Recover files from a disc Windows can't read
You put a CD or DVD into your computer and it looks empty, or Windows asks you to format it. The disc might hold family video, work documents or the only copy of a project. CDRoller from Digital Atlantic Corp. is built for this situation. It reads the disc directly instead of relying on the standard Windows routines.
Quick facts
- Current version: 12.4
- Platform: Windows
- Personal License: US $49. It is not limited to a single user on a single computer.
- Media covered: CD, DVD, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, plus hard drives, flash drives, memory cards and floppy disks
Key features
Get files back from unfinalized and damaged discs
CDRoller recovers files that Windows can't read. That includes unfinalized ("open") discs, incorrectly finalized discs, discs with corrupted folders and scratched or defective media.
Read discs made by packet-writing software and standalone devices
It recognizes discs made by tools such as Roxio and Nero. It also handles discs from standalone DVD recorders, camcorders and Sony Mavica CD cameras.
Find files on discs with a broken file system
The Raw ISO Data Identifier scans the raw sectors of a disc and tries to identify files without using the ISO/Joliet structures. A Session Selector lets you pull files from earlier sessions of a multisession disc, which helps when the last session is damaged.
Turn recovered DVD video into MPEG files
The built-in video splitter converts recovered VOB or VRO data into generic MPEG-2 files without loss of quality.
Burn the rescued files to a new disc
A built-in CD/DVD/BD burner writes recovered data to a fresh disc without leaving the program. It also includes an eraser for rewritable media.
Recover from hard drives, flash drives and memory cards too
The Extended Data Recovery option covers HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards and floppies. It supports UDF, ISO, Joliet, FAT, Ext and NTFS. You can also create an image file of a drive and recover from the image.
Other tools in the same window
You also get digital audio extraction to WAV, MP3, MP2, OGG or RAW. There is a disc readability tester, ISO image extraction, MD5 hashes for recovered files, and a content scanner that searches regardless of file names.
Who it's for
It suits you if you have old burned discs, camcorder DVDs or camera CDs that no longer open, and you want one tool instead of several. It also suits you if you need to recover files from a drive or memory card and burn the results to a new disc.
Pros and cons
- Pro: It covers a wide range of disc formats and recording software.
- Pro: It needs no administrator rights after installation, because it uses a special disk driver.
- Pro: One license can be installed on any number of your computers.
- Pro: It has a built-in burner, so you don't need other mastering software.
- Con: It is Windows-only.
- Con: Recovery from physically damaged discs is not guaranteed. The vendor says it "may still be able" to rescue files.
- Con: Extended Data Recovery for hard drives and flash media is an install option, and Windows may show a User Account Control prompt if you don't run it as admin.
FAQs
Does CDRoller need administrator rights?
Not after installation. It uses a special driver for direct disk access.
Can I use one license on several computers?
Yes. The Personal License isn't restricted to a single user on a single computer, so you can use it at work, at home and on a laptop.
Can it recover from unfinalized discs?
Yes. It reads unfinalized ("open") CDs and DVDs, including discs written with Microsoft's Live File System.
Does it work only on optical discs?
No. It also recovers from hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards and floppy disks.
Can I save recovered video as MPEG?
Yes. The built-in splitter converts recovered VOB or VRO files to MPEG-2.
System requirements
CDRoller runs on Windows. It supports Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 for Extended Data Recovery.