Recovering files from an external hard drive is very achievable, provided you follow the correct sequence. Attempt recovery using the wrong tool and you could easily turn a simple fix into a lost drive. On the other hand, take a structured approach and you will either recover the files yourself or know exactly at which stage to hand it over. This is the step-by-step process, from the first safe check to the point where a lab takes over.
Step one is to stop and establish whether there is a logical or a physical problem with the drive. Everything else follows from the answer: software for a working drive, a lab for a failed one. It is the failure to follow this order correctly that leads to data being lost.
This is the foundation of everything. A logical failure means the drive still works (it turns on, is recognised by the computer and spins quietly) but the files are missing, the drive shows as RAW, or it asks to be formatted. A physical failure means the hardware has failed: the drive clicks or beeps, won’t start spinning, isn’t recognised by anything, or was dropped or got wet. The two require completely different methods of recovery, so listen to the drive and observe its behaviour before you do anything. If the drive produces any abnormal noises, treat it as a physical failure and skip directly to the lab section; do not attempt to use any software on it.
If the drive is physically healthy and the problem is logical, you can often recover it yourself. First, check the basics: try a different cable, port and computer, and open Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac). If the drive appears there with no drive letter, simply assigning one can get it going again. If the drive is showing as RAW or unallocated, do not format or initialise it; that is recoverable partition damage. For deleted files or a corrupt file system, recovery software scans the drive and restores the files to a separate destination drive. If you are considering whether to use software, please see our guide on software versus a professional, which lays out when each makes sense.
If the drive is clicking, silent or not recognised, or has been dropped or flooded, no software can help: nothing short of repairing the hardware first can allow the data to be read, and every additional time the drive is powered on could damage it further. At this point, there is nothing left to do but stop and send it in. The drive is repaired just enough to read the data (failed heads or a dead board replaced with matched donor parts), then a read-only image is taken, allowing your files to be recreated from a copy without putting any further stress on the original. This is exactly the same careful method used to recover data from any failed drive that won’t show up, and an individual external drive is from £300 +VAT.
One thing unique to external drives is the enclosure. In most cases, the enclosure contains a standard disk, and when sending a drive for recovery, you can remove the drive and send only the drive. The exception is encrypted models: many external drives encrypt the data within the enclosure’s bridge chip, so the bare drive will be unreadable once removed from the casing. If your drive is (or may be) encrypted, send the whole unit to allow us to decrypt the data in its original hardware. If you’re not sure, sending the complete drive is always the safe choice, and we’ll do the rest.
Do this in order. First, stop using the drive and never recover files back onto it. Next, decide whether the fault is logical (the drive works but files are missing) or physical (it clicks, is silent or is undetected). Logical faults can often be fixed with recovery software, restoring files to a separate drive; physical faults need a lab. Getting the order wrong is what loses data.
Generally speaking, that is a logical fault. Try a different cable and port, and try connecting it to another computer. Then check Disk Management or Disk Utility to see if the drive is visible without a drive letter; if so, assigning one may resolve the issue. If it shows as RAW or requests formatting, do not format it: this indicates recoverable partition damage. For deleted or missing files, recovery software can restore them to a separate drive.
Not with software: that is a physical fault, and attempting to run a scan could make it worse. A clicking, silent or undetected drive needs repair on the bench before it can be read, then read-only imaging. Please power it down and send it to us rather than continuing to retry it. A single external drive is from £300 plus VAT after a free diagnostic.
For most external hard drives, you can remove the disk and send just the drive. However, encrypted models are the exception: the encryption bridge inside the enclosure handles the encryption and the bare disk would be unreadable, so send the entire unit. If you’re unsure whether your model is encrypted, sending the complete drive is always the safe choice.
Yes, if the drive is physically healthy and the loss is logical, provided you recover the information onto a different drive and never write to the affected one. It is unsafe on a drive that is failing, because scanning for an extended period adds further wear to the drive and risks permanent loss. If you are experiencing unusual noises from your drive, or it is not being detected at all, stop and get it diagnosed instead.
If your drive is clicking, silent or not being detected at all, don’t keep trying to access it. Send it in and we will recover it read-only and tell you what is on it, with a free diagnostic and a fixed quote first.