How to Recover Data From an Unrecognized External Hard Drive
Dishank Sharma
January 6th, 2023
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Have you got an external hard drive with important data you can not access? Don’t worry. You have reached the correct place that has the solution!
External hard drives are considered the best way of saving data as they are portable and easy to use. They are great for backing up data and moving files from your computer. However, when they are not detected or recognized, it creates a lot of issues.
This blog explains how to deal with such situations and perform data recovery from the external hard drive.
External Hard Drive Not Detected – Why Does it Happen?
The most common reasons behind external hard drives not detecting, format the drive before using it, the hard drive not recognized, or cannot access the connected drive error messages are:-
- Corrupt hard drives.
- Malware infection.
- Improper disconnection.
Other than these basic issues, some reasons that lead to hard drives not getting detected are-
- The hard drive is not connected correctly
- Hard Drive has a corrupt file system
- Registry directory errors
- Excessive bad sectors on HDD
- Broken USB port or cable
Generally, this would mean you cannot access the data. However, using the ways explained below, you can try data recovery.
Ways to Recover Data from an External Hard Drive that is Not Detected.
If you find any article stating you can do this manually, we suggest you avoid falling for the false promise. It is a waste of time, as data recovery requires professional software and tools. Especially when it has to be retrieved from a drive you can no longer access.
However, if you want, you can try manual ways, but there is no guarantee they will work. Moreover, there are chances of losing data. So keep your priorities straight as to whether you only want your hard drive to work or need your data.
The fix for an external hard drive not detected has two significant tasks.
- Make your PC detect the hard drive.
- Use data recovery software to retrieve lost data.
Now, the first thing you have to do is make your PC read your hard drive. Try the following steps to make it work –
- Reconnect the hard drive to a different USB port, as there can be an issue with your current port.
- Use Windows Utility to format the drive if it allows you to, as you can recover the data later (steps given ahead).
- Try to check your challenging drive health and fix bad sectors before you move on to data recovery.
Once the external hard drive is detected, you can recover data.
How to Perform External Hard Drive Recovery?
Advanced Disk Recovery is the easiest and most convenient way to recover data from a hard drive that is no longer recognized. It is a professional data recovery software that allows recovering deleted files and inaccessible data in just a few steps.
To make the most of your data available on an undetected hard drive, follow these steps –
- Using the button below, download the tool.
- Before running the tool, ensure the external hard drive is connected.
- Select Removable as the area and choose the drive letter of your external hard drive from the dropdown under Select Drive. If you cannot see the drive letter listed here, select the Hard Drive option, as the external drive might sometimes appear in the Hard drive area.
Tip : You can find the disk's name even if you cannot open it, as it is a connected device on your PC. If the error you are getting is to format your drive before you can use it, this is the best way to handle it.
- Click Start Scan Now to initiate scanning.
- Review scan results and select the files to recover.
- Click Recover to start the recovering process. Make sure you restore files to a different location.
This process is highly efficient thanks to the smart algorithm of the tool. It presents the easiest way to handle your data retrieval.
Give Your External Hard Drive a New Life!
When the hard disk is not detected, it seems the data is lost. Implement the steps above to recover files from an external hard drive. Advanced Disk Recovery is a reliable option when it comes to retrieving data. You must ensure that you use the correct way to get back data.
We hope the information shared is helpful and gives you a second chance to restore data from an undetected hard drive. Let me know how it went on your PC. Good luck!
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How to Restore Missing AppData Folder on Windows 11,10
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