This is a sponsored article and was made possible by Recovery Toolbox. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.

Ask anyone who uses databases, and they’ll be quick to tell you that databases are complicated things. Even what appears to be a relatively simple database on the surface can be quite complex underneath. They can also be quite tough to fix when something goes wrong.

There’s a reason most software that relies heavily on databases frequently backs that data. It’s much simpler to restore a functioning database than to try to fix a damaged or corrupted one. In the case of the latter, Recovery Toolbox for MySQL could make your life much easier.

System Requirements

There aren’t any hardware requirements listed for Recovery Toolbox for MySQL, and software requirements are slim. The software is Windows-only but supports most versions. Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10 are all supported. For server versions, Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012, and 2016 are supported.

In many cases you won’t necessarily have database software running on your own computer. Instead, the database is located on a server or other computer. Fortunately, Recovery Toolbox for MySQL doesn’t rely on any other software. This means nothing is going to get in the way of recovering your data.

Features

MySQL databases can use different storage engines, which could make recovery tricky if your software only supports one. Recovery Toolbox for MySQL can recover both MyISAM and InnoDB formats, meaning you’re covered no matter what.

This flexibility is present when it comes to saving your recovered data as well. You can export recovered data as an SQL script or export data directly into an existing MySQL server database. You can also save data selectively, so if you only need some key information out of a corrupted database, you don’t have to save the entire thing.

Recovery Toolbox for MySQL can recover tables, indexes, primary keys, foreign keys, and even views. It also supports Unicode data for recovery. After initial recovery, you can preview recovered tables, complete with their content. You can also preview recovered SQL structures.

Performance

Unless you’re a data recovery specialist, most people don’t happen to have damaged or corrupted databases on hand. Because of this, the people at Recovery Toolbox supplied us with several examples of databases to test the software. In our tests, recovery was always relatively quick, though obviously this will vary greatly with different hardware.

The preview features are very handy. In fact, the preview function may be one of the key selling points of this software. This is especially true since there is no online recovery option, which is usually available for many of Recovery Toolbox’s other software tools.

Using Recovery Toolbox for MySQL

To get started with Recovery Toolbox for MySQL, download and run the installer. Let it complete installation, and the app will automatically launch for the first time. You can choose to register a license for the app now or can do that part later.

This software, like other software from this developer, is presented in the form of a “wizard.” This walks you through the recovery. Start by choosing the directory that contains database files to load, then the wizard will auto-discover the database names. Pick the database to load, then choose a name for the new database in which recovered data will be saved.

Depending on how large the database is and how powerful your computer is, recovery time will vary. It may take a few seconds or a few minutes. It could even take several minutes. Once initial recovery is finished, you can preview the recovered data.

The preview stage is also where you can choose which data you want to save, assuming you don’t want to save it all. Once you’ve had a chance to look everything over, you can save the recovered data.

Pricing

There are a few different options for buying Recovery Toolbox for MySQL, but the feature set is the same for all of them. The difference is whether you’re buying for personal or business use. To start, a single Personal license costs $27.

A Business license, either for use by companies, governments, or individuals using the software for commercial purposes, costs $45. Finally, a site license costs $60, which allows installation on up to 100 different devices. This can be in one building or divided across multiple locations.

Conclusion

As with many of the software tools from this developer, this isn’t a software Swiss Army knife. Recovery Toolbox for MySQL is a specialized tool meant for a very specific task. When you need this software to do its job, it does it well. That alone should be information enough for you to tell whether this software is a good choice for you.

Unlike many other tools from Recovery Toolbox, there is no online version of this software. If you want to recover a database, you’ll need to buy the software. Fortunately, you can try Recovery Toolbox for MySQL for free. This will let you try recovering your database and even let you preview the recovered data. To save the recovered data, you can purchase a license.

Kris Wouk is a writer, musician, and whatever it’s called when someone makes videos for the web.

Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox