I have a failing hard disk that contains crucial data. It’s making strange noises and taking forever to read/write files. What are the best repair tools or software I can use to fix it or at least recover my data? Any success stories would be helpful!
Yikes, sounds like your hard disk is on its last legs, giving you the classic signs of imminent failure. The annoying noises and sluggish performance are major red flags.
First up, for recovery, you should use software like Disk Drill Data Recovery Software. It’s pretty renowned for dealing with scenarios just like yours. It’s simple to use and supports a wide range of file systems, so it’s a good start.
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Backup Immediately: Before doing anything else, if you can boot your computer at all, backup whatever you can. Even if it’s slow, just get your crucial files onto a different drive or cloud storage.
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Disk Drill Data Recovery: This is hands-down one of the top tools out there. It can recover data from failing or even formatted drives. It’s got an intuitive interface and wide file system support, making it a reliable choice.
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CHKDSK: You can use Windows’ built-in CHKDSK utility by typing ‘chkdsk /f /r’ in the command prompt. It might take some time, especially if the disk is on its way out, but it’s worth a shot.
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SpinRite: This is a more technical tool but is quite effective on issues related to read/write errors. However, it’s kinda pricey and not exactly user-friendly.
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Professional Services: If the data is super important and you can’t risk any DIY methods, sending in the drive to data recovery experts like DriveSavers or Seagate Recovery Services could be a lifesaver.
Remember, each time you run diagnostics or recovery, there’s a risk of pushing the drive closer to complete failure. So handle it with care. Good luck, and get those backups sorted ASAP!
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Oof, sounds like you’re in quite the pickle. Here’s what I’d suggest, throwing in a bit of variety to what’s already been mentioned by @hoshikuzu.
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Photorec: Have you tried using Photorec? It’s an open-source tool that’s excellent for recovering data from dying drives. It doesn’t repair, but it’s a great recovery tool that operates on both Windows and Linux.
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Recuva: Another nifty tool is Recuva, especially for those who aren’t too tech-savvy. It’s rather straightforward and can recover lost files efficiently. It’s a bit lighter than Disk Drill but quite effective for simpler recoveries.
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G-Parted Live: If you’re a bit more tech-savvy and comfortable with live boot environments, give GParted Live a shot. It’s primarily a partition tool but can sometimes help recover data by recreating the file structure.
But let’s not kid ourselves; if your disk is making strange noises, software alone might not cut it. Physical damage could be the issue, and that’s a bit above what most software can handle. Running too many diagnostics and repair attempts might do more harm than good in this state.
Personally, I’d consider investing in a new drive if this data is crucial. Clone your failing drive as best you can and then try recovery on the clone.
Lastly, while DIY methods are great, don’t gamble with critical data. If your attempts fail, professional data recovery services might be the only solid bet.
Remember, the clock is ticking, and you don’t want that drive failing completely while you’re trying to fix it.
Alright, let’s talk data recovery! Your drive making noises and dragging its heels is a big red flag. Here’s a step-by-step guide that’ll complement what @sterrenkijker and @hoshikuzu mentioned without parroting them.
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Prioritize Backup: First, connect your failing drive to another system if you can. Use external casings or SATA-to-USB adapters for internal drives. Copy all essential files manually before the drive goes kaput.
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Disk Cloning Tools: Clonezilla could be a savior here. It’s free and can clone failing drives, allowing you to work on a copy without risking your original.
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Try Disk Drill: This tool has a user-friendly interface, making it easy for non-techies to recover lost data. Disk Drill supports multiple file systems (FAT, NTFS, HFS+, etc.) and can recover partitions. However, the free version has limited capabilities and the recovery process might be slower than other pro tools.
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HDD Regenerator: This tool specifically targets bad sectors and can repair them. It’s effective, but keep in mind it’s more of a shot in the dark. Physical damage won’t be fixed by any software.
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Professional Data Recovery: Really stressed about that irreplaceable data? Send it to the pros like DriveSavers. It’s expensive but worth it for critical data. Remember, attempts to repair the disk might worsen the situation, so tread carefully.
Pros of Disk Drill:
- Easy to use with intuitive UI
- Supports a breadth of file systems
- Effective for partition recovery
Cons of Disk Drill:
- Limited functionality in free version
- Slower recovery speeds compared to specialized tools
While @sterrenkijker suggested Photorec for a more tech-savvy crowd and @hoshikuzu recommended Recuva for its simplicity, Disk Drill offers a balance of ease and functionality. If cloning and software attempts fail, dish out for the experts. Your drive’s time might be ticking, so act fast!
