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How to Restore a Crashed Hard Drive

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crashed hard drive

A hard drive can last up to 5 years, depending on how you handle it. However, it can also crash anytime, resulting in data loss and inconvenience. This can happen due to physical causes like water damage, power surge or failure, mechanical problems, burnt drive, or broken parts. Sometimes, your hard drive can crash because of logical issues like file system errors, malware, virus infection, or file system corruption.

 Knowing how to restore your hard drive will help you save important files, which can be the difference between recovering your precious data and ending up with a blank storage device. Below is a guide to help restore your crashed hard disk when you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

1. Use a Data Recovery Software

The easiest and most efficient way to restore data from a crashed hard drive is by using data recovery software. It should also be your first go-to solution because you can permanently lose your data when you format or repair the hard drive.

One of the tools you can use to restore your hard drive is Disk Drill. It helps recover data from various storage devices and is excellent for beginners since it is easy to use. Besides helping you recover lost files and other deleted data, Disk Drill also comes with features like partition recovery, backup, and disk health monitoring to protect your data.

To use Disk Drill, download and launch it, then choose the affected hard drive, and click on” search for lost data” if you use Windows. For Mac versions, click on “Recover.” Next, use Quick Scan or Deep Scan to scan the files, and you can preview the files by right-clicking on them before hitting the “Recover button” to restore them. Other data recovery software you can use includes Tenorshare 4DDiG and DiskInternals Partition Recovery.

2. Data Recovery with Disk Management Utility

hard drive recovery

Accessing your data and files can be impossible when your hard drive crashes or suffers damage due to logical errors. In such cases, you may see errors like “The Device Is Not Ready” or “Disk Unknown Not Initialized.” The best way to restore your hard disk on both windows and macOS and access your data, in this case, is by using Disk Management Utility.

Here are steps to recover your hard drive using Disk Management Utility on Windows.

  • Click Windows+X and select Disk Management.
  • Check if you can find the crashed hard drive in the Disk Management panel.
  • Suppose you can see the affected hard drive, format it to fix any errors, and make your data accessible.

For macOS, press command+ space to open Disk Utility, choose the crashed hard drive, and click First Aid. After running First Aid, you will find out whether it identified or solved any existing errors. Your hard drive will be fixed and ready to use once you complete the process.

Not that you run the risk of losing your data with this method. Make sure to always back up your data for easy retrieval. Alternatively, you can choose professional recovery services to restore your data.

3. Opt for Professional Recovery Services

hard drive management

Unsuccessful attempts to restore your hard drive can eventually damage it entirely if you go at it the wrong way. If you are unsure about recovering the data from your crashed hard drive or your efforts prove futile, it is time to enlist the help of experts.

Consider using data recovery experts if your systems fail to detect the hard drive, as it means it could be physically damaged. Professional recovery service providers will open your hard drive, identify the extent of damage and employ working solutions to restore it.

Bottom Line

With the above tips, you can successfully reverse data loss from your hard drive and restore it to optimal functionality. To prevent future data loss, always back up your data and use antivirus software to protect your device from malware and viruses. Also, keep your hard drive away from humidity or heat to avoid damage.