How to Recover Data from Failed Hard Drive and How to Repair Failed Hard Disk

Losing data stored in any storage medium can be a stressful thing. With the massive adaptation of all things electronic, much of that data has now become digitized and people are using hard disks to store it. Of course, there is always the chance that your storage will stop working and you will lose all your data one day. While we do accept that possibility and learn to live with it, we still want to be able to recover data from a failed hard drive.

Depending on how you deal with this situation, the recovery process can either be hard or it can be easy. If you are wondering can data be recovered from failed hard disk, then you are in the right place? We will give you all the information you need to make the right decision and restore files from failing hard disk in a secure manner. But before we move on to the solution, let us look at the different situations and symptoms that may indicate an incoming drive failure.

Part 1. Symptoms For Hard Drive Failure

In most cases, it is possible to see telltale signs that a driver may be about to crash or become corrupt. Keeping an eye on these things can save you from a lot of trouble and let you prepare for a potential loss of data preemptively. However, it is still very much possible to be caught by surprise, so knowing these symptoms can at least let you know what your next step should be in terms of file recovery hard drive failure.

1. Computer Freezes/Hangs and BSOD

This problem can be quite a sneaky one for those who have not experienced it before. You are busy with your work or watching your favorite show and all of a sudden, the screen freezes. You move the cursor around and press all the keys on your keyboard, but nothing happens. In worst cases, the freeze is quickly followed by a BSOD, short for Blue Screen of Death. That blue screen with white text and a huge sad face is something you never forget. The only thing you want is to never see that screen again.

2. Bad Sector Buildup

Another sign that you will soon need to recover data from failure hard disk is the formation of bad sectors. These can be identified as corrupted files that you were once able to use without any issues. Some common indicators of bad sectors include the following:

Invalid or scrambled file names

Unable to open files

Error messages when interacting with a file in any way

Disappearing folders or files

Corrupted data inside files

While these can also indicate the presence of a virus, you can easily remove that doubt by scanning the drive with good antivirus software. If no virus is found, you have bad sectors on your drive, and it will likely fail soon enough.

3. Screeching or Clicking Sounds

Most storage hard drives, especially external ones, are still mechanical drives. That means there are physical parts inside it and if you hear clicking or screeching sounds, it could be an indicator of a failing drive.

The clicking noise also referred to as the ‘Click of Death’, is when the head of the drive is trying to write data on the disc but is failing to do so. The repeated tries result in a constant clicking sound.

As for the screeching noise, this happens when other mechanical parts of the drive, like the bearings or the motor, are failing. This can happen either due to an internal deterioration of a too old drive or external contamination through moisture and air.

Regardless of the situation that you may be in, each of these scenarios indicate that you will soon be recovering data from a failed hard drive. In this situation, the question that you automatically ask is, can I find files from failed hard drive? Thankfully, the answer to that question is yes. There are many ways of performing hard disk failure data recovery and we are sharing the easiest one in the next section.

Part 2. Data Recovery Software for Failed Hard Drive

While there are many ways to retrieve files from failed hard drive, the easiest one, in our opinion, is to use a dedicated recovery tool. One recommendation that we think would work great for any user is iBeesoft free data recovery software. This is among the best data recovery software for failed hard drives. It allows users to get files back from practically any drive out there and comes with many important features.

If you are wondering how to recover data from failing hard drive using iBeesoft, then the next section will tell you everything you need to know.

Part 3. How to Recover Files from Failed Hard Drive

Let us take you through a comprehensive guide on using the iBeesoft for restore data on a dead hard drive. Read through each step carefully, so you do not miss anything.

1. Installation

Begin by installing the software on your computer. iBeesoft Data Recovery is available to download for both Windows and Mac.

2. Filter file types

If you do not want to recover everything and only want selective data types, you can click on the "Go to Settings" text at the bottom of the application and select the file types you want to scan.

3. Scanning Process

Now that you have the software installed, launch it on your computer and you will see a list of all the drives and storage devices that you can scan. Select the drive you need to scan and then click on the "Scan" button next to it to begin the scanning process.

4. File Preview and Selection

Once you click on the "Scan" button, this data recovery software for failed hard disks will start looking for all the files that can be recovered. A list of options will populate on the left, along with the files that you can find in each folder. You can either select immediately or wait for the scanning process to complete. Once the process is finished, you can select the data you want to recover and then click on the "Recover" button at the bottom of the application to save the files to your computer.

If needed, you may also get the pro version of the app if the data you want to resume is more than 2 GB.

