File systems · Btrfs volume
Btrfs file recovery: snapshots before carving
How should I recover files from Btrfs?
Short answer
First check your snapshots: if Snapper, Timeshift or manual snapshots were set up, a read-only copy of the deleted files may still exist. Otherwise unmount the volume, create a block image and run Btrfs-specific tools such as btrfs restore against that image. File Recovery Hero does not parse Btrfs metadata.
The situation
Files were deleted from a Linux Btrfs volume or the file system is damaged.
Files were deleted from a Linux Btrfs volume or the file system is damaged. If the original source has not been written to again, useful file-system traces or data blocks may still remain for Btrfs volume. A read-only scan can assess the source, but no result should be promised before that examination.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Btrfs uses copy-on-write metadata, checksums and optional snapshots. Specialist Btrfs tools understand this structure better than a media-focused exFAT scanner. For Btrfs volume, first separate a missing path, folder or volume name from actual deletion. That distinction determines the safest next recovery step.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Disconnect or remove Btrfs volume and prevent further writes.
- 2
Write down the device, the date and the last action before the loss so you can match recovered files later.
- 3
Check known destinations, backups and trash without restoring anything onto the source.
- 4
Export every candidate only to internal storage or a physically different drive.
Check snapshots and create a block image before using file-system-specific recovery tools. File Recovery Hero does not currently scan Btrfs metadata. Do not record a test file and do not approve formatting or file-system repair.
03 / Choose the method
Match the tool to the source
For stable, readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 or uncompressed IMG, DD, RAW and BIN images.
Unconfirmed exports are marked .UNVERIFIED.
Software cannot reconstruct overwritten blocks or storage cells that are no longer readable. If the source disconnects repeatedly or becomes unusually warm, a professional laboratory is the safer route.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Validate files recovered from Btrfs volume completely: compare the size and format, then read the content from beginning to end. A preview or surviving filename is not proof of a complete recovery.
Keep the source until two verified copies exist. One working preview is not enough.
Sources and technical references
FAQ
Questions about this recovery case
Can Btrfs volume be recovered in this situation?+
Files were deleted from a Linux Btrfs volume or the file system is damaged. If the original source has not been written to again, useful file-system traces or data blocks may still remain for Btrfs volume. A read-only scan can assess the source, but no result should be promised before that examination. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Check snapshots and create a block image before using file-system-specific recovery tools.
Does scanning write to my memory card?+
Your memory card is only read. Nothing is saved to it.
How do I know whether the result is complete?+
Validate files recovered from Btrfs volume completely: compare the size and format, then read the content from beginning to end.