Hard Drive Recovery: How to Recover Files from A Hard Drive

Hard drives, especially external ones, are ubiquitous for their convenience as they allow you to carry massive amounts of data wherever you go. However, you seldom realize their fragile nature until you face the loss of data and files. It is a common phenomenon among computer users, and there may be myriad reasons behind this. These include:

• ⛔ You accidentally deleted some files from the hard drive, causing them to disappear.
• 🗞️ Accidentally formatting your partition/disk, the system will remove data.
• 👽 Your computer may face a sudden malware or virus attack leading to considerable damage and loss of data stored in the disk.
• 🖥️ An unforeseen hardware or system error, such as a significant application failure or a computer crash, can cause the loss of files and data.
• 🔌 A sudden power cut or even a power surge can harm the hard drive and cause you to lose data.
• 💽 Physical damage to your system or even environmental harm, such as spilling water on it, fire, accidents, etc., can lead to data loss in the hard disk.

No matter what causes your disk data to be lost. The good news is this is not the end of the road. This article explains how to recover files from a hard drive in simple steps.

Recover Files from Hard Drive With Software

When you encounter the trouble of losing important files from a disk, you can rely on iBeesoft Data Recovery. It is straightforward to use, and the entire program is free from pesky ads and simple to comprehend. The program also claims to support more than a thousand file types, which increases the possibility of working on all the standard file types you wish to undelete or unformat hard drive in Windows 10, 11, and macOS.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Hard Drive by iBeesoft Data Recovery

1. Download the iBeesoft Data Recovery software and run it on your computer. It is compatible with Windows/macOS and will scan and display all recoverable files for you.
2. Once the data recovery software is launched on your system, look for the drive from where you lost your files. Connect it with your PC if you wish to restore files from a USB drive, then select it and click the "Scan" option
3. After the scanning is completed, you will see all the recoverable files. Next, select them to preview if they are the files you need. If they are, you must pick them and click "Recover" to save them at a designated spot on your PC.

Free Recover Deleted Files from Hard Disk Without Software

Method 1. Check Recycle Bin/Trash

Under normal circumstances, when you select a file on Windows PC and press the delete button on your keyboard, the File gets moved to the Recycle Bin. It remains here for a specific period unless you empty the bin manually. It gives you enough time for hard drive data recovery should you change your mind.

1. Please right-click on the icon for Recycle Bin and open it.
2. View all the deleted items and select the file you want to restore.
3. Tap on "Restore the select items" in the top menu to resave the file to its original location on your device.

Method 2. Use File History Backup

Windows PC's built-in Backup and restore tool is File History. It allows you to create backups and get back files from earlier backups. It is an excellent way to restore hard drive, primarily if you use its Backup. It improves your chances of recovering permanently deleted files from the hard disk in Windows 11/10 without software.

1. Firstly, connect your backup storage media and your Windows PC.
2. Then press the Windows + R key and type "control."
3. In the newly opened window, navigate to System and Security > File History > Restore your files with File History.
4. Finally, check your backed-up files and select the ones you need to restore.

Method 3. Recover from Cloud Backup

You can use the cloud recovery process to get Files back that their lost, corrupted, or accidentally deleted from a cloud-based system. Here is the method you must follow to recover hard drive files.

1. Turn on your device and follow the onscreen setup steps till you reach the Apps & Data screen and select Restore from iCloud Backup.
2. Use your credentials to sign in to your cloud account.
3. Select a backup and pick the most relevant by looking at the date and size. Once you select a backup, the transfer commences.

Fix and Retrieve Hard Drive from Logical Errors

A logical hard drive failure occurs when you cannot access the disk because of non-mechanical issues. Some common signs of Logical damaged hard drive:

• 🚫 Your operating system refuses to open this disk.
• ⚠️ Your files and folders start disappearing or getting corrupted.
• 💢 You begin getting frequent error messages during regular operations.
• 🏷️ File or folder names get changed.

You can perform the below steps to resolve the issue:

• ⛔ Fix inaccessible/unreadable Hard Drive: Run Command Prompt as administrator > Type chkdsk E: /f. The E is the partition/disk letter.
• 🔍 Fix disk not showing up/not recognized: You can try assigning a letter to this drive. If it still doesn't appear in the system, you must restore files from unmounted hard drive before formatting it.

Recover Lost Files from Physically Damaged Hard Disk with Data Recovery Services

You may have encountered situations where your hard drive topples off your desk or you accidentally drop it. These can cause your disk to experience physical media damage resulting in data loss. Physical damage occurs when the magnetic coating on a hard drive suffers some disruption. However, your data may still be recoverable after your drive has suffered physical damage.

• 😣 When you try to access your drive. It usually follows a click-pause-click-pause-click pattern, after which your drive stops.
• 🔕 There is no spin sound, vibration, or movement and the drive remains completely silent when you power your computer up.
• 🔒 You may find that your computer refuses to start up or is not operating correctly. It may seem sluggish when you try to open files, display data access errors, or locks up the system with errors.

A Few Common Data Recovery Services:

• 🚑 CBL Data Recovery: This is great for emergency data recovery and supports various devices, including Dell, Apple, Fujitsu, IBM Lenovo, Samsung, Seagate, Toshiba, and Western Digital.
• 🔥 Ontrack: This hard drive data recovery software is excellent for natural disasters and supports devices like Dell, Apple, Fujitsu, IBM, Lenovo, Samsung, Seagate, Toshiba, and Western Digital.
• 💎 SalvageData: This service is known for its high success rates and supports devices like Apple Mac, server, PC, laptop notebook, iPhone, and Android.
• ⏲️ DriveSavers: This service is excellent for a fast turnaround and supports devices like a disks, iPhones, Mac, external hard drives, tablets, laptops, thumb drives, camera cards, CCTV, and VMware.
• 🔖 Seagate In-Lab Recovery: Great for owners of Seagate drives, this service works wonderfully with all storage media types and brands.

If your hard drive has a physical failure and you want to get back critical data, then you need to send it to a data recovery service center and choose a service. In this way, the technician can quickly help you solve this problem. However, there is a risk of revealing privacy by doing so.

How to Avoid Data Loss from a Hard Drive

You can prevent data loss from your hard drive by adopting specific measures:

• 📤 Ready the backup of your data at all times.
• 🔌 Before your shut down your computer, ensure you exit all programs and turn off all peripheral devices.
• ⛱️ Use good quality surge protectors.
• 📝 Before reformatting your drive, always test your backup.
• 🌡️ Leave sufficient space around the cooling vents of your computer to avoid rapid temperature changes.
• ⛔ If you find your disk making unusual noises, immediately power down.

Conclusion

You do not need to complete despair if you encounter data loss on your disk. By learning the various methods of how to recover files from a hard drive on Mac or Windows 11/10, you can quickly get back all your lost content in a few simple clicks. There may be many reasons behind your disk losing files. However, you can employ various methods for hard drive recovery. These include checking the Recycle Bin, file history, and cloud backup. But the iBeesoft Data Recovery is your best choice to help you in this endeavor without any restrictions. It is exceptionally user-friendly and great for first-time users as well.

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