These days, it’s hard to imagine life without external storage devices: USB flash drives, memory cards and external disks. It’s estimated that, worldwide, we generate around two and a half quintillion bytes of data every day! Photos, videos and all kinds of documents — and when we no longer want them, we delete them and send them to the Recycle Bin, expecting them to disappear for good. But are they really gone?
Deleted files can stay recoverable until they are overwritten: stop using the device. If software does not solve it, see Bot’s external hard drive recovery, which starts with a free diagnosis.
Is it possible to recover deleted files from an external disk?
Most of us know the feeling, or have been through it ourselves! Data stored on an external disk can be lost through a simple mistake, such as accidental deletion, but also because of logical problems or hardware failures in the device itself.
The main causes are: viruses or malware that corrupt files, a corrupted or damaged partition, a power cut while the disk is working, formatting the disk by mistake, or a fall that physically damages the device.
So the question remains: is there any way to recover deleted files from an external disk?
In many cases, the answer is yes!
The most common ways to recover deleted files from an external disk
Data recovery programs can help you recover deleted files in simpler situations, such as files you deleted yourself. Here are some of the tools you can use:
- Recuva (Windows)
- Disk Drill (Windows and Mac)
- Recoverit (Windows and Mac)
- EaseUS (Windows, Mac, iOS and Android)
- QPhotoRec (Windows)
- Power Data Recovery (Windows)
- DiskDigger (Windows)
- iCare Data Recovery (Windows, iOS and Android)
- Lazesoft Data Recovery (Windows)
- Data Recovery Wizard Free (Windows)
- Undela (Windows, iOS and Android)
- Wise Data Recovery (Windows, iOS and Android)
These programs scan the device for traces of deleted files. Install the program on your computer’s internal drive — never on the external disk you’re trying to recover — and save the recovered files to a different drive.
Most of these programs have free versions, but they limit how much data you can recover. To recover a large amount of data, you’ll probably need a paid version.
In more complex cases — such as a physically damaged disk, or a damaged file structure with many corrupted files — these tools may have little chance of success, and it’s best to turn to a professional recovery company. Inexperienced attempts to repair the file structure can cause permanent, irreversible damage.
What can be recovered from the external disk?
Imagine your master’s thesis is due in a few days, or you’ve spent days preparing a spreadsheet report. Or your whole life is stored in digital photo albums, or you have raw video footage ready for the final edit. Then disaster strikes and the files are lost. What now?
Almost any type of file can be recovered, as long as it hasn’t been overwritten. Here are some of the most common extensions:
- Documents: DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, PDF, CWK, HTML/HTM, INDD, EPS, etc.
- Videos: AVI, MOV, MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, MKV, ASF, FLV, SWF, MPG, RM/RMVB, MPEG, etc.
- Images: JPG/JPEG, TIFF/TIF, PNG, BMP, GIF, PSD, CRW, CR2, NEF, ORF, SR2, MRW, DCR, WMF, RAW, SVG, RAF, DNG, etc.
- Emails: PST, DBX, EMLX, etc. (from Outlook, Outlook Express, Apple Mail, etc.)
- Audio: AIF/AIFF, M4A, MP3, WAV, WMA, APE, MID/MIDI, RealAudio, VQF, OGG, AAC, etc.
- Other files: ZIP, RAR, SIT, ISO, etc.
How do I recover deleted files from a formatted external disk?
When you format an external disk, USB flash drive or memory card, traces of the old files may remain on the device. This is usually the case after a quick format; a full format in recent versions of Windows overwrites the whole drive with zeros, and the data can no longer be recovered.
As soon as you realize the disk has been formatted or a file has been deleted by mistake, stop using it and don’t save anything else to it.
This is because any new file you save can overwrite the deleted files.
In other words, if you save new files to a formatted disk, the old files they overwrite can no longer be recovered by anyone. If the disk has only been partly overwritten, a data recovery professional may still be able to recover what remains.
Does an external disk have a Recycle Bin?
It depends. On Windows, files deleted from USB flash drives and memory cards usually skip the Recycle Bin and are deleted immediately. External hard disks formatted with NTFS may have their own hidden Recycle Bin folder ($RECYCLE.BIN), and on a Mac, files deleted from an external disk go to the Trash while the disk is connected.
To check for files deleted from an external disk on Windows:
- Connect the external disk and open the Recycle Bin on your desktop: if the disk has its own Recycle Bin, the files deleted from it appear there and can be restored with “Restore”.
- If they don’t appear, open File Explorer, go to “View” > “Show” > “Hidden items” and check whether the external disk has a $RECYCLE.BIN folder;
- Don’t run Disk Cleanup or empty the Recycle Bin while you’re trying to recover files: that deletes them permanently and makes recovery harder.
How can I recover permanently deleted files from an external disk for free?
The most common way is to use a data recovery program, many of which have free versions you can run yourself. They’re designed to recover deleted files in simple situations; in complex cases, a professional recovery company is the right choice.
How do I recover files deleted from an external disk’s Recycle Bin for free?
- Right-click the folder that contained the permanently deleted file(s).
- Click “Restore previous versions” (this only works if File History or restore points were enabled for that drive).
- Select the version or files you want and click “Restore”.
If this doesn’t bring your data back, you can use a recovery program or a professional recovery company.
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Conclusion
When one of the incidents described above happens, what would you prefer?
To fix it yourself and risk irreversible losses? Or to get professional help?
A company that specializes in recovering deleted files from external drives has the best equipment, technicians and facilities for the job. It also has experience with all kinds of data loss, from the simplest cases to the most complex, and is committed to doing the work to the highest standard.
With professional help, your data is handled safely, and the chances of recovery are much higher, especially when it comes to files deleted from an external disk.
Bot Data Recovery is the best-rated multinational in data recovery, with more than two decades of experience. We are committed to handling your files safely and to the highest standard, and we offer 24/7 support and payment in 3 interest-free installments.
Count on us — get in touch with Bot!
We offer a free standard diagnosis and free collection of your device (islands not included).
