Physical damage is one of the most widespread causes of data loss on an external hard drive. This device is used by people daily, and failure due to portability is not rare. Dropping the hard drive does not result in good consequences. It often leads to failure and, in addition, data loss.
Dropped Hard Drive Failure
Modern external hard drives are much more resistant to shocks and drops than older devices. However, this does not mean that they are invulnerable. Any fall or bumping can cause the external hard drive’s read-write heads to fail. This means they will come into contact with the platters, scratching the data off. It usually causes irreversible data loss.
There are also other reasons for failure that will cause files’ inaccessibility. Voltage fluctuations, water ingress, and wear and tear are other reasons for drive failure.
Therefore, it is essential to determine the root cause of the problem when noting any signs of malfunction from your device. This way, you will get a clear understanding of what you need to do to retrieve the files stored on your external hard drive.
What to Do for Successful Dropped Hard Drive Recovery
When facing a data loss due to dropping, a user must act carefully. Every wrong step can cause more damage to the hard drive, making the situation more complicated.
There are several steps we recommend going through if a hard drive fails due to dropping.
Power Down the Device
Most of the time, after dropping, a hard drive stops being recognized by the computer.
This may be a bad sign, but it prevents the device from further damage. Continuing to run the device or connecting the drive to another computer after a failure will cause irreversible damage to the platters, and all the important files stored on it will be gone.
Therefore, our team recommends turning off the device and unplugging it from the power source as soon as you notice any warning signs. This way, you will prevent any subsequent complications.
Do not Use Data Recovery Software
One of the issues when using data recovery software on the failed device is overwriting. Using the recovery tool has a risk of reformatting or “reinitializing” your drive, making data recovery almost impossible, even for experienced engineers. Many data recovery programs are available for free download on the Internet, but you may do more harm than good by using them.
The data recovery software will not help at all if a hard drive is dropped. File recovery programs are designed to fix problems that are related to logical issues. Hence, there is no way software can restore files from a drive that has a physical breakdown.
Do not Repair the Drive Yourself
When facing a hard drive failure, every user should avoid the temptation to open the storage device to figure out what the actual problem is. Almost always, when someone tries to make repairs or disassemble a disk at home to satisfy their own curiosity, they only worsen the situation. Methods such as freezing, disassembling, or pounding on a hard drive should not be used, as it can lead to irreversible data loss.
Do not try to open up the protective covering in which the hard disks are kept. If specialists need to open the hard drive, they use clean rooms to filter out the smallest particles in the air, as they can contaminate and damage any components of the external hard drive.
Contact a Professional Data Recovery Company
When facing a data loss situation after dropping a hard drive, it is preferable to entrust your case to professionals. Reputable data recovery companies have years of experience dealing with similar cases, so they will easily handle your situation, restoring the maximum amount of data. Therefore, for the best-case scenario, we recommend contacting data recovery providers after powering down the device.
PITS Global Data Recovery Services specializes in the restoration of lost data from dropped internal and external hard drives. Our technicians are highly-qualified for data recovery regardless of the failure scenario. Moreover, we provide data repair for all operating systems, file types, storage capacities, and file systems.
Advantages of Our Services:
Our company works on dropped hard drives only in specialized facilities to avoid subsequent damage to your device. By recovering data in ISO Certified Class 10 Cleanroom, we protect the device and all the important data stored on it from external threats. Our customers’ data is a priority to us, so we obtain all the requirements to restore it from the device safely.
Start your data recovery with PITS Global today by calling 888.611.0737. You can also start the process by filling in all the details regarding your data loss case in the form below.
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