DataNumen TAR Repair: Salvage Files From a Damaged Unix TAR Archive on Windows
DataNumen TAR Repair is a $149.95 Windows tool that repairs corrupt Unix TAR archives, including ones made with 7-Zip, and saves a rebuilt copy of the archive. It is a one-time purchase for one user, and it does one narrow job.
A TAR file is a plain sequence of files with headers between them, so a damaged stretch doesn't have to take the whole archive with it. The trouble is that ordinary extraction tends to give up when it reaches the damage. This tool scans past it and writes out what it finds.
Quick facts
- Version: 4.0, released January 3, 2024
- Developer: DataNumen, Inc. (sold as Advanced TAR Repair in earlier years)
- Platform: Windows (32-bit program)
- Files: standard Unix TAR files, and TAR files created by 7-Zip and similar tools
- Price: $149.95 for one user, one-time, at checkout (the vendor's list price is $199.95)
- Trial: free demo that reports the recoverable items but doesn't output the fixed archive
- Guarantee: 30 days
- What we checked: installer file version 4.00 (13.91 MB, with a valid DataNumen, Inc. digital signature) downloaded from the vendor, with a January 3, 2024 file date; the $149.95 order page price, with no auto-renewal shown. We didn't repair a damaged archive ourselves. Checked on November 9, 2026.
Before you buy
- Try a free extraction first. Run
tar -tvf on the file or open it in 7-Zip and see how far it gets. If the files you need come out, you don't need this.
- Check what kind of file you have. The specifications list TAR only. A compressed
.tar.gz or .tgz isn't on the list, so test one in the demo before counting on it.
- Read the demo's report. It lists what the full version can recover, so you know what you're paying for.
- Upgrades run for one month. After that a new version needs the Annual Support and Maintenance Plan or a paid upgrade fee.
- A refund needs a reason. The 30-day guarantee asks you to explain why in detail, and DataNumen may ask for the original damaged file.
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Overview
DataNumen TAR Repair takes a damaged archive and writes a new one next to it: Damaged.tar becomes Damaged_fixed.tar, and the original stays as it was. You then extract the fixed archive with whatever you normally use. There's very little to configure. The Options page has a single switch, for opening the fixed file when the repair ends.
The Repair tab of the version 4.0 demo: the TAR file, the output name, the progress bar and the repair log.
Features
Repairs standard Unix TAR archives
DataNumen TAR Repair is built for the standard Unix TAR format and also accepts TAR files created by 7-Zip and other tools. It recovers both files and folders.
Works on disk image files
DataNumen TAR Repair lists disk image recovery in its specifications, so if the drive holding the archive is failing and you have imaged it, the image can be the source.
Batch repair
DataNumen TAR Repair's Batch Repair tab takes a list of archives, added by hand or found with Search Files, and repairs them in one run.
The Batch Repair tab: source and target names, repair status, and buttons to add, search for and remove files.
Benefits
- You find out for free. The demo reports the recoverable items before any money changes hands.
- Nothing to set up. Pick the file, start the repair.
- The damaged file is left alone, so you can still try something else afterwards.
Real-World Uses
- A backup made before a laptop went in for service won't extract. One customer quoted below recovered a 7 GB archive of his documents this way.
- An archive copied from a Linux server arrives damaged and the server copy is gone. Repair it on a Windows PC.
- A set of old TAR backups from a failing drive. Image the drive, then queue the archives for a batch repair.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
It suits Windows users holding one TAR archive they can't replace, after free extraction has failed.
Skip it if you can fetch the archive again or restore it from another copy. Linux and Mac users need a Windows PC to run it, so it is an awkward fit for most people who live in TAR files. And at this price, skip it for a one-off archive of files that aren't worth much to you.
Usage Guide
- Download and install the demo, then close anything that might access the archive.
- On the Repair tab, type the archive name, browse to it, or use the find button to search the computer.
- Check the output name, which ends in
_fixed.tar by default.
- Click Start Repair and follow the progress bar.
- Read the report of recoverable items. If your files are listed, order the full version and repair again.
- Extract the fixed archive. If a full extraction stops with errors, try extracting the folders you need by name.
Where it falls short
- A fixed archive may still throw errors. The customer quoted below found that
tar xvf on the output "died with errors", and only extracting his Finances folder by name brought those files out.
- A high price for a narrow job. TAR is an uncompressed format, and $149.95 is the same as the price of DBF Repair, a much more involved program from the same company.
- No update since January 2024, and no Linux or Mac version.
What Users Say
Independent reviews of this tool are hard to find. DataNumen's product page shows 4.90 out of 5 from 1,639 votes, which is the vendor's own count. The two comments below come from DataNumen's site.
Customers on DataNumen's site
Kevin Smith, Texas, USA: "I bought your software yesterday to recover a 7GB tar file that was my entire "Documents and Settings" directory from my laptop which is going in for service. ... The freebie version showed that it could apparently repair everything I lost, so I bought and registered the software. When I ran it, it saved Docs_fixed.tar, and I ran a *tar xvf* on it. It died with errors and passed up most of the contents. However, I re-ran the tar command with filename arguments to just extract the ones I was interested in (my whole "Finances" directory), and by God, it got them all in perfect condition."
MShawn Scott, Huntsville, Alabama, USA: "Thank you! It worked. I'll recommend you to anyone who has to recover a Tar file."
Both customers got what they needed, but the longer story is the useful one: expect to work a little to get files out of the repaired archive.
Comparisons
DataNumen TAR Repair vs. DataNumen Archive Repair
Archive Repair is DataNumen's $199.95 suite, which covers Zip and SFX, RAR, TAR and CAB archives. For $50 more you get the other three formats, so it is the better buy if you deal with more than TAR. Buy TAR Repair only if TAR files are all you will ever need to fix.
Editions and Pricing
There's one edition. The order page shows a weekly special price for every quantity, and $149.95 is what a single license costs at checkout.
| User licenses | List price each (US$) | Special price each (US$) |
|---|
| 1 | 199.95 | 149.95 |
| 2 - 9 | 149.95 | 119.95 |
| 10 - 24 | 119.95 | 89.95 |
| 25 - 49 | 99.95 | 69.95 |
| 50 - 99 | 69.95 | 49.95 |
| 100 - 199 | 49.95 | 39.95 |
| 200 - 499 | 39.95 | 29.95 |
| 500+ | 29.95 | 19.95 |
FAQs
Is DataNumen TAR Repair a subscription?
No. DataNumen TAR Repair is a one-time purchase with no auto-renewal at checkout.
How do I get DataNumen TAR Repair after I order?
DataNumen says you get a confirmation email shortly after ordering, then within 15 minutes a second email with a link to the full version of DataNumen TAR Repair.
What should I do if DataNumen TAR Repair fails on my archive?
DataNumen asks you to save the repair log with system information included and send it to its technical support, which is the route to take before requesting a refund on DataNumen TAR Repair.
Can DataNumen TAR Repair run on Linux?
No. DataNumen TAR Repair is a Windows program, so copy the damaged archive to a Windows PC to repair it.
System Requirements
- Windows
- Intel or equivalent processor, x86 or x64
- 16 MB of memory minimum, 1 GB recommended
- 18 MB of disk space
Conclusion
Worth $149.95 only if a TAR archive you can't replace has defeated free extraction and the demo lists your files. If you also handle Zip or RAR, the $199.95 Archive Repair suite is the better deal. The reason to buy is that it can get past damage that stops ordinary extraction. The main reason not to is the price for such a narrow tool.
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