Recovering data from an old external hard drive can seem daunting, but with the right tools and techniques, the process is very doable. Here are some quick answers to common questions about external hard drive recovery:
What are the main causes of external hard drive failure?
There are several common reasons why an external hard drive can fail:
- Physical damage – Dropping or hitting the drive can damage the internal components and make data recovery difficult.
- Logical failure – Corruption of the file system or partition tables from a virus, unexpected ejection, or power failure. The data is still intact but needs to be rebuilt.
- Electronic failure – Circuitry problems like the drive’s controller, motor, or head malfunctioning. Requires professional data recovery services.
- Formatted drive – Accidentally reformatting the drive erases all data, but a full recovery is often still possible.
How can I access the data on a damaged external hard drive?
If the drive is physically damaged and won’t power on, you will need to remove the actual disk platters from inside the external enclosure and install them in a new enclosure or connect them directly to a computer with the appropriate cabling. This requires very specialized tools and a cleanroom to avoid any further damage to the disks.
If the external drive powers on but the computer doesn’t recognize it or data can’t be accessed, try on a different computer and connector cable to rule out those factors. You may be able to recover the partition and file system information using data recovery software like Recuva, Disk Drill, or Stellar Data Recovery.
What are the best data recovery software tools?
Here are some top-rated data recovery programs to try for external hard drive recovery:
- Recuva – Free beginner-friendly recovery tool for formatted and deleted files.
- Stellar Data Recovery – Advanced paid tool with deep scanning abilities for severe corruption issues.
- Disk Drill – Comprehensive Mac and Windows recovery software with premium recovery options.
- R-Studio – Excellent at reconstructing RAID arrays and proprietary file systems.
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard – User-friendly with flexible scan settings and file preview.
How can I avoid external hard drive failure in the future?
Some best practices for maximizing external hard drive longevity are:
- Handle drive carefully and avoid physical impacts.
- Disconnect the drive properly using the “Eject” function.
- Use a quality surge protector or UPS battery backup.
- Keep drives away from magnets, dust, liquids, heat, and cold.
- Maintain drives with disk utility/error checking functions.
- Ensure proper ventilation around drives to prevent overheating.
How much does professional data recovery cost?
The cost for professional external hard drive recovery can range quite a bit depending on the severity of the problem:
- Logical recoveries: $300 – $700+
- Physical recoveries of simple failures: $600 – $1600+
- Complex recoveries requiring cleanroom: $2000+
Many companies offer initial evaluations for minimal cost to determine if full recovery is possible and give a price quote. Shop around as prices can vary significantly.
Can I recover data from an external hard drive myself?
It is absolutely possible to recover some data yourself using free or low-cost data recovery software tools in many cases. Here are some step-by-step instructions to try:
- Connect the external hard drive to your computer.
- Download and install data recovery software like Recuva or Disk Drill.
- Scan the external drive with the software tool.
- Preview found files to locate your data.
- Select the recoverable files to restore and save them to another drive.
If this basic process does not recover your files, then more advanced recovery methods may be required. But many times external hard drive recovery is doable yourself before resorting to professional help.
Detailed Guide on Recovering an External Hard Drive
Assessing the External Hard Drive
When attempting to recover data from an external hard drive that is no longer accessible, the first step is to quickly assess the situation. Start by answering some basic questions:
- Is the drive still physically intact – no visible damage?
- Is the drive still recognized by the OS when connected?
- Can you access any files or partitions on the drive?
- Has the drive been making any unusual noises?
Your answers will determine the next steps to take. A drive with physical damage often requires professional recovery in a specialized cleanroom environment. If the drive powers on but isn’t recognized, recovery software may be able to help access the data. Unusual noises from a spinning drive typically mean physical failure is imminent.
Trying Data Recovery Software
When the external drive is still spinning and recognized by your computer, data recovery software should be your first step for DIY file recovery. Here are the basic steps when using recovery software:
- Download and install the data recovery tool on your computer.
- Connect only the damaged external drive to avoid recovering other disks.
- Open the recovery software and scan the external drive.
- Preview found files to locate your data.
- Select the files to recover and restore them to a healthy drive.
Advanced recovery software like Disk Drill has several powerful recovery tools:
| Undelete Recovery | Recovers files that were deleted accidentally. |
| Partition Recovery | Restores partitions that were lost or deleted. |
| Quick Scan | Fast initial scan to find recently deleted files. |
| Deep Scan | Much slower, but finds more files through more complex scanning. |
Running multiple scans with different tools maximizes your chances of recovering as much data as possible off the external drive.
Using Advanced Recovery Techniques
If basic recovery software cannot access your external hard drive data, you may need to utilize more advanced recovery techniques and tools. Some options to research include:
- Data recovery services – Professionals have specialized equipment to repair drives and recover data in cleanroom environments. The cost is high but may be your only choice if DIY options don’t work.
- Disk imaging – Creating a clone of the entire external drive allows you to safely work on recovering data from the image instead of risking the real drive.
- Advanced file carving – Forensic data recovery tools dig deeper to extract files from drives that won’t mount. Requires technical expertise.
- Repair tools – Programs like TestDisk can rebuild partition tables and repair corrupted file systems. Can possibly make the data accessible again.
These advanced options should only be attempted if you have the specialized knowledge required. Otherwise, it’s best to seek professional assistance to avoid making the situation worse.
Preventing External Hard Drive Failure
To avoid dealing with external hard drive recovery again in the future, here are some tips to prolong the life of your drives:
- Handle external drives gently and limit any shocks/impacts.
- Keep drives away from magnets, excessive dust, liquids, heat, and cold.
- Make sure external drives have adequate ventilation.
