
[Solution] How to Repair Corrupted External Hard Drive without Formatting
Follow below step by step guide with professional partition manager software - EaseUS Partition Master Free to find out how to repair corrupted external hard drive without formatting now:
- Check and repair the corrupted external hard drive You can directly follow Method 1 in Part 3 with EaseUS Partition Master Free to check and repair errors in ...
- Wipe data on the corrupted external hard drive and make it unallocated Launch EaseUS Partition Master Free and right-click the corrupted device by selecting Wipe data; then it ...
- Create a new partition to repair the corrupted external hard drive
Full Answer
How to fix a corrupted and unreadable external hard drive?
Part 3: How To Fix Unreadable and Corrupted Hard Disk?
- Run the CHKDSK command through cmd prompt utility.
- Update the driver.
- Reformat the Disk to remedy the unreadable hard drive factor.
How do you repair an external hard drive?
How to fix a corrupted external hard drive?
- Method #1: Run chkdsk in Windows File Explorer. Right click the corrupted drive in Windows File Explorer and click "Properties". ...
- Method #2: Format the corrupted drive to NTFS/FAT32 in Windows. ...
- Method #3: Check and repair bad sectors using DiskGenius Free edition. ...
How to repair a corrupted hard drive in Windows 10?
- To start the corrupted hard disk repair process, open Command Prompt in Admin mode (Right-click Start button and click Command Prompt (Admin)).
- Type the following command to start the error checking and fixing process for your internal or external drive: chkdsk C: /F where C is the drive letter. ...
- Press Enter. ...
What to do after dropping an external hard drive?
Remember the following points when you dropped your hard drive:
- Do not attempt to connect to a system and run it.
- Even if you possess the knowledge about a hard drive’s anatomy, do not attempt to open it by yourself. Visit a certified data recovery center and seek assistance.
- Data recovery may not be successful in all the situations. It is preferable to keep a backup of important files. ...

Can a damaged external hard drive be fixed?
Generally speaking, the external hard drive errors can be repaired using CMD. What you should note is that regarding "chkdsk f: /f ", the first f should be replaced with the drive letter of the external hard drive.
How do I manually repair an external hard drive?
1. On the desktop, open This PC (My Computer) and select the desired external hard drive. Right-click it and select Properties -> Tools -> Click on Check. The scan will start, which should fix the external hard drive errors.
How can I recover files from a broken external hard drive?
How to Recover Data from an External Hard Drive with Data Recovery SoftwareDownload and Install the Software.Connect and Select Your Hard Drive. Connect the external hard drive to your computer and launch Disk Drill. ... Scan for Deleted Data. ... Preview and Select Files for Recovery. ... Perform the Recovery.
How do I fix my external hard drive not working?
External Drive Not Showing Up or Detected? 6 Fixes to TryMake Sure Your External Drive Turns On.Check the Drive in Disk Management. ... Try Another USB Port and Computer. ... Troubleshoot Device Driver Issues. ... Create a New Drive Volume. ... Format the External Drive.
Can a hard drive be repaired?
Hard drive repair is possible, but they should NOT be reused after a recovery! Of course, HDDs can be repaired! However, a repaired HDD should not be reused, but rather, have its contents recovered immediately and then be discarded as it cannot be trusted to work into the future.
How do you recover a hard drive that won't read?
How to Recover Data from a Hard Drive that Won't BootRecover Data Non-booting Hard Drive.Obtain an External Hard Disk Enclosure.Uninstall Non-booting Hard Drive.Install Hard Drive in External Enclosure.Connect USB and Power Cables.Recovering the Data.
What to do if external hard drive is corrupted and unreadable?
5+ Fixes for "The Disk Structure Is Corrupted and Unreadable" Error#1. Unplug and Re-plug the Corrupted/Unreadable Device.#2. Check and Repair Disk Error via CHKDSK.#3. Reinstall Disk Drivers.#4. Format Drive.#5. Recover Data.
Can you recover data from external hard drive?
Yes, it is possible to recover files that have been lost due to deletion or the formatting of an external hard drive. This can be accomplished because of the way modern operating systems handle data deletion on hard drives.
How to repair a corrupted external hard drive?
