Lost Files? Discover How to Recover Data from Hard Drive Easily!

A hard drive is an electro-mechanical data storage device commonly used for storing and retrieving digital information. It serves as an effective solution for storing important data in most computing environments, safeguarding the operating system, software, and essential files.

However, hard drives are not immune to data loss, which can happen due to various reasons, such as accidental deletion, formatting errors, file system corruption, or hardware malfunctions. If you've experienced data loss on a hard drive, don’t worry. Keep reading this page to learn practical ways to recover data from hard drives and useful tips to prevent future data loss.

An All-in-One Software to Recover Data from Hard Drive

Losing data from a hard drive can be frustrating, but there are some methods available to get it back. One of the most suggested ways is using professional recovery software. Among the vast selection of recovery tools available, AOMEI FastRecovery stands out as the top recommendation. With its advanced technology and user-friendly designs, you are allowed to quickly find lost data and recover it to its original locations. Even if the hard drive is damaged, you can still attempt to restore lost data using this tool.

★Key Features:

Handles various data loss scenarios, recovering your files quickly and efficiently.

Supports recovering data from HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, and other storage devices.

Features a user-friendly interface, guiding you through the whole recovery process.

Provides file preview before recovery, ensuring that you select the correct one.

Free Download
Windows PCs & Servers

100% Secure

Let’s use AOMEI FastRecovery to recover data from hard drives:

Step 1: Download and install AOMEI FastRecovery, and then choose the external hard drive.

Step 2: Scan your drive to find the deleted files. It offers two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan, supporting thoroughly scanning your storage devices for finding lost data.

Step 3: After scanning, all missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the specific files and then click Recover.

Step 4: Specify a path for these files and wait for the process to complete.

Alternative ways to recover data from hard drives?

Are there alternative ways of recovering data from a hard drive? In addition to using recovery tools, you are allowed to recover data from hard drives through more accessible options, such as the Recycle Bin and backups.

Method 1. Recover from Recycle Bin

If you accidentally deleted crucial data from your drive, go check the Recycle Bin folder first. In most cases, deleted files are stored temporarily here and can be restored with a few clicks, unless they have been permanently deleted. If you change your mind or realize you have made a wrong choice, follow these steps below to restore your deleted files:

Step 1: Open the Recycle Bin to see all deleted files.

Step 2: Find the desired files that you want to restore.

Step 3: Right-click on the desired files and click the Restore option. They can be easily restored to their original locations.

Method 2. Recover via File History

If your data has been permanently deleted, recovery is still possible through backups, provided you have created copies beforehand. Windows offers several useful features to back up and restore important files. For instance, you can recover data from hard drives via File History. It is a built-in feature available in Windows 8 and later versions that aims to help users back up files regularly and offer recovery service when the files are deleted by accident.

If File History was enabled before the data loss, follow these steps to recover data from hard drives:

Step 1: Press Windows + R, type control and hit the Enter key to open the Control Panel.

Step 2: Select System and Security > File History in turn.

Step 3: Click Restore personal files.

Step 4: Choose the files you want to recover, and then click the Recover button.

How do I recover data from a dead hard drive?

Sometimes, you may fail to find the desired files because your hard drive has been damaged, which can occasionally happen during your daily work. In this situation, the first step is to identify the type of damage. Hard drives can suffer from either logical or physical damage, and the recovery methods differ for each. This section provides more details on each situation and offers step-by-step instructions on how to recover data from damaged hard drives.

Method 1. Recover Data from Logical Damage

When your hard drive experiences logical failure, the file system, partitions, or data might become corrupted and inaccessible. Fortunately, your damaged drive itself still remains physically intact. In this situation, you can use a professional recovery tool like AOMEI FastRecovery to recover the lost data. Additionally, you can also attempt to use CHKDSK to check and repair errors on your drive.

Here’s how to recover data from damaged hard drives using CHKDSK:

Step 1: Stop using the drive once you find it has been damaged.

Step 2: Press Windows + S, type Command Prompt in the search box and choose Run as administrator.

Step 3: Input chkdsk X: /f /r/x and then press Enter. Replace X with your drive letter. The parameters /f and /r mean fixing errors on the disk and locating bad sectors and recovering readable information, respectively.

Step 4: If the drive is in use, please restart your computer to continue the process.

Now, CHKDSK will check errors on your drive, try to repair corrupted file systems, and recover data from bad sectors. You can check the results in the Command Prompt window once the process completes. If your data cannot be fully restored, it is recommended to use professional recovery software.

Method 2. Recover Data from Physical Damage

What if the drive has been physically damaged? Physical damage can result from various factors, including impacts, electrical failures, or mechanical issues. If the drive has sustained physical damage, the recovery becomes more complex and risky as it may be entirely unusable or unreadable.

In such a case, you can seek help from professional data recovery services. These recovery services can utilize advanced tools and techniques to recover data from drives that traditional software methods may not handle, providing you with a reliable solution. Although these services can be costly, they greatly increase the possibility of recovering lost files. Choose a trusted data recovery service with rich experience in data recovery.

Bonus Tip: Effective Measures to Prevent Data Loss

Although recovering data from a hard drive is possible, it’s essential to take measures to prevent future data loss during regular tasks. Here are several tips you can refer to.

► Regular Backup: Regularly backing up essential data can reduce the risk of data loss. It is highly recommended to create copies to external storage or cloud services.

► Avoid Physical Damage: When using your external hard drive, avoid dropping it or exposing it to moisture. Besides, each time you disconnect the drive, make sure to safely eject it through the "Safely Remove Hardware" option in the operating system.

► Monitor Drive Security: Install and use professional antivirus software to protect your drive from viruses and malware.

► Avoid Overloading Drives: Maintain at least 10-15% free space on your hard drives to prevent performance degradation and reduce the risk of file corruption.

Final Thoughts

When using hard drives, you might face challenges that your data gets lost due to accidental deletion, file corruption, or other issues. Is it possible to recover data from hard drives? Absolutely! This post presents several effective ways of recovering data from a hard drive, ranging from the Recycle Bin to more advanced recovery techniques.

If your hard drive is damaged unfortunately, please identify the type of failure first and then choose a suitable recovery solution according to your needs, ensuring the best possible chance of retrieving your valuable data.