Your files are backed up to a cloud service or external HDD, but if your drive crashed, you could lose some files.
Don’t be alarmed, we’re here to help. There’s a good chance you can recover the files yourself, if the HDD isn’t physically damaged.
How Do I Know if My HDD is Physically Damaged?
If you notice a clicking or rattling sound coming from your computer when it is starting up, or when it is running slowly, your hard drive may be damaged. ..
That’s the sound of the read/write head trying to return to its home position and failing. Turn your computer off immediately. We’ll talk about why in a minute.
If you hear the mildest of scraping or grinding sounds, your drive is physically damaged. That’s the sound of the read/write head shaving off the surface of the disks in the drive. Turn off your computer now. Right now.
Turning off your computer when you hear these sounds can prevent your hard drive from being damaged. Every second that you’re hearing those sounds, the disks in the HDD are being damaged and files, folders, pictures, or videos could be lost forever. ..
If you want to recover some of your files from a hard drive that has been damaged, you will need to find a data recovery specialist and spend at least $1000 dollars. Data recovery specialists have expensive equipment and training, and they will be able to clean the hard drive so that it can be used again.
This allows the technician to slowly and carefully take apart your hard drive in order to recover as much data as possible. There is no guarantee that they will know how damaged the drive is before they take it apart, so it is important to be very careful when handling the drive.
If you don’t have the money to pay for professional recovery, you could still try to recover your files by trying different methods. At this point, you’re already counting the files as gone, so roll the dice, play the lottery, and try to learn something. You might get lucky and recover your grandparent’s wedding photo, or nephew’s first birthday.
My HDD Sounds Fine, How Can I Recover Files Myself?
If your hard drive has no visible signs of damage, the odds of recovering files are high. Here are some options to consider. ..
Use a LiveCD or LiveUSB and an External Hard Drive
To retrieve Windows files from a Linux live CD, you will need to make a bootable USB drive with a Linux distribution on it. This guide will show you how to do this using Hiren’s Boot CD or Ultimate Boot CD.
To boot the computer with the dead drive, use the LiveUSB to plug in your other USB HDD. Then save the files to that USB HDD.
If you can’t find your files on the LiveUSB, you may need to try copying them to your external hard drive.
Remove the HDD and Connect to Another Computer
This may seem like a crazy idea, but if you can get your hands on a desktop computer it can be easier to do this. Desktop computers are more reliable and have more storage than laptops, so if you’re willing to try it you can do this.
Next, turn off the computer. If it’s a laptop, you may need to press and hold the power button for a few seconds to do this. If it’s an desktop computer, you can usually just unplug the power cord and let it sit there for a few minutes. Now, take out your phone or other electronic device and place it on the desk next to the computer. Make sure that your phone is turned off and not in use. Now, open up your phone or device’s settings and make sure that it’s turned off by going to “power” on the top left hand side of your screen and selecting “off.” Now press and hold “volume up” until you hear a beep from your phone or device. Now release the button quickly so that “volume down” takes over.
Remove the cover from the computer case, or laptop, and find the hard drive. Disconnect any cables that are attached to it. When you pull out the cables, pull them by the hard end of the cable, not by pulling on the cables themselves. That can damage them.
Removing the hard drive may be difficult, but it is important to avoid any damage that could prevent you from using the device. Be careful not to touch any of the screws or circuitry that may be exposed on the hard drive. Additionally, do not drop the hard drive. If either of these actions causes damage, you may not be able to use the hard drive.
To install the computer, you will need to connect it to another computer by installing it in a PC. You can either attach it as an external hard drive or connect it to the computer using a USB cable.
Install the Hard Drive in Another PC
If you take the HDD out of a PC, you can likely install it in another PC. Most PCs are built with the capability to have two or more HDD installed.
If your PC doesn’t have an empty HDD bay and empty cable connections to use, install the HDD and connect the cables. Turn on this PC and go into Windows Explorer to see if your drive is visible. If it is, copy off the files you want to save.
Formatting a drive and using it as a secondary drive can help if there is no physical damage to the drive.
Connect the Hard Drive to Another PC via USB
This option is easier as it doesn’t require taking another computer apart. If you removed the HDD from a laptop, this is probably the way to go. Even with this method, there are a few ways you can do this.
If you want to keep your files safe and secure, one option is to get an external USB hard drive enclosure. These can be bought online for as little as $20. Once you have the enclosure, you can install your hard drive and connect it to the USB port on your working computer. This way, you have access to your files even if your computer is lost or stolen. Plus, with an external hard drive, you can store a lot of data securely. ..
If you’re able to rescue your files, you may want to format them on an external hard drive in order to protect them from damage and extend their life. This will help mark the damaged sections as unusable in the file system and may give you several months, even years of service out of it.
If you want to store large files on your computer, you can use a USB hard drive. You can buy a USB hard drive adapter or a USB hard drive docking station. The adapter is a set of cables that you attach to the hard drive and sometimes a power source. Then you plug it in to a USB port and your computer should pick it up like it is an external USB hard drive. ..
It’s a bit sloppy because you’ll have two or three cables strewn across the desk and the HDD just sitting exposed. But it does work. These adapters sell for around $20.
The HDD docking station looks like a toaster that you can use to connect your hard drive to your computer. You can also use it to charge your hard drive. The dock sells for about $40.
We recommend the HDD dock for anyone who is unofficial IT person for friends and family. It can be used to clone hard drives while not connected to any computer.
What About Dead Solid State Drives?
Solid state drives are not easy to recover files from. If the SSD doesn’t appear to be working, it won’t ever work. Be prepared for that. Yet there is one thing you can try that might work. It’s a slim chance, but still a chance. This method will only work if the failure is due to power loss from a power outage in your area or something similar.
Remove the power cable from the SSD but leave the cable connected to the SSD. If the cable has a power and data integrated connector, you’ll need to get a SATA power cable.
If your external USB drive enclosure doesn’t have separate power and data cables, you might be able to connect the SATA power cable to the appropriate spot on the SSD and to the host PCs power connection. Follow the cable that was already connected to the SSD to find it where it should go.
After powering on the computer, let it sit for 20 minutes without doing anything. ..
Turn the computer off and disconnect the power cord for 30 seconds.
Connect the drive again, power on the computer again, and wait another 20 minutes. Power off the computer and disconnect the power from the SSD.
If your computer is working, power it on and update the firmware on your SSD to make sure it’s working. If your computer is not working, reconnect the SSD to the power and data cables just like it was before we started this. Power on your computer and if all went well, it should be working. If it is not working, also update the firmware on your SSD to make sure it’s not corrupted by the power outage.
If your SSD is dead, the only reliable way to get data off of it is to contact a data recovery specialist and pay them. ..
An Ounce of Prevention…
If you’re just reading this to learn something, the thing to learn is that you should have all your files backed up to at least one, if not two, different storage methods. This way, if something happens and your hard drive dies, you won’t have to worry about trying to recover data from it. ..
