The inner workings of a computer are usually kept nice and tidy. The operating system, programs and other data files are arranged in logical folders with special names that make it simple for users to find what they’re looking for. However, when the computer is used regularly, an accumulation of files can lead to some messy storage areas. This is especially true if you keep lots of photos or important documents on your hard drive. Hard drives break all the time, so it’s common that files become uncooperative over time. When this happens, you might find that certain folders are inaccessible as well as files beginning to get moved into different locations. In times like these, recovering lost data from a broken hard drive is essential to getting back in control again.
Check for Corruption and Run Repairer Software
The first and most important step in recovering data from a broken hard drive is making sure that the disk is actually broken at all. Doing this will prevent you from wasting a lot of time trying to recover data that’s actually still on the drive. Although it’s not always possible to tell whether a hard drive is damaged without taking it out and looking, there are ways to check for possible problems. The most reliable method is to check for corrupt data. You can use special software to scan the drive for any errant files, or you can try a free, online scanner like the one at Seyb. This can tell you whether there’s anything in the drive that shouldn’t be there. If there is, that’s a sign that the drive is broken and you should move on to the next section.
Boot from a Backup Drive
If there’s any hope of recovering data from a broken hard drive, you have to get the drive out of the computer as soon as possible. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this. Many people choose to take their hard drive to a service center or an electronic repair shop to have the data recovered. However, this might not be the most convenient option if you don’t have an extra drive handy or if you don’t want to pay someone to take the time to retrieve your data. You can also boot up from a backup drive. This is a drive that you have set up so that whenever you start the computer, it automatically boots up from the backup drive and loads the operating system automatically on the main drive. The advantage of this method is that you can keep using your computer as usual while the data is being retrieved from the broken hard drive. This will save you time and headaches if you need to use that computer right away the following day.
Erase the Disk Before Trying Again
If you’ve run the disk check, erased the disk and used a backup drive to boot up the computer, you can try retrieving the data again. The good news is that this time, you’ll be starting from scratch. The first thing you should do is run the disk check again just to make sure that the drive is really broken. If the drive is still broken, try erasing the disk manually. If the drive doesn’t have any data on it, it’s easier to copy the data off the broken drive. You can use a software such as Stellar Phoenix or Stellar Phoenix Ultimate.
Try Solid-State Drives
If you’re still having no luck after following the previous steps, you might want to consider getting a new hard drive. A new drive might be easier to retrieve the data from, or a new drive might have a different characteristics that make it easier to retrieve the data from. If you’re not ready to replace the drive just yet, however, you can try a different approach. New hard drives are often sold as a backup drive that you use while you transfer all the data from the old drive to the new one. This might be a better option than booting up from a backup drive, since you’ll be using the new drive while it’s being retrieved.
Recover Lost Files From an Old Hard Drive
If you’ve tried erasing the disk, using a backup drive and a new drive, and all else has failed, you might want to consider dumping the data from the old drive and moving on. This is a decision that you have to make for each case, but it might be the only option if your data is irreplaceable. There are also a number of data recovery services that can help if you have to move on from a broken hard drive and have lost data to retrieve. If you need some guidance, you can try recovering data from the broken drive again. First, make sure that the broken drive is actually broken. You can do this by checking for corrupt data or simply taking the drive out and putting it in another computer to make sure it’s not just the hard drive that’s broken.
Conclusion
Hard drives break all the time, so it’s common that files become uncooperative over time. When this happens, you might find that certain folders are inaccessible as well as files beginning to get moved into different locations. In times like these, recovering lost data from a broken hard drive is essential to getting back in control again. If you’ve tried erasing the disk, using a backup drive and a new drive, and all else has failed, you might want to consider dumping the data from the old drive and moving on. This is a decision that you have to make for each case, but it might be the only option if your data is irreplaceable. There are also a number of data recovery services that can help if you have to move on from a broken hard drive and have lost data to recover.