Many people use an external hard drive to carry files around, to get extra storage space or to back up important data. But these drives can fail and take everything stored on them with them, and anyone who has been through that knows what a headache it can be!
If your external drive needs a lab, see our hard drive recovery service.
When that happens, you need external hard drive data recovery. In many cases it is possible to recover all the data on the drive. In others, part of the data may be lost or the drive may become unusable, especially when someone has already tried amateur fixes.
Whether you are going through this right now or simply want to understand how it works, this article explains everything about external hard drive data recovery. At Bot, this is what we specialize in, and we will walk you through it.
What Is External Hard Drive Data Recovery?
External hard drive data recovery is the process of retrieving the files and documents stored on a portable hard drive, commonly called an external hard drive.
It is needed when the drive gets damaged, for example by a drop or an electronic failure, and some or all of the data becomes inaccessible.
Whether the data is personal or business-related, losing it can cause serious harm, especially since many people use an external hard drive precisely to back up their files or to expand their storage.
It may hold birthday and holiday photos and school or university assignments, or customer data, spreadsheets and presentations. Losing this information can be very painful and, for companies, can even mean financial losses.
When that happens, you need to recover the data from the external hard drive, and that is a job for a specialized company like Bot. It is very important to entrust your data only to companies with trained professionals, proper equipment and experience in the field.
What Is an External Hard Drive and How Does It Work?
An external hard drive is a data storage device that works just like the hard drives inside desktop computers and laptops.
HDD stands for hard disk drive. The name refers to how the device is built: one or more rigid, smooth platters, usually made of aluminum or glass, that spin at very high speed.
The platters are where the data is stored. As in internal hard drives, read/write heads mounted on a moving arm fly just above the platters as they spin, reading and writing the data.
An electronic board (the PCB) controls the whole process, including the motor and the actuator that positions the heads. This is what allows you to access the files stored on the drive.
The drive itself sits inside an enclosure that protects it from knocks, water and dirt. External hard drives come in many models and brands, and prices vary with capacity, speed, connection type and ruggedness.
You can also take an internal hard drive out of a computer and put it in an enclosure to use it as an external drive. This is common, for example, when you replace a computer’s internal hard drive with an SSD, which usually makes the machine much faster.
External hard drives come in two types: portable and desktop. Portable drives are smaller and are powered through the USB cable, so they don’t need a separate power supply. Desktop drives are larger and heavier, need their own power adapter and offer the highest storage capacities.
External Hard Drive vs. Internal Hard Drive, USB Flash Drive and SD Card
The key difference is that an external hard drive is connected to the computer through an external port, while an internal hard drive is connected directly to the motherboard.
Most external hard drives today use a USB 3.0 connection, which offers good transfer speeds. Others use USB 3.2, USB-C, eSATA or Thunderbolt, which can be faster still. Some desktop models even have Wi-Fi, so you can send and receive data wirelessly between several devices.
This is what makes the external hard drive portable: large amounts of data in a self-contained device that is easy to carry.
So you may be wondering what the difference is between external hard drives, USB flash drives and SD cards. After all, they are all portable storage devices.
USB flash drives and memory cards use flash memory instead of spinning platters. They have no moving parts, but they usually offer less storage capacity than hard drives, and cheaper models are often slower, especially when writing data.
What Is an External Hard Drive Used For?
External hard drives are used for many purposes, for both personal and business data. These are the main ones:
- Carrying files in a small, convenient device;
- Expanding the storage capacity of a desktop or laptop computer;
- Backing up important files outside the main computer.
For example, you can keep your movies and music on an external hard drive without filling up your computer. In companies, external hard drives are useful for people who travel a lot and need to access their files from anywhere.
How Does Data Loss on External Hard Drives Happen?
An external hard drive is a powerful storage device and very handy for anyone who needs portability. However, that very portability is one of the main causes of data loss on external hard drives.
Being carried around exposes the drive to knocks and drops. Because a hard drive works mechanically, any impact can damage its internal components. Dropping it on the floor, for example, can damage the read/write heads and make the data inaccessible.
Other accidents happen too, such as spilling liquid on the drive. This can damage or even burn out the electronic board, leading to data loss on the external hard drive.
Improper use can also cause problems. Unplugging the drive without ejecting it first can corrupt files, especially if they are open or being copied at the time.
