We can never say it enough, a hard drive is a practical tool, but one that is also exposed to the risk of failure. When such a failure occurs and your storage device is damaged, it’s your data that is affected. It becomes inaccessible and sometimes corrupted. As a result, it becomes impossible for you to read it, let alone use it. What should you do in this case ? Recover these deleted files. How ? By calling on Chronodisk, a professional in deleted file recovery, or by carrying out the restoration yourself !

The different failures behind data loss

How do you recover data from a damaged hard drive if you don’t know it has failed ? Several situations can help you determine whether your storage device isn’t working normally. Most of the time, three types of failures are detected on devices :

  • Mechanical failure : this is the most serious. When it occurs, your storage device completely stops working because its mechanical components have been damaged by : falls and violent shocks, flooding, fires, overheating, wear, etc. 
  • Logical failure : here the storage device works and is even detected by your PC. However, it isn’t possible to access the files, which are corrupted. This type of failure is caused by human error (accidental deletion or erasure, formatting, presence of a virus, repartitioning, etc.).
  • Electronic failure : here, the device no longer works because its electronic components have been damaged by: lightning, some other electronic damage, or corruption of its firmware.

How do you recover data from a damaged hard drive when one of these failures occurs ? At Chronodisk, we offer solutions that are suited and adapted to each of your needs !

Recovering the data on your hard drive yourself

How can you recover data from your damaged hard drive yourself ? Before attempting any recovery procedure, it’s advisable to regularly back up your important files. That way, when a failure occurs, you have copies of your documents and can use them before proceeding with the recovery. 

You can create folders of your files and keep them on an SD card or memory card, or on another storage device of your choice. 

As for the restoration itself, it’s carried out using recovery software. You can download several of these on the Internet, both free and paid. The most popular are Data Recovery and Recuva.

HEXASCAN 

To use Hexascan and recover data from your damaged hard drive, you need to download it. What do you do next ? Once it’s running, you’ll be taken to the home screen or interface and asked to follow the instructions. This involves, among other things, choosing the partition to scan and the recovery mode to use.

Hexascan then thoroughly scans the partition before displaying your files if it finds them. Afterwards, you need to click on the ones you’re interested in to restore them. Don’t hesitate to save them onto a USB drive or any other external device.

Recuva

Recuva is a software program just like Hexascan. How do you use it to recover data from a damaged hard drive ? Once you’ve downloaded and installed it, click on it to run it. Then, from the home menu, choose the files you want to recover, as well as the partition to scan. The software takes care of the rest. In the end, the documents appear and are available for saving. 

While recovery software is convenient, it still needs to be well mastered. If handled incorrectly, you could permanently lose all your important information. 

Calling on a recovery professional

How do you recover data from a damaged hard drive ? The ideal solution is to call on a recovery professional. At Chronodisk, we work to restore all types of deleted files. The recovery method depends on the nature of the failure. For minor issues, we use recovery software.

For more serious failures, we work in a computer cleanroom to carry out the recovery under the best possible conditions. 

This cleanroom is designed to prevent dirt and provide suitable temperature conditions. Certified ISO Class 100, it complies with current regulations and is suited to the nature of the work we carry out there.

How do you recover data from a damaged hard drive ? The safest way is to contact a professional. They have the experience, know-how, and tools needed to provide safe, quality work. In most cases, restoration is successful when you follow the advice given by the professional.