- Use a surge protector or UPS for power management.
- Eject and disconnect drives properly when not in use.
- Perform occasional drive diagnostics checks like CHKDSK.
- Maintain backups so drive failure is not catastrophic.
Following best practices for your external hard drives will minimize the chances of failure. But no drive lasts forever, so also be sure to have backups available when you eventually need to recover data from an external drive.
Recovering Specific Types of External Hard Drives
Solid State External Drives
Solid state drives (SSD) store data on memory chips rather than magnetic platters like traditional hard disk drives (HDD). When recovering an external SSD:
- Avoid excessive heat during the recovery process which can damage the memory chips further.
- Recovery software relies on the SSD controller so the circuitry must still function properly.
- Logical recoveries of deleted and lost data are usually successful.
- Heavily damaged SSDs may require specialized data recovery services.
Western Digital My Book External Hard Drives
Western Digital My Book drives come preformatted for Windows and certain data recovery steps are recommended:
- Try connecting the drive to multiple computers to see if it mounts.
- Boot into a Linux OS and see if the drive mounts properly there.
- Use TestDisk to rebuild faulty partition tables that may be causing issues.
- For physical failures, disassemble the case and remove the HDD for recovery attempts.
RAID External Drives
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) external drives use multiple internal drives together for increased capacity, speed, or redundancy:
- RAID 0 (striping) – Files split across drives recoverable only while all disks function.
- RAID 1 (mirroring) – Duplicate data allows one drive failure without data loss.
- RAID 5 – Block-level striping with parity data distributed across disks.
- RAID recovery is complex, may require identical replacement drives, and usually needs professional help.
Encrypted External Hard Drives
Encrypted external drives provide an added layer of security, but also complications if you need to recover data:
- The encryption key or passphrase is required for a successful recovery.
- Tools like VeraCrypt and BitLocker can decrypt drives, provided they can access the hardware.
- Some encrypted external drives have built-in security features that will purposefully damage drives after too many failed password attempts.
Old External Hard Drives
For older external hard drives, you may need some adapters or legacy tools:
- Connect IDE/ATA drives to a USB IDE/SATA adapter or dock.
- Large 3.5″ desktop external drive enclosures may require an external power brick.
- Older drives may have FAT32 or extinct file systems like JFS that require specific software.
- Spinning HDDs wear out over time, so very old drives are more prone to physical failure.
How to Avoid Losing Data on an External Hard Drive
Use Multiple Drives for Backup
Don’t store important data on just a single external drive. Here are safer backup practices:
- Have at least two backup external drives so one failure doesn’t wipe out all copies.
- Consider using cloud backup services in addition to external drive backups.
- Store external drives in different locations in case of theft or disaster.
- Backup important data on a schedule instead of just once. Drives can fail later.
Be Careful When Unplugging Drives
Don’t just unplug an external drive when the computer is accessing data on it. Safely eject it instead:
- In Windows, right-click the drive icon and select “Eject”.
- On Macs, click & drag the icon from the Desktop to the Trash.
- Unplug the drive after the eject notice appears, not before.
Avoid Physical Damage
Drives are sensitive to physical damage from drops, shocks, vibrations, and impacts:
- Place drives on secure surfaces, not on edges where they can fall.
- Don’t move drives when active or power them up immediately after relocation.
- Protect the drive cables from accidentally being pulled out.
- Keep drives away from magnetic fields and high heat sources.
Pay Attention to Drive Health
Watch for warning signs of external hard drive issues:
- Unusual noises like grinding or clicking can precede drive failure.
- Monitor for slow performance that may indicate problems.
- Check the SMART status that reports drive errors and health.
- Perform regular error scans and optimizations using a disk utility.
Have a Recovery Plan
Know what to do and have tools ready when an external hard drive fails:
- Understand the different data recovery options available.
- Have a quality data recovery software tool installed and ready to use.
- Know a professional drive recovery service to contact if DIY methods don’t work.
- Be prepared to buy a new external drive and restore from backups when needed.
Recovering Data from an External Hard Drive FAQs
Can I use recovery software without installing it?
Some data recovery programs can be run from a bootable USB drive which may be helpful if you can’t install software onto the problem computer. Boot into the recovery environment, scan the connected drive, and recover files without an OS installation needed.
What if my hard drive isn’t recognized at all?
If the external drive isn’t detected by your computer, there could be issues with the USB enclosure hardware. Try connecting the bare drive itself to a computer or external dock to see if it is recognized. If the bare drive has no physical issues but still isn’t recognized, specialized recovery firms can access the drive directly utilizing advanced tools and methods.
Can Best Buy or other retailers recover data?
Most big box retailers offer basic external hard drive recovery services, but with varying success rates and prices. Smaller local recovery firms often have more experience, higher success rates, and better prices. Find reviews and talk to companies directly before sending your drive away.
Can I recover data after formatting a drive?
Formatting writes new file system information to a drive but doesn’t immediately overwrite the actual data. As long as you avoid writing new data to the formatted drive, recovery software should be able to fully restore your files. Don’t attempt recovery on a drive that has been filled with new data after formatting.
How long does data recovery take?
It depends on the drive capacity, type of recovery being attempted, and tools used. Quick scans to restore recently deleted files could take just minutes. Deep scanning a large multi-terabyte drive for complete recovery can take many hours or even multiple days. Sending a drive to a professional lab extends the process to account for shipping and hands-on work.
Can I recover data from a dead external hard drive?
If the drive is physically damaged and does not power on at all, then professional recovery in a cleanroom is required to extract data off the drive platters directly. If the electronics have failed but the platters and mechanics are intact, there’s a good chance the data can be salvaged. The chances of recovery get lower as the physical damage increases.