An external disk is a storage device that connects to your computer from the outside. Because it makes carrying data around so easy, it pays to know how to recover a corrupted external disk if it ever happens to you.
Errors like this can have a logical or a physical cause, and repeated repair attempts can make things worse. If the files matter, see how external hard drive recovery works, starting with a free diagnosis.
HD stands for hard disk. An external hard disk is a portable storage device that usually offers far more capacity than a USB flash drive or memory card.
Its job is to hold large amounts of data so you can easily move your files from one device to another. Knowing how to recover a corrupted external disk helps you avoid losing that data.
What can corrupt an external hard disk?
An external disk can become corrupted for many reasons. These are some of the most common:
1. Unplugging the device from the PC without ejecting it
When you are done with the disk, it is tempting to simply pull out the cable, but doing so without ejecting the drive first is risky.
Imagine your computer is busy reading or writing data on the disk and the drive is suddenly removed without warning.
It is like a power cut hitting while you are in the middle of writing a document: you can lose everything you were working on.
So play it safe and follow these simple steps before disconnecting the disk — a few clicks can save you a big headache.
You can eject an external disk in three ways: (1) from File Explorer, (2) from the Windows taskbar, or (3) from Settings:
- Open “This PC” in File Explorer, right-click the drive and choose “Eject” from the menu.
- On the Windows taskbar, click the up arrow to show hidden icons and find the “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon. Click it and choose to eject your external disk.
- Open the “Start” menu and click “Settings”, or press “Windows + I”, then click “Devices”.
On the next screen, select your drive under “Other devices”, click “Remove device” and confirm.
This simple habit prevents many future problems and saves you headaches caused by a lack of basic care.
2. Virus attack
Virus infections are more common than you might think: it is easy to visit an unsafe website or click an unknown link by accident, and the virus ends up infecting your computer and affecting its performance.
A virus can cause serious data loss on your computer, including the data on your external disk. Can anything be done?
In many cases, yes. Some viruses hide your files rather than deleting them, and you can make them visible again from the Command Prompt (CMD). Here is how:
- Open CMD by typing “cmd” in the Start menu search box, or press “Windows + R” to open the Run dialog box and type “cmd”.
- In the window that opens, type
attrib -h -r -s /s /d X:\*.*, replacing “X” with the letter of the drive where the files went missing (for example,attrib -h -r -s /s /d E:\*.*), and press “Enter”. - Windows will then clear the hidden, read-only and system attributes from the files on that drive, so files hidden by the virus should reappear. If they do not, you may need a professional hard drive recovery service.
It may take a while and it is not the most sophisticated technique, but it often solves the problem. For more complex cases, there are specialized techniques and programs.
3. Bad sectors on the storage device
Your hard disk may develop what are known as bad sectors: small areas of the disk surface that can no longer be read or written reliably.
Bad sectors stop the disk from reading or writing data in those areas and usually have one of two causes:
- Physical damage – for example, when the hard disk has been dropped, has worn out or has suffered some other serious damage.
- Logical errors – data errors that prevent a sector from being read or written correctly, even though the surface is intact.
Before anything else, check a few simple things:
- Make sure the cables are properly connected;
- Test the cables: unplug and reconnect them, try a different cable, and connect the external disk to another computer to find out whether the problem lies with the cable or with the disk.
- Update or reinstall the drivers by following the steps below:
To update the driver:
- Step 1: Type “Device Manager” in the taskbar search box and open it.
- Step 2: Expand a category to see the device names, then right-click (or press and hold) the device you want to update.
- Step 3: Select “Update driver”.
- Step 4: Choose “Search automatically for drivers”.
To reinstall the driver:
- Step 1: Type “Device Manager” in the taskbar search box and open it.
- Step 2: Right-click the device name and select “Uninstall device”.
- Step 3: Restart your PC.
- Step 4: Windows will try to reinstall the driver automatically.
These simple checks often solve the problem and are a useful first step in recovering a corrupted external disk. If the disk makes clicking or grinding noises, however, stop using it: that points to physical damage.
4. File system errors
File system errors affect the structure that organizes data on the disk and can be caused by bad sectors, damaged files, an improper shutdown and other problems.
These errors can stop you from accessing or opening the files on your hard disk.
How do I recover data or files from a corrupted external hard drive?
Once you know what is happening with your external disk and why, you can decide how to tackle the problem.
Here are some possible solutions:
Repair the external hard drive by formatting it (only after recovering your data)
Formatting is simple, but it erases the data on the drive. Only format once your files have been recovered or if you do not need them. Then follow these steps:
- Step 1: Connect the corrupted external disk to your PC.
- Step 2: In File Explorer, right-click the external hard drive and select “Format”.
- Step 3: Choose the new file system – NTFS, exFAT or FAT32 – and click “Start” to finish the process.
Repair a corrupted external disk with partition manager software
If your external disk is corrupted and has turned RAW (it no longer has a readable file system), you can also try a partition manager.
These programs create, resize, move and repair partitions, and many of them can also create backups. Bear in mind that any operation that writes to the disk can overwrite lost data, so recover your files first.
To recover the files from a corrupted disk, some of the most reliable programs are:
- FreeUndelete: a data recovery program for Windows, free for personal use.
- Recuva: part of the CCleaner family of programs. It offers a free version with some limitations and paid plans with more features from €12/year.
- Disk Drill: available for Mac and Windows, it recovers up to 500 MB of data for free, with advanced features in the paid plans, starting at €45/year.
- Recoverit: one of the most complete file recovery programs, available for Mac and Windows in free and paid versions, starting at €45/year.
- EaseUS: offers backup, disk optimization and data recovery tools. The free version recovers up to 2 GB; paid plans start at €71/year.
Install the program on a different drive from the one you are recovering and save the recovered files somewhere else, never on the damaged disk. If the files are important, you can also turn to a professional company like Bot, which handles your data safely and confidentially.
How much does it cost to recover an external disk?
It all depends on how complex the problem is: recovering data from a corrupted external disk can be simple in some cases and difficult in others.
The price depends on the type of failure and how complex the recovery is, so it can vary widely. For more details, see our pricing page.
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Conclusion
External disks are extremely practical, since they let you carry your data with you wherever you go.
That is why it is worth being prepared and knowing when to seek specialist help if something goes wrong.
You now know how to identify the most common problems and try some simple methods to recover your corrupted external disk yourself. If the data is valuable or the disk shows signs of physical damage, however, avoid DIY attempts that could make the loss worse.
If you still cannot solve the problem after trying everything, or if you need professional data recovery, Bot can help.
Send us your device so our technicians can analyze the problem and give you a quote for the recovery.
All you have to do is fill in the form on our website and choose how you want to send us the device.
There are two ways to get your device to us: free collection or drop-off at one of Bot’s reception points.
Free collection
We can have your device collected at your address by courier, free of charge (islands not included). When you fill in the form, simply choose “Free Collection” and we will arrange the pickup as soon as possible. Before the courier arrives, label the device with your form number and pack it well in a box to protect it from knocks.
Drop-off at a reception point
You can find the address of our reception points at this link. After filling in the form, you can hand your device directly to Bot.
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