Have you ever accidentally deleted important files from your external hard drive? Whether it’s crucial work documents or cherished photos, the loss can feel overwhelming. However, the good news is that there are various ways to recover deleted files from your external hard drive. In this guide, we’ll share 6 simple methods to help you retrieve your important files. Whether you’re using a Windows PC or a Mac, there’s always a solution for you. Let’s delve into the world of external hard drive file recovery, shall we?
Part 1: Can You Recover Deleted Files from External Hard Drive?
Firstly, you might be curious about whether it is possible to recover deleted files from external hard drive. Fortunately, if your old data has not been overwritten, the chances of successful recovery are very high. When files are deleted from an external hard drive, they are not moved to the Windows Recycle Bin or Mac Trash as usual. That’s why many users believe that the deleted files are gone forever.
In fact, the actual data of deleted files is still retained on the disk. Your computer simply marks the space occupied by those files as ‘available’ for new data. Therefore, once you realize data loss, stop using the external hard drive immediately and take good care of it. Overwritten data is much harder, if not impossible, to recover.
Part 2: Easiest Way to Recover Files from External Hard Drive for Free
Tenorshare 4DDiG is a powerful and free software to recover files from external hard drive. This tool is specifically designed for various data loss scenarios, including accidental deletion, formatting, system crash, and more. With its remarkably high success rate, Tenorshare 4DDiG has become one of the highly praised tool in the industry.
- Supports data recovery from over 2000 types of storage devices, such as internal/external hard drives, SD cards, USB flash drives, and more.
- Provides both quick and deep scan options to save your valuable time.
- Recover deleted files from external hard drive for free.
- Boasts a user-friendly interface, making it accessible for those with limited computer skills.
- Completely compatible with Windows and Mac.
The steps on how to recover deleted files from external hard drive with 4DDiG are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the external hard drive properly to your Windows PC. Then, install and launch 4DDiG Data Recovery. Select your disk to scan from the main interface.
Step 2: Tenorshare 4DDiG will initiate both quick and deep scanning automatically to locate all deleted files. To saving time, you can pause or stop the scan when you identify the desired files.
Step 3: The scanned files will be divided into categories such as pictures, videos, documents, audios, etc. Select the desired files and click on the “Restore” button to save them.
Part 3: How to Recover Deleted Files from External Hard Drive on Mac?
3.1 Recover Files from External Hard Disk by Trash
If you drag and drop files from an external hard drive into the Trash for deletion, you can get them back without using any third-party tools or backups. The files hang out in the Trash for a bit before they’re permanently gone, so you’ve got some time to change your mind if you want. To recover files from external hard drive on Mac, follow these steps:
Step 1: Plug in your external disk to your Mac and go to the Trash.
Step 2: Take some time to locate the file(s) you want to recover.
Step 3: Right-click on it and opt for the “Put Back” option from the menu.
3.2 Recover Files from External Hard Disk with Time Machine
Another useful way to recover deleted files from external hard drive is using the Time Machine feature. This method is free and straightforward, but you need to include external disks in the Time Machine backup scope beforehand. Here is how to use it to recover files from external hard drive on Mac:
Step 1: First, attach the Time Machine backup drive to your Mac.
Step 2: Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select “Enter Time Machine.”
Step 3: Navigate to the date before you deleted the file(s).
Step 4: Once you locate the desired file(s), select it and click the “Restore” button.
Part 4: How to Recover Deleted Files from External Hard Drive on Windows?
4.1 Show the Hidden Recycle Bin Folder
In fact, there is a built-in recycle bin folder in your external hard drive. Since it’s hidden by default in the disk’s root directory, you can’t see the deleted files stored in there.
Step 1: Bring up File Explorer by Pressing Windows + E on your keyboard.
Step 2: Navigate to the “View” tab and click on “Options.” Opt for “Change folder and search options.”
Step 3: Under the “View” tab, check the box next to “Show hidden files, folders, and drives”. Remember to apply your changes.
Step 4: Now, you can access the $RECYCLE.BIN folder from your external hard drive. Open it and find the deleted files you need.
4.2 Recover Files from External Hard Disk Using CMD
Although the Command Prompt can assist you in performing various system tasks, it can’t directly recover deleted files from an external hard drive. Experienced Windows users often attempt to execute the attrib command to locate files on the hard drive that are hidden or missing. While this method has a relatively low success rate, it’s still worth a try. Here is how:
Step 1: Press Win + X and select “Command Prompt” from the menu.
Step 2: Use the cd command to navigate to the drive letter of your external hard drive. For example: cd C:\
Step 3: Then, type the attrib -h -r -s /s /d *.* command and hit Enter to reveal hidden files.
4.3 Recover Files from External Hard Disk via File History
With File History enabled, there’s no need to worry about how to recover deleted files from external hard drive. Some users prefer to call it “Time Machine for Windows” due to its operation principles. This handy tool allows you to effortlessly restore files to previous versions in the face of different data loss scenarios. Here is how to use it:
Step 1: Ensure that the external hard drive is connected to your PC. Then, navigate to the folder where the deleted files were located.
Step 2: Click on the “Home” tab in the ribbon at the top. Select “History” to proceed.
Step 3: Now, you’ll see a timeline on the left side. Navigate through the timeline to find the date when the files were still available.
Step 4: After locating the desired files, select them and click the ‘Restore’ button.
Part 5: 5 Common Reasons Leading to Hard Drive Data Loss
Now, you’ve learned how to recover deleted files from external hard drive. With the right tools and methods, external hard drive file recovery is never a challenge for us. On the other hand, it is also essential to understand common reasons for hard drive data loss to take preventive measures. Some common causes include:
- Accidental Deletion
- Virus and Malware Attacks
- File System Corruption
- Physical Damage
- Hardware Failure
- Partition Loss or Corruption
- Natural Disasters
- Improper Ejection
Conclusion
Here, we’ve shared six solutions on how to recover deleted files from an external hard drive. When you realize that the files you need are lost from the external hard drive, stay calm and check if there are available backups. If not, try using free software to recover files from the external hard drive. As long as the data hasn’t been completely overwritten, there’s still hope.