Part 4. Reasons For Hard Drive Failure

Hard drive failure and recovering data from failed hard drive is something that happens more often than you think. Thousands of drives fail every month in the US alone, which means something is not right with the device. However, the reasons can be both internal and external, and here are the top known causes of hard disk failure.

1. Power-related issues are one of the most common reasons behind hard drive failure. If you need a good solution for data recovery hard drive failure, chances are it was due to a power surge that affected your drive. This is something that can happen through the power lines and there is no way of knowing when it may happen to someone.
2. Firmware corruption can also happen in hard drives, especially ones that are made by less popular brands. A hard disk is smart equipment to some extent and that means it needs software to tell it how to function. A badly written software can cause crashes, creating a need for good data recovery software for failed hard drives.
3. Water damage is another factor that can cause failure in hard drives, and it is much more common in areas where the moisture level is high. Water can get into the drive and then short the circuitry running the drive, thereby rendering it useless.
4. While this is only related to mechanical hard drives, hardware degradation is also a reason for drive failure. Mechanical parts inside hard disks can wear out over time and eventually make the hard disk unable to read or write any data.
5. Believe it or not, human error and mishaps are the top reasons for drive failure. It is not uncommon for people to accidentally drop hard drives from their hands and the impact can damage the internals of the drive, resulting in failure.
6. Exposure to heat, while not a common factor, can also result in the internal parts of the drive becoming damaged, thereby leading to drive failure.

Part 5. How to Repair Failed Hard Drive

If you were wondering, can I recover data from failed hard drive then you know by now that the answer is yes? However, some users may also want to try and repair the drive itself, be it for a new users or for data recovery from failed hard disk. Depending on the nature of damage that resulted in the failed hdisk and your need for hard drive failure data recovery, there are a few things that you can try to restore your drive and data.

1. Run an Antivirus Scan

Sometimes, the easiest option is also the obvious one and it can let you recover files from failed drive. Go to your antivirus, be it Windows Security or a third-party one, and run a deep scan on the drive you want to repair. Chances are that the scan will pick up a virus causing the issue and remove it, thereby giving you back your data.

2. Identify Errors in File System Using Command Prompt

As we discussed earlier, bad sectors can also lead to driving failure, and Windows users can check for those by performing a check using Command Prompt. Run CMD as Administratoron your computer and then type CHKDSK /f/r/E: in the window that appears (E: can be replaced by the letter of the drive you want to repair). Once the process is complete, you can restart your Windows and see if you can access your drive normally.

3. Run SFC Scan

Another process that Windows users can opt for is the SFC scan. For this, you will again be opening Command Prompt on your computer. Once open, type E: \> SFC/scannow and then press Enter. Type the phrase exactly as it is without skipping the spaces in the middle. Let the scanning process complete and then restart your PC. Once rebooted, check if you can access your drive and use it normally again.

4. Disk Management

In some cases, drives may become inaccessible because their storage is unallocated. You can fix that by going to the Disk Management option. This can be accessed using Windows Search or by pressing Windows + X keys together and then clicking on Disk Management.

If your drive has unallocated storage, simply right-click on that unallocated storage and then click on New Simple Volume. This will take you through a setup wizard where you can assign a letter to your disk. Once the process is complete, you should be able to see and access your drive normally.

Part 6. Frequently Asked Questions for Data Recovery of Hard Drive Failure

1. How can I recover data from a dead hard drive?

Yes, it is possible to restore data from a dead disk. You can either go through the methods for how to fix a dead hard drive mentioned above or use the more straightforward method of using dedicated recovery software like iBeesoft Data Recovery.

2. How can I recover files from a hard drive that won’t boot?

While there certainly are methods of recovering data from a drive that won’t boot, it involves using Command Prompt and going through complex commands. You can also recover data from such drives using third-party software that support data recovery from non-booting drives.

3. How do I transfer data from a failed hard drive?

The best option to transfer data from a failed disk is to use software that does it for you. Professional recovery software like iBeesoft Data Recovery can easily read failed drives data and allow you to recover files from corrupted hard drive to your computer.

4. Can a failed hard drive be repaired?

Yes, it is certainly possible to repair a failed hard drive. However, the method depends on the type of damage and the expertise required to repair it. For software-related problems, you can simply use the command line or third-party software that provides a repairing facility. A simple virus scan can also fix the problem in many cases. However, you may need to send your drive to a specialist repairing service for more complicated problems, especially hardware-related ones. Of course, there is also the chance that a drive is dead for good and can no longer be used. In that case, your best bet would be to use good recovery software to retrieve all the data you can before disposing of the drive.