Methods to Recover Data from Corrupt External Hard Drive

An external hard drive is a very essential tool for data backup and storage, known for its portability and large storage capacities. However, sometimes you may encounter unexpected data loss instances on your external hard drive, which can be really distressing. Such data loss issues mainly occur due to physically damaged hard drive, logical errors, virus attacks, improper ejection, etc.

Fortunately, there are several free data recovery methods available that you can try to recover your lost data from external hard drives, and that’s without any cost. In this article, we will discuss several quick methods to recover data from corrupt external hard drives on both Windows and Mac platforms.

Common Signs of a Corrupt External Hard Drive

Before you proceed with any Windows or Mac data recovery workaround to restore files lost from a corrupt external hard drive, it’s crucial to identify if your drive is corrupt. Some common symptoms include:

• Your device might not recognise the external drive.
• File or folder names appearing as random characters
• Slow read/write speed
• Error messages like “Drive needs to be formatted” appear on your screen
• Disk shows as RAW or unallocated in Disk Management

Data Recovery on Windows

If you are a Windows user and looking for free data recovery methods to restore lost files from external hard drives on your PC, then go with the following methods:

Method 01: Check and Repair Disk Using CHKDSK

Windows’ built-in CHKDSK utility can help you detect and fix file system errors, bad sectors, and other disk-related issues on internal or external drives. While it does not restore your lost file, it can help restore access to lost or inaccessible files. This command scans the drive for errors, fixes logical file system issues, and attempts to recover readable data. All you have to do is:

• Firstly, connect the external hard drive to your PC via USB.
• Launch Command Prompt with administrative rights.
• Type the following command: chkdsk E: /f /r /x (replace E: with the actual drive letter) and press the Enter key.

Method 02: Reassign Drive Letter

Sometimes, the system fails to assign a drive letter, making all its content appear corrupt or inaccessible. In such cases, you can follow the below steps to assign a drive letter to that external drive:

• Press Windows + R keys and type msc in the Run prompt to launch Disk Management.
• Right-click the affected external drive and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths.”
• If the drive has no letter, click the Add button and choose a letter from the list. If the drive already has a letter, click Change to assign a different one.
• Lastly, click OK to conclude the process.

Method 03: Recover Data Using Stellar Data Recovery Free Software (Windows)

If the above methods fail to restore your lost data, third-party free data recovery software such as Stellar Data Recovery Free can help you. It is a versatile and easy-to-use software which allows you to restore lost files without any cost. You can easily recover deleted photos, videos, documents, and other types of files using this tool in no time.

Features:

• Supports recovery of files from internal or external storage media.
• Supports NTFS, FAT32, exFAT file systems
• Compatible with unrecognised, RAW, or formatted drives
• This tool can recover files up to 1 GB for free.

Data Recovery on macOS

Mac users sometimes encounter errors like “The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer” while browsing data from their external drive. In such cases, you can follow the below methods one-by-one to gain access to your lost data:

Method 01: Use Time Machine (If Enabled)

If you’ve synced your macOS device with Time Machine backup, then file recovery can be a quick and easy process. To restore your lost data from a corrupt external hard drive using Time Machine backup, you have to:

• Firstly, connect the Time Machine backup drive to your Mac.
• Open the folder where the deleted file was earlier stored.
• Click the Time Machine icon (from the menu bar located at the top) and then select Enter Time Machine.
• Browse through the timeline to find a backup from before the file was lost.
• Select the file you want and click Restore.

Method 02: Use Stellar Data Recovery Free for Mac

For files which are permanently deleted, from formatted, corrupted, or encrypted drives, the all-in-one Mac data recovery software such as Stellar Data Recovery Free for Mac software is the best choice. You can even use this tool to recover files lost from crashed or non-booting Mac. It also allows you to preview the recoverable files before saving them on your device.

Key Features of Stellar Data Recovery Free for Mac

• Recovers up to 1 GB for free. To recover files or larger size, you can check and use its premium versions.
• Supports APFS, HFS+, FAT32, exFAT
• Works on internal/external drives, USBs, and SD cards

How do I Recover Files Using the Stellar Data Recovery Free Tool?

Whether you are using a Windows device or Mac, the steps to recover lost files using the Stellar Data Recovery Free tool will be somehow remain same. All you have to do is:

Step 1: Download the Stellar Data Recovery (Windows or Mac version) on your device. Launch the software and from the homepage, select the type of file you need to restore and click Next.

Step 2: Now, choose the storage drive where the deleted files were earlier stored and click Scan to initiate the scanning process.

Step 3: Lastly, preview the recoverable files and click Recover to save the recovered data at desired location on your device.

What if the Above Data Recovery Methods Fail?

Instances may occur when the aforementioned free data recovery methods fail to restore lost files from Windows or Mac devices. This often indicates physical damage, severely corrupted sectors, or firmware failure in the storage device. In such cases, you can consider professional data recovery experts, such as Stellar Professional Data Recovery services, to restore your lost data. They have skilled experts who handle complex cases like head crashes, dead drives, or water/fire damage with ease. These professional experts are known for their proven track record in recovering data from all types of storage devices and file systems (APFS, HFS+, NTFS, etc.).

Conclusion

Losing access to files stored in an external hard drive can put you in trouble, but don’t lose hope. Both Windows and macOS provide built-in tools like CHKDSK, Disk Utility, and Terminal to recover lost files. However, if these methods fail, you can use specialised data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition to restore your data without technical hassle. Moreover, you can consider preventive measures like maintaining regular backups, avoiding unauthorised access to your device, etc., to avoid such data loss instances.