If you still cannot repair your corrupted external hard drive, let's think from another angle about recovering data from the corrupted disk using Tenorshare 4DDiG. It is a professional and easy to use tool and able to recover all kinds of data from not only corrupted external hard drive, but also raw/formatted/corrupted partition from laptop/PC. Here're how to do use it: 1 Install and launch the Tenorshare 4DDiG software. 2 On the main interface, you will see all the data types that you can recover. In this case, choose "All Data". 3 Choose your corrupted external hard drive in the "Connected Drives" section. 4 Click on the "Scan" button and Tenorshare 4DDiG will find back all the data on your corrupted external hard drive. 5 After the scan, preview and select your wanted files, click on the "Recover" to proceed. 6 Click "Browse" to define a location. Then Click the "Start Saving" button to save the recovered data.
How to repair a hard drive?
Here are the stepwise guide: Step 1: Head to the Windows search bar and type "CMD" to open it. Right-click on CMD and select the "Run as administrator" option from the context menu. Step 2. Now in the cmd, input chkdsk *:/h/r (where * points to the specific drive you want to repair) and hit "Enter".
How to fix a corrupted hard drive?
Here are the few steps you can do to format your external hard drive: Step 1: Connect the corrupted hard drive to the computer. Step 2: Right-click on the device and select the "Format" option from the context menu.
How to uninstall a device driver?
Step 3: You will be able to see all disks on your PC listed here. Right-click on the hard disk with the errors and click on the "Uninstall device" to uninstall the device drivers. Step 4: After doing so, restart your computer and connect the hard drive again.
How to fix external hard drive not readable?
If your external hard drive is not readable on your PC, try to connect it with another computer to check if the drive is working fine. If it is working on the other PC, then you need to repair the external hard drive by reinstalling the device drivers on your PC. To do so, follow the detailed steps below:
Why is my hard drive corrupted?
It can happen because of multiple reasons. Out of the many, there can be malware infection, an increasing number of bad sectors on the hard disk, or errors in system files.
How to stop a computer from being slow?
To prevent it, use a small piece of cloth and a dip of spirit cleaner to clean your PC.
How to recover data from external hard drive?
To start external hard drive recovery, you should firstly get Recoverit Data Recovery free downloaded and installed on your computer. After the installation, connect the external hard drive to your Windows computer and then follow the next steps to regain the lost data from an external hard drive.
What does 0 mean on a hard drive?
Notes: 0 means the drive letter of the external hard disk to be repaired. It can be also 1 or 2. As we can see, to learn how to repair an external hard drive is handy as it helps in avoiding unprecedented circumstances about your data.
What is an external hard drive?
An external hard drive is just a regular internal hard drive in an external case. You can open the case and take out the drive, and from here you can connect it to a computer in a number of different ways. Or you can find a replacement case and install the hard drive so you again have a functioning external hard drive.
What does it mean when your hard drive crashes?
If it's an inconvenience when your system crashes, it's a disaster when your hard drive heads south. Usually, that means your data is destroyed, and your bits are blasted—unless you backed up, of course.
What to do if you can't hear anything?
If you still can't hear any noises, go on to the next step. However, if there is a difference, reattach the drive to your computer and listen for spin-up of the drive and normal clicking that indicates head activity. If all seems well so far, try to access the drive, and move your data onto a good drive.
Why is my iPod hard drive jammed?
Community Answer. If it's an iPod hard drive, where failures are generally due to drops, then your issue is usually a jammed arm. Smacking it gently while it is clicking might fix it for a while. This also works with any drive that was physically dropped (laptop drives, external drives).
How to back up a plugged in computer?
The inside of your plugged-in computer will usually work. Slide in the new board, making sure it's seated firmly into the drive, then re-attach the screws. Reconnect the drive to the computer, then power back up. If it works, congratulations! It's a good idea to back up your data at this point, but you're ready to go.
Why does my hard drive stop working?
If there's a power surge or a component failure on that board, your drive will stop working, but only because it doesn't know what to do next. Look for signs of damage—burns or scorch marks.
Can you replace a burned out controller board?
The idea is that if you only replace the burned out controller board, your drive will spring back to life. Truth is, maybe it will! But there's one big caveat: the chips on the controller are, more and more, calibrated for that particular drive, and there's no guarantee a replacement will work.
How to recover data from corrupted external hard drive?