Data loss on an external hard drive can also be the result of simply deleting files permanently. You might delete a file and regret it, format the drive by mistake or have someone access it without permission. If you don’t have a backup, the data is gone unless it can be recovered.
Another common problem is viruses and malware, which can infect the external hard drive when it is connected to an infected computer. They can corrupt files, slow the system down and even encrypt all the data on the drive.
How to Recover Data from an External Hard Drive
Recovering data from an external hard drive requires care. Many people turn to free or paid data recovery software downloaded from the internet.
These programs can help in simple cases, but more serious situations need a different approach. Also, these programs are not always easy to use: used the wrong way, or on a drive with a physical fault, they can ruin your chances of getting your data back.
Below, we explain how to recover files from an external hard drive in the most common data loss situations:
Recover Deleted Files from an External Hard Drive
It is very common to delete files from an external hard drive by accident, or to regret deleting them.
In Windows, files deleted from an external hard drive are usually moved to the Recycle Bin, so check there first: you can restore them from it. Many people don’t know this because the drive’s own recycle folder ($RECYCLE.BIN) is hidden; to see it, you have to enable hidden items in File Explorer’s view options.
If you have emptied the Recycle Bin (or can’t find the files there), stop using the drive and safely disconnect it. To keep the best chance of recovering the deleted files, do not save anything new to it: new data can overwrite the deleted files and make recovery impossible.
Formatted External Hard Drive Recovery
Formatting an external hard drive also deletes its files, often on purpose, to clean the drive or get rid of a virus, for example. The difference is that formatting an external hard drive wipes all the files at once, whereas deleting only affects the files you select.
Even so, data on a formatted external hard drive can often be recovered, especially after a quick format and if nothing new has been written to the drive. A specialized company (such as Bot) gives you the safest approach and the best chance of recovering as much data as possible.
Damaged External Hard Drive Recovery
An external hard drive can be damaged by a drop, dirt, excessive heat or humidity, for example. In these cases the drive suffers physical damage that can affect the platters, the components and the whole operation of the device.
This kind of damage is more serious than deleted files or a formatted drive. It usually means opening the drive and replacing the damaged components, which must be done in a laboratory with a Class 100 (ISO 5) cleanroom that keeps out dust particles, with specialized equipment and professionals who know how to carry out the procedure safely.
So never open a hard drive at home. Count on Bot to recover data from damaged external hard drives.
Corrupted External Hard Drive Recovery
Files on an external hard drive can become corrupted through improper use (unplugging it without ejecting it) or after failed data recovery attempts, for example.
Electrical problems, such as power surges or the wrong power adapter, can also burn out the controller board and damage electronic components, so the drive stops working altogether.
A burnt board can’t simply be swapped for another one. The replacement board must be compatible, and the drive’s unique adaptive data (stored in the ROM chip of the original board) must be transferred to it before the drive can read the platters again. It is not a simple process.
Once again, this has to be done in a professional laboratory, with all due care and the right equipment. So, if you need corrupted external hard drive recovery, seek professional help.
Recover a Corrupted Folder from an External Hard Drive
An entire external hard drive, or just one folder on it, can become corrupted for different reasons: viruses, power cuts, operating system bugs or hardware failures, for example.
When this happens, the drive tends to slow down, show corrupted folders or even freeze during use. Often the system detects the fault and displays a message saying the drive is not accessible.
Windows has a built-in tool to check a drive for errors: right-click the drive > Properties > Tools > Error checking. If the problem is minor, it can fix a corrupted folder on the external hard drive. However, this tool (chkdsk) writes changes to the drive, so if it holds important data with no backup, or if the drive is making unusual noises or running very slowly, do not run it: get the data off first or seek professional help.
If that doesn’t work, you can try the data recovery programs listed below. But be careful: used incorrectly, they can make data recovery impossible. If you are not confident, seek professional help.
Programs to Recover Data from Corrupted External Hard Drives
There are several programs that can recover data from corrupted external hard drives. To use them, you connect the drive to your computer and run the program. It scans the drive for lost data, and you then select the folders and files you want to recover.
Below are some external hard drive data recovery programs we recommend. It is important to use only reliable software so you don’t put your data at risk.
Even so, the best-known and most recommended programs must be used with care. If you don’t know how to use them, you risk losing important data, and they can’t always recover everything.
So, if you want a safer approach and a better chance of recovering the data from your corrupted external hard drive, rely on a specialized company like Bot.
