Supported File Systems
NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and APFS recovery on local Windows and Mac drives.
Written by the Refindo Recovery Team · Updated
The file system determines how a recovery scan finds names, folders, and file contents. Refindo supports the local desktop file systems that matter for most consumer data recovery: NTFS on Windows drives, FAT32 and exFAT on USB and SD media, and APFS on modern Mac volumes. It does not support Linux-only recovery, NAS, RAID, or enterprise storage workflows.
What this covers
- NTFS recovery for Windows disks, external drives, and RAW volumes
- FAT32 recovery for older USB drives and SD cards
- exFAT recovery for large SD cards and cross-platform external drives
- APFS recovery for Mac volumes and external SSDs
- Quick Scan when metadata survives and Deep Scan when it does not
Supported Recovery Scope
File-system support is the technical boundary for Refindo recovery. The drive still needs to be detectable and readable at the device level.
Supported devices
Supported file systems
Preview and recovery support
- Photos: JPG, PNG, TIFF, WEBP, HEIC, HEIF, AVIF, DNG
- Documents: selected Word, Excel, PDF, text and common office files
- Video: common clips such as MP4, MOV, MKV, and AVI
- Other files can be recovered even when preview is not available
Not supported
- iPhone, Android, messages, contacts, or phone app data
- Cloud-only recovery from Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, or Google Photos
- Linux-only recovery workflows
- NAS, RAID, server, VMware, SQL, or enterprise database recovery
- Hardware repair for clicking, beeping, dead, or incorrectly sized drives
Free Scan, Preview, and Recovery Limits
Refindo lets you scan and preview files before paying. The free plan includes up to 500 MB of recovery. Paid plans unlock unlimited recovery: $29 monthly, $49 annually, or $99 lifetime.
Scan, preview, and recover up to 500 MB
Unlimited recovery, billed monthly
Unlimited recovery, billed yearly
One payment for lifetime access
Prices and limits use the shared site fallback values. The app still fetches environment-specific checkout product IDs before purchase.
Recovery Safety Rules
Scan before repairing, formatting, initializing, or running tools like CHKDSK and First Aid. Repair tools write to the source.
Recover to a different drive or partition. Saving results back to the source can overwrite files still waiting to be recovered.
Stop when hardware symptoms appear: clicking, grinding, repeated disconnects, wrong capacity, or I/O errors call for a lab, not repeated scans.
Recovery Workflow
- Identify the affected device and file system when possible.
- Run Quick Scan first if the volume still mounts or files were recently deleted.
- Run Deep Scan after format, RAW errors, or missing directory structures.
- Preview important files because file-system damage can affect names and folders.
- Recover to another drive and only repair or reformat afterward.
Best Practices
- Do not format a RAW volume just to make the OS recognize it.
- Do not run file-system repair before recovery when files matter.
- Expect better names and folders when metadata survives.
- Expect type-based results when Deep Scan has to rebuild from signatures.
NTFS
NTFS is the common Windows file system. When its Master File Table survives, Quick Scan can often recover names, folders, and timestamps after deletion or an emptied Recycle Bin. RAW NTFS and formatted NTFS cases usually need Deep Scan.
- Best pages: Windows Data Recovery, NTFS Drive Became RAW, Recover Formatted NTFS Drive.
- Common devices: internal Windows drives, external HDDs, and USB drives.
FAT32 and exFAT
FAT32 and exFAT are common on USB sticks, SD cards, cameras, and cross-platform external disks. They are portable but less forgiving after unsafe removal, so format prompts and empty-card symptoms are common.
- Best pages: USB Drive Recovery, SD Card Recovery, Recover Files from SD Card.
- Deep Scan is often needed after quick format or RAW media.
APFS
APFS is the modern Mac file system. It is common on internal Mac SSDs and external SSDs. Refindo supports APFS recovery for deleted, formatted, erased, disappeared, and unmounted-volume cases when the device is readable.
- Best pages: Mac Data Recovery, APFS Recovery, APFS Volume Disappeared.
- Encrypted APFS cases may require the correct password or unlock state.
What Is Not Covered
Linux, NAS, RAID, and servers
Refindo does not support Linux-only file systems, NAS recovery, RAID reconstruction, VMware, SQL, or enterprise database recovery. Those cases need tools or services built for that storage layer.
Phone and cloud recovery
Refindo does not recover iPhone, Android, message, contact, Google Photos, iCloud, OneDrive, or Google Drive account data. It works on local desktop drives and removable media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which file systems does Refindo support?
Refindo supports NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and APFS on local Windows and Mac recovery workflows.
Does Refindo support Linux file systems?
No. Linux-only recovery workflows and Linux file systems are outside Refindo support.
Why do names disappear after Deep Scan?
When the file-system metadata is gone, Deep Scan rebuilds files from signatures. The content can come back even when original names and folders cannot.
Does file-system support mean hardware can be repaired?
No. File-system support means Refindo can scan readable media. Physically failing drives may need a hardware lab.
Start with a free scan
Check recoverable files first, then decide whether to proceed with recovery, and save results to a separate drive.