Data is something that is present in various forms, based on the type of files and the device that we make use of. Data can be in the form of documents, that contain text or presentations which contain a combination of text and images. Data can also be in the form of photos or videos that have been captured using the camera. Data is again dependent on the type of device that we make use of. For example, data on a fixed hard drive could contain a combination of various types of data, while data on a digital camera consists mainly of images, audio and video files.

Since data is of various types, data loss too, is of different types based on the devices. Data loss on a hard drive could result due to viruses, malware, accidental formatting etc, while data loss on a digital camera could result from damage to the memory card, formatting of the memory card, improper plugging in or removal of the memory card etc. Though some cases of data loss are restricted to certain devices, others are common to many types of storage medium. Hence, users should be selective in choosing the lost data recovery software that suits them the best.

While the user would require a flash data recovery tool to recover data from flash drive, he would require a good hard drive recovery software, to recover data from a fixed hard drive or an external hard drive. This not only saves the user a lot of money, but also valuable time.