Introduction
If you own a hard disk, you know the many possible issues. Hard drives tend to develop issues, and sometimes, these issues result in data loss. If you’re getting error messages when trying to access your files or simply can’t see the files anymore, you’ll need a solution that helps to recover files from corrupted hard drives.
To solve this problem, this article provides a complete guide to help you recover files from corrupted hard drives with a hard drive recovery software. Without further ado, let’s dive into it.
Part 1: What Can Cause a Hard Drive to Get Corrupted?
Finding out what can cause a hard drive to get corrupted can help you solve the issues. Therefore, if you’re wondering what could cause a hard drive to become corrupt, below are some causes.
- Wear and Tear: This is one of the most common reasons hard drives get corrupt. When you use a hard disk for a long time, it deteriorates and might get corrupted.
- Power Issues: A current surge or a sudden power failure could also corrupt your hard disk. You can easily detect if this is the issue at startup.
- Overheating: Sometimes, it begins to overheat due to overloading the hard drive or extended use. This could cause your hard drive to malfunction, resulting in data loss.
- Hardware Issues: If the hardware becomes physically damaged, it could affect its storage and cause the hard drive to get corrupted. It could also cause the hard drive to fail to boot.
- Bad Sectors: A hard drive has millions of sectors where it stores data. However, there are times when these sectors become damaged. When a sector is damaged, you can no longer read or write data on this sector, and this could result in hard drive corruption.
Now you’re aware of the reasons why your hard drive might be corrupt. Keep reading if you want to recover the data lost due to this corruption.
Part 2: Can I Recover Files from a Corrupted Hard Drive?
The simple answer to this is yes. Recovering data from a corrupt hard drive is possible without any issues. However, to ensure your data can be recovered, you must stop using the hard drive immediately after the data loss occurs. This will ensure that the data on the drive isn’t overwritten by new files saved to the hard drive.
Part 3: How to Recover Data from a Damaged Hard Disk Using a Recovery Tool
Losing data due to a corrupt hard drive can be frustrating. However, using a powerful and effective data recovery tool can put your mind to ease by recovering your lost data quickly. Ensure you pick a reliable and safe tool tested and trusted by many. One such tool is Wondershare Recoverit.
This effective and safe tool can recover data from various storage devices. It can recover corrupted files from flash drives, USB drives, music players, camcorders, digital cameras and many more. It doesn’t matter what type of storage device you’re using; Recoverit can help you recover those files if you lose data on them. It is also secure and supports the recovery of multiple file types.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Recovering Data from a Damaged Hard Drive
Below is a guide to help you recover files from a corrupted hard drive using Wondershare Recoverit.
Step 1: Download Wondershare Recoverit
The first step is to download Recoverit from the official website. Next, install the software following the prompts.
Step 2: Choose a Location
Now, connect the hard drive to your PC and launch Wondershare Recoverit. Find Hard Drives and Locations option from the sidebar, then click the drive where you lost the data to start file recovery.
Step 3: Scan the Hard Drive
Once you choose the drive, Recoverit will scan the drive for your lost files. You can check the progress from the screen. Here, Recoverit also allows you to filter out the recovered files based on the date modified, size, and many more.
Step 4: Preview and Save Files
Once the scanning process is complete, you can preview the recovered files by double-clicking on them to confirm whether it is the file you’re trying to recover. If yes, hit the ‘Recover’ button and choose a save path for your recovered files.
Then, the files will be recovered and saved successfully.
More About Recoverit
This data recovery tool is easy to use and available for both macOS and Windows. Recoverit can recover up to 1000+ file types and formats, including your file systems. It also can repair video files you cannot access.
Key Features
Wondershare Recoverit has many excellent features that make it stand out, and below are some of them.
- An Impressive File Recovery Process: Recoverit offers all users a quick and safe recovery method. It also recovers popular file types you lost through data loss situations like corruption, malware attacks, and even accidental deletion.
- 95% Recovery Rate: With a 95% recovery rate, Recoverit can help you recover 1000+ file formats from any storage device, like an SD card, USB drive, NAS/Linux server, etc.
- Smart Scan Algorithm: This tool utilizes an advanced data recovery algorithm with quick and deep scan technology. The Enhanced Recovery feature also allows you to recover large-size HD video which is always stored in fragments completely.
- Intuitive User Interface: Recoverit makes data recovery simple with its easy-to-use interface.
Tech Spec
Price
Wondershare Recoverit has varying price plans for its users. They offer yearly licenses for the Essential, Standard, and Premium plans on Windows and macOS. You could utilize a free version of the app, but it has limited features.
Part 4: How to Perform Corrupted Hard Drive Recovery Without Any Software
You’re in luck if you’re wondering how to recover data from a damaged hard disk without using the software. The method below is quite effective and will help you regain access to your lost files.
Use CMD to Recover Files from a Corrupted Hard Drive
If you lost data from a hard drive that failed to boot because of corruption. It could be recovered using the command prompt on your PC. This command line feature allows you to repair Windows System files, so you can restore data. Below are the simple steps you need to follow to recover files using CMD.
- Step 1: Start by pressing Window + X simultaneously and then select ‘Command Prompt (Admin)’ or ‘Windows Powershell (Admin).’
- Step 2: You’ll have to confirm your option to launch Command Prompt as Administrator; click ‘yes’ to continue/
- Step 3: Now, type chkdsk to continue and press ‘Enter.’ The PC will begin to check the corrupted hard drive for errors.
- Step 4: Now, type in chkdsk C: /f/r/x so that chkdsk can fix the drive (ensure you replace C with the drive letter of your corrupted hard drive).
To effect the new changes, you’d have to restart the computer. Once it reloads, check your PC to see if you’ve successfully recovered your files.
Use Disk Management Utility
This is another effective corrupted hard drive recovery method. It is the ideal choice if your hard drive is logically damaged. It works on Mac and Windows OS; the steps are outlined below.
- Step 1: Press Windows + X on your keyboard simultaneously, and from the popup menu, select ‘Disk Management.’
- Step 2: Once you select this option, a new window will appear; search for the corrupted hard drive on the dashboard.
- Step 3: If you see it, you can simply format the hard drive, which will fix the errors in the hard disk while allowing you to recover your lost data.
Use Corrupted Hard Drive Recovery Services
If the issue continues after the methods shared above and the damage is quite physical, you should consider dire solutions like seeking hard drive recovery services. A professional data recovery service possesses all the tools for corrupted hard drive recovery. However, it is pricier than other methods, and accessing your data could take a while.
Part 5: How to Keep Your Hard Drive Away from Data Loss in the Future
To ensure you don’t lose your files in the future, follow the tips below.
- Take Regular Backups: Ensure you set up regular backups of your files to ensure you’re always prepared for the various data loss scenarios. You can either back up to cloud storage or another storage device.
- Use a Trusted Antivirus: Viruses are the most common causes of data loss. To prevent corruption in the future, always use trusted antivirus software on your PC. You can run frequent scans to find and delete malware on your PC.
Wrapping Up
Hard disks tend to get corrupt due to various reasons. When this occurs, you can recover files from a corrupted hard drive using the four methods above. Additionally, prevention is better than cure. Therefore, always back up your drive and install effective antivirus software on your PC.
