DiskExplorer X

Visualize on-disk and file system structures

DiskExplorer X

Runtime's DiskExplorer X (formerly "Disk Digger") lets you inspect and navigate any file system or on-disk structure. Details are displayed in an Internet Explorer window. Scripts and an integrated script interpreter generate DiskExplorer X views. The customizable scripts determine what information will be displayed and how. The script language is Pascal, so anyone with knowledge of a higher-level programming language can modify existing or create new scripts.

Download Help file Note Documentation

Price: Free

Version: V2.01, January 24, 2024

Updates: Free lifetime updates for licensed users

System Requirements: 4 GB RAM, Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11, Server 2008-2022, 32 or 64 bit, Internet Explorer 5+

Highlights

  • Visualize on-disk data and file system structures

  • Navigate any file system like a web page

  • Script-driven and fully customizable

  • Sample scripts show file system structures up to the point where files can be saved.

  • Print your findings to paper.

  • The script language is Pascal.

  • Data structures are displayed in Internet Explorer windows.

  • Safe, read-only design

  • Run from a WinPE Boot Medium or a Runtime Live CD

  • Free lifetime updates with purchase

  • Over 25 scripts with support for NTFS, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, EXT2, EXT3, EXT4, XFS, HFS+, APFS

  • Powerful debugger

Over 25 Scripts

This version of DiskExplorer X comes with over 25 ready-to-use scripts for the following file systems:

  • NTFS

  • FAT12, FAT16, FAT32

  • EXT2, EXT3, EXT4

  • XFS

  • HFS+, APFS

The scripts show all relevant data structures, such as partition tables, boot records, and file system-specific structures. The sophistication of those scripts goes to the point where you can retrieve individual files from the supported file systems. DiskExplorer X includes the full source code of all scripts. The script editor allows you to make changes to your code and test it immediately.

Write Your Own Data Recovery Software

At Runtime Software, we use DiskExplorer X to reverse-engineer file systems and program new features for our data recovery software. You can employ DiskExplorer X for research or forensic investigations when exploring unknown hard drives. 

DiskExplorer X

DiskExplorer X: MFT entry View of sector 7088128 on HD128

The provided DiskExplorer X scripts show you how to extract files programmatically from NTFS, FAT, EXT, XFS, HFS+, and APFS. You can use these scripts as a blueprint for customized data recoveries or forensic investigations.

You can write additional scripts for other file systems or container structures such as backup files, virtualization volumes, encrypted volumes, or surveillance disks. A rich set of built-in commands lets you access and process disks and image files. You could even develop your own data recovery software based on those scripts.

If a standard recovery software, such as GetDataBack, is not sufficient to accomplish your objective, DiskExplorer X is the perfect tool.

You can create report scripts for data recovery or forensic purposes that no other software offers.

Internal Workings

DiskExplorer X consists of two distinct functions,

  • a script interpreter for retrieving and formatting the desired information from the inspected disk or image, and  

  • an Internet Explorer instance for rendering the script's output to the screen.

The Explorer address bar tells the program the drive, sector, and View to be displayed. For example, the address

http://local/mft/HD128:/7088128

tells DiskExplorer X to display the content of sector 7088128 on the first physical drive (HD128:) using the script mft.src.

The script editor contains a powerful debugger. You can trace through your script, inspect its flow and variables.

Scripts usually contain many links allowing the user to navigate through the file system as one would navigate a website.

The usage of Internet Explorer enables you to print your windows effortlessly. You can also save the current View or all visited Views into HTML documents. This facilitates documentation of, for example, forensic jobs.

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