How to Recover Data from a Dead External Hard Drive?

Most people usually backup hard disk data to external hard drive due to its lower price and larger storage size. The portable external hard drive is really helpful in transferring large amount of data to remote machines that are not network-connected. However, external hard drive could respond slowly and even make strange noise when you connect it to your computer. In this situation, your external hard drive might be dead or corrupted or you need to rely on data recovery software to get back data from the dead external hard drive.

 

 

Why does hard drive get corrupted?

 

There are many reasons why your external hard drive get corrupted and you need to understand the most common ones to determine the best data recovery approach.

 

• Human error: It is the number one cause of data loss on all types of storage media. Accidentally deleting or formatting data can happen with a single misplaced click.
• Infection with virus and malware: Some viruses and malware will cause as much damage as possible by deleting important system files or encrypting personal data.
• Software bugs: Files stored on a healthy external hard drive can get corrupted due to software bugs. In this case, corruption is often limited to files accessed by the defective software. However, if the software in question has admin privileges and access to system files, things can get really bad.
• Poor operating conditions: Excessive heat and high humidity can damage your hard drive. Wear and tear can also lead to data loss by harming the physical components of the drive.

 

Restore data from external hard drive

 

If your external hard drive can be recognized but inaccessible, you still can recover data from a dead external hard drive. A hard drive recovery software like RecoveryMaster can help you recover data from a dead external hard drive. This software provides users with intuitive and user-friendly interface. It supports deleted, formatted or lost data recovery from external hard drive, USB drive, Solid–state drive, memory card and more.

 

 

To recover data from a dead external hard drive, you need to download and install the RecoveryMaster software firstly. The first step is to connect the external hard drive to your computer and launch the RecoveyMaster. Please make sure that you insert the connectors properly or your drive can be detected by the system. The drive might not be recognized due to a faulty connector, USB port or cable.

The second step is to select the external hard drive where you have lost data. Click scan to continue. The third step is to wait for the scanning process and preview the lost data before recovery. You’ll see a list of files displayed on the interface. You can select and preview to confirm its content. Finally, click Recover button to bring back your data and save them to a secure location.

 

Only a few steps, you can recover data from a dead external drive. In fact, RecoveryMaster can recover not just corrupted files but also permanently deleted files. It accesses you data through READ ONLY and protect your data from secondary damage.

 

Symptoms of external hard drive corruption

 

You can recognize the early signs of hard drive corruption to avoid restoring data. Here are the symptoms of external hard drive corruption.

 

• External hard drive not detected: If you cannot access your external hard drive, you’d better connect it to another computer to check if it can work normally. Sometimes, it might be the computer problem when it becomes inaccessible. If it still responds slowly and cannot work, it might be really corrupted and you can use RecoveryMaster to perform data recovery.
• Strange sound: When you connect your external hard drive to your computer, you might hear clicking, whirring or whining noises. It might be developing a mechanical problem that cause it to stop working.
• Poor performance: The external hard drive should reach its specified read or write speed. Please note that constant performance problems can be caused by hard drive trying to overcome file system corruption.
• External hard disk responds slowly: If the computer often starts to freeze and runs slower each time, you should backup in advance. If you need yo recover a file, use RecoveryMaster data recovery software.

 

Conclusion

 

When used for an extensive amount of time, external hard drive might eventually experience data loss problems. Luckily, it’s no longer difficult to recover data from a dead external hard drive. You can choose the right plan according to your actual situation. If your external hard drive is still recognizable, data recovery software like RecoveryMaster can help you get data back easily. It also applied to USB drive, memory card and other storage devices.