3 Methods to Data Recovery from Failed Hard Drive
Hard drives expire like other equipment and might fail for numerous causes. However, you may want to recover data from dead hard disks with crucial data. This tutorial is ideal for this case. Learn why hard drives fail. Learn why they’re damaged and how to recover data from dead devices. You will also receive dead hard disk repair advice.
Is it possible to recover data from dead hard drives?
Hard drives store and receive data via magnetic plates. That implies several moving parts can destroy the hard disk. Damage may be physical or reasonable. harm to the hard disk plate causes physical harm. Lock damage is linked to hard drives.
Apart from this effects, viruses and malware can destroy your hard disk by attacking or formatting its data. Data recovery software can recover data from mechanically damaged or virus-infected hard drives.
Data recovery software may also retrieve data from a lightly damaged hard drive without damaging it. If the hard drive is significantly damaged or dead and cannot be identified, a professional hard disk recovery service should be contacted.
Signal of a failed hard drive
Hard drives may fail due to various reasons, including malfunction in power supply production, poor ventilation, incorrect operating system installation, inappropriate voltage and so on. While it is impossible to prevent all of these factors. It is possible to identify symptoms of a failed hard drive and take appropriate action to protect your data.
Signs of physical hard drive damage:
- Unusual clicks and vibrations.
- Too much heat.
- Motorspin.
- Unable to boot
- Blue Screen
- Common Error Messages
Signs of reasonable hard drive damage:
- Missing files and folders
- Unable to boot operating system
- System failure and sealing.
- Disc Error
- Common Error Messages
- S.M.A.R.T. Showing a problem.
Three ways to recover files from dead hard drives
If your hard drive gets mechanically damaged and is dying, there are several ways you can try to recover your data. However, if the hard drive is severely physical damaged, it is recommended to contact a reliable data recovery service and have an expert assist you in recovering data from damaged disks.
Before attempting any data recovery procedure, it is important to stop using damaged or dead hard drives as soon as the damage is seen. Further use may cause your lost data to be rewritten and permanently deleted. Therefore, it’s important to act quickly to avoid further loss.
Method 1: Get information from the wrong hard drive using WinfrGUI [recommended]
WinfrGUI is an effective data recovery tool for damaged hard disks. This app is specialized for Windows 10 and 11. It recovers lost or inaccessible data from various storage devices easily, like recover files emptied from recycle bin.
Follow these methods to restore data using WinfrGUI:
- 1. Plug your broken hard drive into your Windows 10 or 11 PC and recognize it.
- 2. Launch WinfrGUI and select the recovery option.
- 3. Start scanning by selecting the target hard disk in the program interface. WinfrGUI scans the damaged disk with a strong algorithm to find any recoverable data.
- 4. View the recovered files in WinfrGUI after the scan. This technique checks information for completeness and relevancy.
- 5. Choose the file to recover and follow WinfrGUI’s simple instructions to search.
WinfrGUI makes data recovery easier. Combined with easy-to-use functions with strong scanning capabilities. Whether dealing with internal external hard drives or NASs, Winfr GUI tries to make it easier to recover lost data for Windows 10 and 11 users at no cost whatsoever.
Method 2: Check the recycling tank.
In the case that your hard drive is damaged or dead, it may proceed without your permission, including deleting files and folders. So if you notice that your files are missing from a damaged hard drive, it’s worth checking the recycling tank.
To recover data from a recycling tank, follow these steps:
- Open the recycling tank from your desktop.
- Find the files you want to recover.
- Right-click on the file and select “Restore” to restore the deleted files to their original location. If you want to recover your files to another location, you can click and drag the delete files to the desired location.
Method 3: Upgrade from previous backup
If you do a backup of your hard drive before it is lost due to damage, you can recover data from the backup. Windows users often use the file history to back up and recover their data.
The backup file history of any changes made to your hard drive data continuously allows you to recover each file instead of the entire contents of your hard disk. This gives you flexibility in choosing specific information for recovery. Follow these steps to restore data from the file history:
- Open the settings on your computer.
- Scroll down to the “Updates & Security” section and click “Backup” in the left menu.
- Click “Additional Options” in the “Backup with File History” section.
- In the pop-up window, click “Recover File from Current Backup”
- Select the file you want to recover from damaged or dead hard drive.
- Once you have selected all the files you want, click on the “Restore” button. You can also right-click the “Reset” button and select “Return to…” To specify a new location for the recovered data.
Can you repair a dead or damaged hard drive at home?
After considering how to recover data, the question arises: What can you do with your damaged hard drive? If the hard drive is physically damaged, the only option for repair is to seek help from a professional service. However, there is no guarantee that the recovery will be successful. On the other hand, if the damage is ordinary or caused by damage, there are some ways you can try at home to restore the function of your hard drive.
Method 1: Repair dead hard drives using Windows System File Checker
When a hard drive is corrupted or poorly developed, it may fail. In such cases, the Windows System File Checker (SFC) can be used to scan hard drives to locate corrupted system files and restore them. In order to repair corrupted hard drive using the Windows SFC tool, follow these steps:
- Press Windows + X to open the Windows menu and select “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”
- Enter the following command and press Enter: dism.exe/online/Cleanup-image/Restorehealth.
- When the file needed to fix the damage has been restored, type the command “sfc /scannow” and press Enter.
- The scan will identify and replace corrupted system files.
Method 2: Scan and edit dead hard drives using command instructions. (CMD)
Another way to repair a damaged or dead hard drive is to use the command “chkdsk” through the command instructions. This command allows you to scan and fix damaged and failed hard drives within minutes. Please note that the Command Prompt does not have a graphical interface, so follow these steps for scanning and repairing damaged hard drive using “chksdsk”:
- Press the Windows button and search for “CMD”.
- Click “Command Prompt” and select “Run as Administrator”.
- In the command window, type the following command: “chkdsk : / f” (replace “” with the drive letter assigned to your damaged hard disk).
chkdsk * – CheckDisk command will scan the corrupted hard drive and detect the problem.
/f – Command F Fixed an error in a damaged or dead hard drive.
Method 3: Seek expert help for severe physical injury.
If you have exhausted all other options to repair a damaged or dead hard drive without success, it is recommended to contact a professional data recovery service. In case the hard drive is severely physically damaged. Home repairs may cause data damage. It is best to rely on professional expertise and equipment for such situations.
Also, if your hard drive is physically damaged, do not try to recover data yourself to avoid permanent data loss. Instead, contact professional services immediately and let them handle the recovery process.
Conclusion
Your hard drive may be dead or damaged if you hear weird noises, heat, boot issues, or error messages. Dead or damaged hard drives often cause data loss. You can restore data from a damaged hard disk, backed up or not.