cleverfiles - Recover any type of deleted files in Windows & Mac including Office documents, messages, and media files quickly and easily.