Windows · v0.4.1
TechXplored File Recovery for BlueStacks
Recover deleted photos, videos, documents and app data from an offline BlueStacks Data.vhdx disk image. Review the scan results and copy the files you need to a separate folder. The source image is opened read-only.
Supported recovery formats
With Carve file types enabled, Scan deleted looks for these recognizable file structures in unallocated disk space.
- Images
- JPEG and PNG
- ZIP-based files
- ZIP, APK/APKS/XAPK, Office, OpenDocument and EPUB
- PDF documents
- Readable document revisions
- SQLite databases
- Whole database snapshots
- WAV & Ogg audio
- WAV, Ogg Vorbis, Opus and Speex
- GZIP archives
- Complete compressed members
- Android DEX files
- DEX versions 035–040
- MP4-family media
- Conventional MP4, MOV, M4A and 3GP/3G2 files
256 MiB per carved file by default. Raise Max file to 1 GiB for larger videos or archives. This limit does not apply to recovery through surviving file records.
File scanning and extraction
Search and sort the results, select files, and choose how to organize the copies.
- Read-only disk access
- Reads the disk image without mounting or changing it. Close the BlueStacks instance that uses the image before scanning.
- Deleted records & signature carving
- Search retained file records and unallocated disk space for deleted files. Use Scan existing to copy files still present in the directory tree.
- Filter, search & sort
- Filter existing files by Shared storage or App data, then category and path. Sort the whole filtered list by path, numeric size, category or recovery status.
- Selected or matching extraction
- Use Ctrl/Shift to select rows, Ctrl+A for all matching rows, or Extract matching to copy the current filtered results.
- Three output layouts
- Organize by Category / extension, Original folders or By app. Category output uses detected formats to correct known extensions, including image cache files named
.0. - SHA-256 checked copies
- Each copy is read back and checked against the bytes read from the disk image. Reports include the original path, destination and SHA-256 hash.
- Saved inventories & recovery reports
- Save a scan inventory and reopen it later without rescanning. Reports include recovery results, scan limits and read errors. The source is checked again before extraction.
- Stopping an operation
- Stop a scan or extraction while keeping completed copies. Incomplete output is removed, and each operation saves to a new folder.
Recovery methods and limitations
Recovery depends on the records and data left on the disk. Overwritten or discarded data cannot be recovered.
Recovery methods
- Deleted record
- Retained file metadata points to readable, currently unallocated data. Reused or unavailable blocks cannot be restored.
- Orphaned record
- Readable data has a file record but no path in the readable directory tree. This alone does not prove deletion.
- Carved files
- Finds supported file structures in contiguous unallocated data and applies format-specific checks, such as archive checksums or database integrity. Original filenames may be unknown.
SHA-256 verifies the copy against the bytes read. It cannot establish whether those original bytes were already damaged.
Supported disk images
Standalone VHDX images with supported ext2/ext3/ext4 filesystems. Tested with Nougat32 and Nougat64 dynamic VHDX images using MBR and ext4.
- Use an offline
Data.vhdx. Stop the BlueStacks instance using it, or choose an offline copy. - No VHD/VDI input, VHDX parent chains, decryption or filesystem repair.
- No journal/log replay, fragmented-file carving or recovery of overwritten or discarded bytes.
- MP4-family carving needs complete conventional structures. Missing movie metadata and fragmented MP4 are not reconstructed.
- SQLite recovery saves whole snapshots. It does not recover individual deleted rows or reconstruct WAL changes.
Additional format and filesystem limits
Carving needs contiguous, unallocated bytes and stays within the selected size limit. ZIP recovery does not support encrypted or split archives or ZIP64 end records. PDF recovery may return an earlier readable revision. Media structure is checked without decoding the pictures or audio. DEX 041 is unsupported.
A filesystem requiring journal replay is read in its existing on-disk state with a warning; recent changes may be missing. A VHDX requiring container log replay is unsupported. Recovery does not support ext4 bigalloc. App databases are copied intact without decoding individual messages or records.
Availability and setup
Download links are temporarily unavailable.
For an existing copy, extract the ZIP and run TechXploredFileRecovery.exe. Keep _internal beside it. The portable app does not need Python, 7-Zip, administrator rights or an internet connection.
Choose an offline Data.vhdx and a separate destination. Enable Carve file types, set Max file if needed, and click Scan deleted. Review the candidates, then extract selected or matching files.
Windows application
GUI + command line
TechXploredFileRecoveryCLI.exe supports scans, filtered extraction and recovery. The package includes documentation of recovery format support.