1. Sector-Level Scanning Architecture
Windows Utils Data Recovery Our unique level-sector scanning engine scans your storage device, reading the raw disk clusters directly. This enables the software to search for and rebuild your files' entry into the file system. It will never, at any time, connect to a network or send your data to a remote server.
2. Write-Barrier Enforcement
- Read-Only Mode: in all scanning modes, Windows Volume Shadow Copy is used, with the alternative of reading raw sectors via calls that request write access are blocked at the driver level.
- No Modification of Source: This software never writes to, reformats or changes the source storage device during the course of recovery.
- Destination Separation: The files recovered are always written to a destination drive/ folder of your choice BEFORE the recovery process actually starts.
3. Destination and Output Controls for Recovery
- You Decide Where to Save: You are asked to choose a save location before a recovery operation starts, and nothing is stored without your permission.
- No Cloud Sync: The software can't sync, upload, or share a recovered file to a cloud provider.
- Original Format Preservation: Files retrieved are preserved in the original format and are un-encoded, without any modifications.
4. Diagnostic Telemetry Boundaries
The app may also send anonymous performance data (for example, average duration of scanning, read throughput per sector), to enhance subsequent release. No file names or contents, path names, or other data that would allow to identify your particular files are included in the telemetry. Telemetry can be turned off in the Settings window.
5. License Activation & Network Activity
- The software initiates only one outbound network request, which is a remote validation of license key against activate .windowsutils.com during the first launch.
- This validation only passes back your license key hash along with your Windows edition ID. There is no file system data that is returned.
- Once the software is activated successfully, then all recovery processes will be done through the complete offline mode.
6. Administrator Privilege Justification
- Access to all disk sectors, regardless of how they are protected by the Windows security model, is only possible with higher privileges.
- No system files, hives, network adapters (except for user installed ones), or legacy boot files are installed, updated, or managed with administrator privileges.
- The application has read only access to the sectors and enumeration access to storage devices.
7. Your Rights as the Device Owner
- You control which drives are searched and what recovered files are saved.
- You can cancel the scan at anytime without any partial data being written.
- Complete removal of the software will delete all local configuration, scan history, and temporary index files.
8. Compliance Statement
- GDPR: Since no personal data leaves the machine for the duration of recoveries, no processing can take place without user control.
- DPDPA: All data processing happens locally for compliance with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act requirements.
9. Contact
For questions about how the Data Recovery software accesses your storage devices or handles recovered content, contact us at support@windowsutils.com.