Recover files from a broken external hard drive

hard drive recovery

An external hard drive is a handy way to back up your files. But what should you do if this disk no longer works? Backing up is one of the most important things to do if you don’t want to lose your files. It is advisable to make multiple backups on different media such as external hard drives, and if you want, also in the cloud. But if you didn’t do that, and your external hard drive contains the only copies of important files, you have a problem when this drive breaks down. How can you restore your files? If you can access your files, it’s a good idea to back up right now for hard drive recovery.

Strange noise

If the disc makes a strange noise, it is better to leave the disc completely alone so that no further damage is caused. Unfortunately, in this case, you will have to leave the file recovery to a professional company. If the disc does not make a strange noise, you can sometimes do something yourself to recover your files. An external hard drive is really just an internal hard drive in a case. It is possible that there is nothing wrong with the disk itself, but that there is a connection problem.

Housing

With a screwdriver, you can carefully remove the disc from the housing. When you see that the cable has been disconnected from the connector, you can plug it into the hard disk again. Then check whether the external hard disk is working again. If the cable is not loose, there may be a problem with the connectors on the housing. Remove the drive from the case and plug it directly into the USB port of the computer with a SATA USB adapter. With a SATA-to-usb cable, you can quickly connect your hard disk or SSD to your PC.

Backup

If you can access your files, it’s a good idea to back up right now. Since there is nothing wrong with the disc itself, you can put it back in another case, if you wish. If you don’t see any files, then there is a problem with the disk, and you can try using recovery software to recover your files. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to engage a professional company.

hard drive recovery

An external drive is very handy when you want to store files on the go. You pin this storage station into any PC or laptop so that you can access your personal data. Making a choice for a new external drive is rather difficult due to the overwhelming offer. With this article, we help you on your way to finding an external hard drive so that you know exactly which specifications you should pay attention to.

Format

First of all, the format of the external disk is an important factor. Would you like to take the mobile storage station with you? In that case, small housing is, of course, a big advantage. No problem, because there are all kinds of portable disks available that are powered by the USB port of the computer or smart TV. A compact and energy-efficient 2.5-inch disc is then incorporated into the housing. If you use the external drive mainly in one place, you can also consider a larger one that works on AC power.