When the external hard disk partition is corrupted, the file cannot be accessed. However, this does not mean that files will disappear forever. The first thing you need to do is to recover the data from the corrupted hard disk. You can use DiskGenius to recover the lost data.
How to fix a corrupted external hard drive?
There are many ways to repair a corrupted and unreadable external hard drive. Next, we will mainly introduce three tested methods.
How to maintain external hard drive?
1. Purchase high quality external hard disk. We should not be greedy for cheap and buy too cheap hard disk, because cheap hard disk is made of low-cost materials, such a disk is not only unstable, but also easy to bring security risks. Therefore, it is suggested that users should choose hard disk with good quality and excellent workmanship.
Conclusion
By using methods above, you can fix a corrupted and unreadable external hard drive without losing data. Corrupted hard drives can be a real headache, especially if there is important data in them. If you are unable to repair your hard drive using these steps, please try to consult a professional technician at DiskGenius for a satisfactory solution.
What to do when your external hard drive is damaged?
When a damaged external hard drive cannot be accessed by your operating system, using a professional data recovery service is your best option to try to recover its data. Here is what to expect from a data recovery service and an overview of the process required to take advantage of their technical expertise.
How to tell if external hard drive is broken?
Signs of a Damaged or Broken External Hard Drive 1 If the drive is not recognized by your operating system, it is an obvious sign that there is a problem. The next section of the article details steps you can take to try and resolve this specific issue. 2 System or application crashes when accessing the external device is another sign the device is experiencing trouble. This may indicate damaged sectors on the drive that impairs its ability to read and write data. 3 Slow response time when accessing the data on the drive is another indicator that the drive is not working correctly. File corruption can also occur if the drive is physically damaged. Files may inexplicably become unusable due to being stored on a damaged portion of the disk. 4 Strange clicking or grinding noises coming from the drive may be a symptom of physical damage to the disk platters or read/write heads. Don’t ignore these signs of imminent drive failure and make sure to back up the drive as soon as possible.
Why does my hard drive make a clicking noise?
Strange clicking or grinding noises coming from the drive may be a symptom of physical damage to the disk platters or read/write heads.
How to connect external drive to computer?
Check the connections – Make sure that the cable is firmly attached to both the external drive and the computer. Connect to a different USB port – If you have multiple USB ports on your machine, try connecting to a different port. Replace the cable – Swap out the cable for a new one if it is available.
Can you recover files with disk drill?
Preview the files that can be recovered with Disk Drill. You can filter the recovered data to quickly find the files you want to restore. Scan results can be mounted as a virtual disk to make it easier to recover your lost data. You need to select a safe storage location where the recovered data will be saved.
Can a broken hard drive be recovered?
A broken or damaged drive can be recovered under certain circumstances. The determining factor regarding how it can be restored is whether you can access the drive from your computer. If you can, data recovery software may be able to get your data back.
Can a recovery center clone a hard drive?
Most centers will securely destroy the original drive for you. The advanced hardware and software tools used by a recovery center can clone the damaged disk and recover its data. Using a recovery center may be the only way to restore the data from a badly damaged external hard drive.
How to repair a corrupted hard drive?
It can also selectively clean up different partitions to repair the corrupted internal hard drive. 1. Double-click "My Computer/This PC" and then click "Manage". 2. Click "Disk Management" in the list on the left. 3. Right-click on the local hard drive you want to format and select "Format".
Why is my hard drive corrupted?
The hard drive may be attacked by the virus or physical damage due to power failure or unsafe ejection and so on. That makes it corrupts easily, no matter an internal hard disk or external hard drive. Formatting will erase your important data. You may have stored a lot of files there.
What to do if you can't read your hard drive?
If you fail to read hard drive, for an external hard drive, try to plug hard drive into another USB port and open your hard drive again. As for the power check of the internal hard disk, there may be challenges. But if the PC can detect the internal drive, repairing the damaged internal hard drive is independent of the power supply.
How to open a hard drive on another PC?
To do so, you can:. Step 1. Navigate to My PC, right click on it to find Manage and then click on Device Manager. Step 2.
What does it mean when you get a warning when you open a hard drive?
1. When you access the hard drive in "My Computer", receive a warning: "You need to format the disk in the drive before you can use it .". 2. A message of "H: is not accessible. The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable". prompts up when you intend to open your hard drive. 3.