Databases aren’t something most people use casually. Even if you’re using one for personal use, you’re probably tracking something fairly involved. This is especially true if you’re using a heavyweight application like dBase or Microsoft Visual FoxPro. Because of this, chances are good that if something goes wrong with your database, it’s a pretty big deal. Whether you’re storing important client data or any other aspect of your business, you don’t want it to go missing. Regular backups can help prevent this, but if you need to recover data, Recovery Toolbox for DBF is essentially a digital multi-tool for databases.

System Requirements

The system requirements for Recovery Toolbox for DBF are fairly minimal. You’ll need to run Windows, but many different versions are supported. To be specific, the app supports Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10 or Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016 and above. Unlike some other Recovery Toolbox products, you don’t need to have the database software that created your file installed in order to complete recovery. You can save different database files using just Recovery Toolbox for DBF.

Features

One of the greatest strengths of Recovery Toolbox for DBF is that it isn’t limited to just one application. Regardless of which application created your DBF file, you can use this app to recover your data. That means it’s especially handy for data recovery specialists who may be working with clients who use different applications. The application you may recognize the most is Microsoft Visual FoxPro, but that’s not the only one that is supported. Other supported applications include dBase III, dBase IV, Clipper, and others. This doesn’t just apply to reading files, either. Once you’ve recovered a file, you can save it in a number of different formats. Which one is up to you, as you can save it for applications from dBase III to Visual FoxPro 9.0. In our testing, the software read and recovered every file we threw at it quickly. It also wrote the recovered files quickly, no matter which output format was chosen. The source file isn’t modified in any way, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your original database further.

Using Recovery Toolbox for DBF

Downloading and installing Recovery Toolbox for DBF is a simple process. Then you simply enter your license key using the appropriate option in the Help menu, and you’re ready to start. Open the app, then choose the *.DBF file you want to recover. Hit Next and follow the prompts, then the recovery process will begin. This will take longer for larger files, but in our testing it was fairly quick, even on larger database files. Once the initial recovery is complete, you’ll see a preview of your data. This lets you see if recovery was successful, as well as what data was recovered in the process. If you’re happy with the results, you can move forward. Now you simply choose which file type you’d like to use to export the recovered data. Choose a file name, then choose the file type from the drop-down menu. Once the process is complete, you’ll see a brief summary of the recovery process.

Online Service

There may be situations in which you can’t install Recovery Toolbox for DBF. Either you may be running an unsupported operating system, or you may not be able to install software on the computer you’re using. In this case you can use the online service we mentioned above. Simply enter your name and email address, fill out the captcha field, then choose the file to upload. The recovery process will start. If this is going to take a while, you can safely leave the tab, and the tool will send you an automated email once recovery is finished. Then you can take a look at the preview, and if you’re satisfied, enter your payment data to pay and download the recovered file.

Pricing

There are a few different tiers of pricing for Recovery Toolbox for DBF. Unlike a lot of software, each tier will get you the same features. Here, the tiers depend on who is using them. For individuals, you can opt for the Personal license, which costs $27. For businesses, including individuals using the software for commercial purposes, the Business license is available, which costs $45. Finally, if you’re a business installing Recovery Toolbox for DBF on multiple machines, the Site License is available to you. This costs $60 and lets you install the software on up to 100 devices. Finally, there is also an online repair service for people who don’t want to or can’t use the desktop version of Recovery Toolbox for DBF. We’ll look over how this works later, but the pricing can vary. Most users can expect to pay $10 per database file recovered.

Conclusion

As with many of the products that Recovery Toolbox sells, simply knowing that this tool exists may be enough to let you know you need it. If your life could go very wrong thanks to losing a database, Recovery Toolbox for DBF is a handy tool to have in your arsenal. In that case, if you even think you might need software, it may be worth it. If you’re unsure of whether this tool will meet your needs, you can always download the free trial. This is entirely functional, with the caveat that you can’t save until you purchase the full version. That said, the preview is fully functional, so you can be absolutely certain that it will successfully recover your file before you pay for it.