@wildbear66 Oh boy I’ve been there with a drive like that. When you start hearing clicks or the thing slows to a crawl, step one is always the same: make a disk image ASAP. But not just any tool will do; you’ll need software that can handle a failing drive GENTLY without pushing it over the edge.
I’ll echo what @Hoshikuzu said about Disk Drill. Out of everything I’ve tried Disk Drill was hands-down the best at recovering data from problematic disks. Especially now. their latest update to disk imaging feature (called Byte-to-Byte Backup in the app) got a major boost. IIRC it now performs read and write operations in separate threads, which basically means you get faster backup creation /less disk wear during the process/ higher reliability overall.
I recently used Disk Drill on a failing Transcend drive and it pulled it off without ZERO issues. Once the byte-to-byte backup is done you can actually scan the image file directly in Disk Drill. That way you’re not touching the failing hardware anymore, which is a huge advantage. I was able to retrieve everything I needed straight from that image without stressing the drive again.
So yeah +1 for Disk Drill. BUT image the disk first then recover from the clone.
I see in this thread (like in almost every thread about dying drives) there’s always someone recommending CHKDSK.
If you’re reading this and your drive is making weird noises or taking forever to read/write, DO NOT run CHKDSK.
That tool was never meant for drives in this condition. It’s aggressive and it;ll try to repair file system errors by writing to the disk (which is the absolutely last thing you want to do when the hardware is on its last breath). Every second counts with a dying drive. You don’t know how many read attempts it has left.Why would you want to waste those on something that might do more harm than good?
Use tools that let you create a full image first like Disk Drill or Clonezilla and only work off that copy. Once the clone is safe, then you can experiment with recovery or repairs without risking the original data.
Trust me I’ve seen CHKDSK brick drives that were still partially readable just because someone ran it too early.
@Felix Lol you’re totally right. didn’t even notice at first. I think CHKDSK just lives rent-free in people’s heads as the default “maybe it’ll fix it” solution. To be fair it can help with light file system issues… but this ain’t that. Drives making noises and lagging hard are way past that stage.
Also like @Sterrenkijker said earlier- - DIY isn’t the only route. If the data’s really important and you’re not confident messing around with backups or recovery tools just send the drive to a pro like DriveSavers or SalvageData. Pricey yeah but at least you’re not gambling with the last few readable sectors trying to fix it yourself. Especially if it’s your first time dealing with something like this.
That said if the drive still shows up in Disk Management and it reports the correct size, I’d say definitely go for the DIY route first. It’s way faster and a whole lot cheaper. I’ve never personally used any of those recovery labs, just looked at the price tags and backed away slowly .
Tools like Disk Drill are built for regular home users - you don’t need to mess with command lines or anything super technical. and my bet is most people can pull it off on their own unless the drive’s completely toast. Just don’t wait too long. If it’s still responding image it and go from there.
There’s no such thing as “repairing” a hard drive that’s already making strange noises. Doesn’t matter what some of these best HDD repair tools claim they can do. Once the drive starts clicking or stalling out during reads/writes it’s already halfway dead. You’re not fixing that with software no matter what peopel say.
Hard drives aren’t like software apps where you can just reinstall something and it works again. They’re mechanical. when they start to fail it’s usually physical. Not logical. Bearings wear out, heads misalign, platters degrade.. you can’t patch that with a utility.
@Henry Maan that’s just not a productive attitude. Sure no software can fix damaged platters or a seized-up motor. We get that. But you’re jumping straight to worst-case doom without even knowing what’s actually wrong with @wildbear66’s drive. They said it’s making strange noises -that could mean a lot of things. Not all of them are catastrophic. Could be drive struggling with bad sectors. Doesn’t always mean the thing’s dead beyond recovery.
And let’s be real: nobody trying to turn it into a good-as-new drive. The goal here is to pull the data off safely and that’s ABSOLUTELY doable even on a degraded drive. if you do it the right way.
My advice to anyone dealing with something like this is start with something like Disk Drill. Get your data backed up and recover from the image. Disk Drill is the best hard drive ‘repair’ software for me.
Then if you’re curious (or stubborn like me;))) fire up something like Victoria HDD or HDD Regenerator. Who knows maybe you’ll manage to stabilize the bad sectors enough to use the drive for non0critical stuff. Certainly better than what @Henry is proposing, which basically amounts to “do nothing”