Are you using a hard drive to store and access your data? A hard drive uses magnetic or solid-state technology to store and retrieve your digital information. Sometimes, due to a system crash, virus attack, or other reasons, your hard drive gets corrupted or you might lose important files stored on it. Losing important files can be distressing, but don’t lose hope.
Luckily, Windows OS provides some built-in utilities or you can use any free data recovery software tools to restore lost files. This step-by-step guide describes many methods on how to restore lost files from corrupted hard drive on Windows. By following these steps, you can easily get access to your lost data. Keep reading!
Why Hard Drive Gets Corrupted?
Finding the exact cause for your hard drive corruption on Windows can help you determine the adequate recovery workarounds. Some main reasons why hard drive gets corrupted are:
- File System Errors: Corruption in the hard drive’s file system can prevent stored data from being accessed or read correctly.
- Physical Damage: Hard drives are susceptible to damage due to water or fire exposure, which can cause corruption.
- Viruses or malware: Malicious software can corrupt files, delete data, or even sometimes make the hard drive inaccessible.
- Power Surges: Sudden power outages can damage your hard drive’s electronic components, leading to corruption or deletion of stored files.
- Bad Sectors: Over time, hard drives can develop bad sectors, i.e., the area of the disk that became unreadable or damaged.
Identifying the exact cause of your hard drive corruption can save time and prevent further damage.
Common Signs of Hard Drive Corruption
When your hard drive gets corrupted, you may notice the following symptoms:
- Windows OS fails to recognize the drive.
- Files may display strange characters, are missing, or cannot be accessed.
- You may be asked to format the drive.
- Frequent system crashes or freezing when accessing the drive.
- Slow performance while opening files.
When you notice any of the above signs, avoid saving new files on the affected drive to prevent overwriting or worsening the damage.
How do I Recover Files from Corrupted Hard Drives?
Now it’s time to apply some recovery workarounds to get the files deleted from the corrupted hard drive back. Before you proceed with the recovery workarounds, here are some preliminary steps that you must consider:
- Stop Using the Drive: Avoid saving new files on the affected drive to prevent further damage or overwriting of required data. Continued usage may complex the recovery process.
- Check the Connections: Make sure your hard drive is properly connected to the computer. If there are any lost cables or faulty ports, try fixing the issue at your end.
- Back up Existing Data: If you are still able to access some files on the drive, back up the remaining files to another storage device or cloud storage to avoid further data loss.
It’s time to apply recovery methods to restore lost files from a corrupted hard drive:
➤ Method 01: Use File History Backup
Windows OS provides a built-in File History backup utility, which when enabled on your device, creates an automatic backup of the stored files. It allows you to restore previous versions of your file when data loss occurs. All you have to do is:
- Firstly, type file history in the search box of your desktop and click on Restore lost files with File History.
- Browse through different folders to locate the required file.
- Once found, click the green Restore button to save the selected file at the desired location on your PC.
➤ Method 02: Use the CHKDSK Command
The CHKDSK (Check Disk) command on Windows PC scans and repairs file system errors, bad sectors, and other issues on a hard drive. This method doesn’t directly recover the lost files but can fix errors that might make your files inaccessible, restoring your ability to access them. To recover files using the CHKDSK command, you need to:
- Press the Windows + S keys, type CP in the search box and right-click on Control Panel. Select the Run as administrator option to launch the Control Panel with administrative privileges.
- Type the command: chkdsk /f /r D: (replace D: with your drive letter) and press Enter.
- Wait till the process completes, which usually takes several minutes to hours (depending on the size of the drive and the extent of corruption).
Once done, check if the damage is repaired and you can access the files. If not, try using any professional data recovery software to restore lost files.
➤ Method 03: Use Free Data Recovery Software
If all fails, a free data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Free can help you restore lost files without any cost. You can easily recover deleted files, such as photos, videos, documents, and many more using this amazing tool. The software offers a simple user interface allowing the recovery of lost files in a few simple steps.
The Stellar Data Recovery Free software allows you to recover up to 1 GB of files for free. If you need to recover files of larger size, you can check and use their premium versions.
Follow the steps to recover lost files from a corrupted hard drive on Windows using this tool:
➨ Step 1: You need to download and install the Stellar Recovery Free software on your Windows computer. Then, launch the program and select the type of file you need to restore. Click Next to continue.
➨ Step 2: Choose the folder location, i.e., the hard drive where the deleted data was earlier stored, and click Scan to initiate the scanning process.
➨ Step 3: After the scanning, preview the recoverable files. Select the files you need to restore and click the “Recover” button to save them at the desired location.
Conclusion
When you find any important files missing from the hard drive, don’t lose hope. Recovering data may seem challenging but not impossible at all. By understanding the root cause of your hard drive corruption, recognizing the signs, and following the aforementioned methods, you can easily recover your lost files. With the right approach and tools, you can regain access to your precious files and prevent similar incidents in the future. Always remember to back up your data regularly and take proactive steps to protect your hard drive from future issues.