- FreeUndelete: data recovery software for Windows, free for personal use.
- Recuva: part of the CCleaner family of software. It has a free version with some limitations and a paid version with more features.
- Disk Drill: available for Mac and Windows. The free version lets you recover up to 500 MB of data, and paid plans unlock advanced features.
- Recoverit: one of the most complete and reliable file recovery programs, available for Mac and Windows in free and paid versions.
- EaseUS: offers complete solutions for backup, drive optimization and data recovery. The free version lets you recover up to 2 GB, and paid plans offer more.
Once you have recovered the files with one of these programs, save them to a different drive (never to the corrupted one). Only then can you format the corrupted external hard drive to use it again.
Formatting wipes the drive and creates a new, clean file system so you can “start from scratch”. But be careful: any data still on the drive will be erased. After that, you can go back to using the external hard drive as normal, although if it has a physical fault it is safer to replace it.
How Much Does External Hard Drive Recovery Cost?
The price of external hard drive recovery depends on how complex the problem is. It does not depend on the amount of data to be recovered or on the capacity of the drive.
Before quoting, a full diagnosis is needed. This involves examining the drive’s entire electronic and mechanical structure, assessing whether the data can technically be recovered and how the job must be done, and only then presenting the diagnosis and the quote.
Prices for professional data recovery vary widely depending on the fault. To get a better idea of the costs, see our pricing page.
Don’t hesitate to request a quote so you can weigh up the cost and benefit of the service. At Bot, the standard diagnosis is free, and so is collection (islands not included). If you want to know how much it would cost to recover your external hard drive, fill out the form now and get started.
6 Tips to Prevent Data Loss on External Hard Drives
Better than needing external hard drive data recovery is preventing data loss in the first place. All the data can often be recovered, but some cases are unrecoverable, and you don’t want that to happen to your files, do you?
Here are a few tips to prevent data loss on your external hard drive:
1. Back Up Your Files to Other Locations
Backing up is the number one tip for not losing important data. The external hard drive may stop working, but at least your data will be safe.
The catch is that many people use the external hard drive itself as their backup. So when the drive fails, they lose everything.
That is why the files on your external hard drive should also be backed up elsewhere. You can keep copies on another external hard drive or use cloud storage services. The cloud is the best option, as the data is stored on remote servers and is safe from physical damage to your devices.
2. Be Careful When Moving the External Hard Drive
As we have seen, one of the main causes of data loss on external hard drives is mechanical damage, often from accidents while carrying the drive from one place to another. Any impact can damage the internal components of an external hard drive.
So handle your external hard drive with care. When moving house or office, for example, wrap it in something soft to protect it. And when it is connected to your computer, make sure it sits flat on the desk where it can’t slide or fall, and avoid moving it while it is running.
3. Store the External Hard Drive in a Safe Place
Keep your external hard drive somewhere safe. If you leave it lying around the house or office, it can easily get lost, fall on the floor or be damaged in other ways.
A desk drawer or cupboard works well, ideally somewhere people don’t rummage through all the time. For extra protection, you can also keep it in a padded case.
4. Disconnect the External Hard Drive Safely
Many people don’t give it much thought, but safely ejecting devices from your computer is essential.
While an external hard drive or USB flash drive is connected, the system assumes the data is available at any time. The drive should not disappear suddenly, because it may be in the middle of reading or writing data.
Unplugging an external hard drive without ejecting it can therefore corrupt files and cause data loss.
So whenever you disconnect your external hard drive, click the “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon in the system tray (or eject the drive in Finder on a Mac). This makes sure all writes are finished so you can safely unplug the USB cable.
5. Password-Protect Your External Hard Drive
Unauthorized access to the external hard drive can also lead to data loss, whether through a malicious act or by accident, for example when a child decides to play with it.
You can set a password to restrict access to your external hard drive. Some editions of Windows include BitLocker To Go encryption, which can be enabled on external drives (it is not available for encrypting drives in the Home editions). You can also use third-party programs. Just don’t forget the password: without it, the data cannot be accessed.
6. Protect Your External Hard Drive from Viruses and Malware
Viruses and malware can infect your external hard drive when it is connected to an infected computer.
So only connect your portable drive to computers you trust. On your own computer, install antivirus software and scan the external hard drive whenever you connect it.
Did you find this article useful? And remember: if you need help, you can count on Bot.
