You might panic about losing your data, however, the availability of powerful recovery software can help you recover some of your data before reformatting. At the very least, you’ll be able to save your hard drive and will avoid infecting other devices you connect it to. Formatting the hard drive restores it to its original state. A clean format involves erasing everything that is on the hard drive. This situation will require you to make a clean format of the hard disk. In some instances, your hard drive might get a virus or malware infection that common antivirus programs cannot repair. They will test your hard drive and give recommendations if you need to make a replacement. These programs have testing and diagnostic tools that are vital for hard disk repair. There are varieties of software packages that provide solutions for external hard drive repair. When in doubt, always go to a professional. Without this knowledge, you can make the problem even worse. Only attempt this if you have technical knowledge and feel comfortable taking your device apart. If you notice some burns on the circuit board, try replacing it with a new or spare board and test if it works. In some cases, the hard drive’s circuit board might be damaged and in need of replacement. The best way to identify if the connector has a problem is by testing the disk on a different enclosure. It is easy to identify connector damage, as the breakage is visible. When an external drive stops functioning, you need to unscrew the enclosure and check the connectors for any damage. The connectors are delicate and easily susceptible to breakage especially if subjected to consistent dropping of the external hard drive. As the name implies, “connectors” join the hard drive to the enclosure.
This enclosure consists of connectors and a USB cable. The following are tips on external hard drive repair.Īn external hard drive comes with an enclosure that carries the disk. However, if you have a damaged external hard drive and no online backup available, you may be able to recover some data by repairing the hard drive. Before you experience another data loss disaster, plan for the worst and invest in a cloud backup solution that will keep your data intact and available no matter what threat approaches.Īs aforementioned, cloud backup is an ideal way of recovering your data in the event your physical storage device becomes inoperable. But remember, the best form of data loss prevention is preparation. If you’re in need of external hard drive repair and data recovery, these best practices can help.
Recovering data from a severely damaged disk requires highly advanced technical skills, and still there is no guarantee that all of your data can be returned. Hard drive recovery poses another challenge: restoring all of the lost data depends on the extent of disk damage. While external hard drive loss is a common occurrence, many device owners are unprepared for what to do in the event that their hard drive crashes or becomes damaged.Īny physical storage device is susceptible to physical damage or technical error, and external hard drives are no exception.