If the data on the internal or external hard drive is corrupted, this does not always automatically mean that all data has also been automatically lost. There are ways to restore and thus recover various files, such as videos or photos and even more. It actually happens relatively quickly that data is accidentally deleted. Sometimes, however, there are other important reasons, so that a Recovery of the data is desired in any case. It can also happen that an external hard drive is suddenly defective and it becomes a goal to recover the lost data.Many people do not know that the way of storing the data itself and the data behind it is very important Technologies can be basically very different. Thus, the possibility of successful recovery of lost data can be very different.
When the hard disk is defective
If the internal or external hard disk is defective, it usually shows by the fact that the entire operating system crashes. take place when reading or saving Error messages Or just suddenly some data is missing. The best thing to do is to check the Windows Event Viewer to see what kind of defect it really is.
Recovery with a USB flash drive
For the recovery of the data there are individual tools. These should best be copied to a USB stick. From this place the programs are executed. In this way, no erroneous fragments of the files that should actually be restored are destroyed. Alternatively, it is still possible to initiate the recovery on the corresponding hard drive again. In this case, however, a certain Risk given.
- IsoBuster
- TestDisk& PhotoRec
- Recuva Portable
- FileRestorePlus
- PhotRescuePro
- Android Data Recovery
- Disk Drill
- R-Studio
- Pandora Recovery
Recuva is a particularly popular and free program that anyone can download for data recovery. This way it is possible to recover sensitive data if they are possibly on a defective hard drive. Alternatively, the manufacturer also offers a paid version, with which more options are usable for data recovery.
When recovering data with the help of this program, the user is assisted by a wizard. First of all, the goal is to scan the files and find possibly deleted files. If this Surface scan does not provide any results, another deep scan of the data medium is possible. However, this scan of the internal or external hard disk can last several hours.
The deleted files and data are displayed after the operation so that they can be recovered afterwards. There are differences that are reflected in the colors:
- Green for easily recoverable
- Yellow for partially damaged
- Red for destroyed
Hint: But in some cases it is possible to recover even destroyed files. It may still be that much of the data contained in these files is not fully recoverable. The user can individually choose which files he wants to recover.
Use Restoration for file recovery
Another Alternative offers a program called Restoration, which is also available as freeware. This program is first downloaded and unpacked. Then the recovery runs almost automatically. For this, the user selects the hard disk that contains the files that should be recovered. Now the damaged files are searched for. Afterwards the files which can be recovered are displayed. With Restore by Copying the Backup.
In so-called binary codes are the metadata or. the specific information. This is the case for every single disk with files on it. The user cannot see this information. For the data recovery the Metainformation however prerequisite. Otherwise data recovery is no longer possible.
Tip: For the selected software of the recovery it is crucial that the raw data is recognized and interpreted during scanning.
It happens that a data medium, such as an external hard disk, has many defective sectors. However, the basic function of this data medium still does not have to be affected then. In this case, however, the user should always expect the disk to fail completely. That is why the so-called Image function of a program so important. This creates sector-based copies of the medium.
However, this function is not offered by many freeware programs. In most cases, data is rescued and backed up directly from the original data medium. However, as mentioned above, this can fail at any time. A subsequent reanimation is more than complicated.
Doing the right thing
- After a data loss, it is important to stay calm and do nothing wrong. It is determined, in which condition the data medium and/or. the external hard disk is. Possibly technically everything is also in order. The next question is what kind of data has been lost and whether or not it needs to be recovered.
- The software, which is chosen for recovery, should also support the appropriate file formats. It should also be determined whether an image function of the software is necessary or not.
- If a medium is to be saved, it must be ensured that no new data is written to it. A typical writing process that is often not considered here is the booting of Windows at startup. The lost or broken data must not be overwritten under any circumstances.
Overwritten or not? If pictures or videos resp. other files are deleted from the memory card or external hard drive, actually only the entry in the table of contents is deleted. The files and data themselves are still on the storage medium. This means., that the data is still completely present. Only when these are overwritten, for example because space is needed, they are really deleted. What was once overwritten cannot be restored again.
Mostly the free version is enough
The good news is that in most cases, free software is quite sufficient for recovering the files on a broken external hard drive or other media. However, before downloading such free software from the net, it should be determined whether the respective File format is supported at all. In most of all cases the data media are physically damaged.
The background of saving
There is absolutely no magic in recovering files from an external hard drive or other media. Who understands what is behind it, knows that. The electronic data management is a bit different than most people think. If a photo is stored on the external hard disk, the respective program of these files lies on one of the free places. In order for this photo file to be found again, a Table of contents created. This table of contents shows exactly where the data is located when the file is called up.