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If an external hard drive is corrupted or unreadable, don’t format it or save anything to it. First protect the data: stop using the drive, choose a recovery method for your computer and file system, and save recovered files to a different healthy drive. If the disk may be physically failing—or the files are irreplaceable—stop DIY scans and seek professional advice before trying repairs.
What to do first to protect your files
- Cancel any prompt to format or initialize the disk. A format prompt does not prove the files are gone. Formatting or creating a partition can reduce the chance of recovering data. Microsoft advises against creating a partition after data loss.
- Stop using the affected drive. New activity can overwrite recoverable file contents. Microsoft advises minimizing or avoiding computer use while trying to recover files.
- Do not save recovered files to the affected drive. Use another healthy drive as the destination; Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery instructions require the source and destination drives to differ.
- Avoid repeated reconnecting and scanning if the drive seems unstable. Clicking, repeated disconnects, unusually slow reads, or a computer that hangs are reasons to stop DIY attempts and consider professional assessment. These symptoms are cautious triage cues, not a definitive diagnosis.
Recovery and repair are different tasks. Recovery attempts to retrieve files; repair changes file-system structures in an effort to make the volume work again. When the only copy of important data is at stake, prioritize recovery or professional assessment over repair.
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Check whether your computer detects the drive
Check whether the disk appears in your operating system’s disk utility or device list, but don’t format, initialize, or repair it just to make it accessible. A drive letter or a RAW status can mean the device is visible while its partition or file system cannot be read normally. A detected drive is not necessarily a healthy drive: Western Digital lists both partition-table damage and hardware-related causes, including media errors or a failing drive, as possible reasons an external drive appears RAW. See Western Digital’s explanation of RAW external drives.
Recover files on Windows with Windows File Recovery
Windows File Recovery is a command-line app from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft says it can attempt to recover lost files from local devices, including external drives and USB devices; it does not recover files from cloud storage or network shares. You need a different drive for the recovered output.
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Choose a recovery mode
Identify the file system and select the mode based on Microsoft’s guidance:
| File system and situation | Mode |
|---|---|
| NTFS, recently deleted files | Regular |
| NTFS, files deleted a while ago, after formatting, or on a corrupted disk | Extensive |
| FAT or exFAT | Extensive |
Microsoft says recovery from non-NTFS file systems is supported only in Extensive mode. Follow Microsoft’s current instructions for the exact command syntax and file filters, which depend on your source and destination drive letters and the files you are looking for. Never set the affected drive as the destination.
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
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The File Recovery support page covers Windows 11 and Windows 10. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025; that date does not mean the recovery instructions themselves are limited to Windows 11.
What Mac users can try—and what First Aid does
Disk Utility’s First Aid checks and fixes certain errors related to disk formatting and directory structure. It is a repair tool, not a dedicated undelete workflow, and it is not guaranteed to resolve an unreadable disk. Apple warns, “Disk Utility can’t detect or repair all problems that a disk may have.” Read Apple’s Disk Utility guidance.
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- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
If you decide to run First Aid, Apple’s prescribed order is to run it on each volume, then each container, and then the storage device itself. Bear in mind that this is a repair operation: if the files matter more than making the disk usable, consider professional recovery before changing the disk’s structures.
If Disk Utility says the disk is about to fail, Apple’s guidance is to back up what you can and replace it; the disk cannot be repaired. Don’t reformat the disk until you have recovered the files you need or accepted that they are no longer needed.
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- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Western Digital identifies third-party recovery software and data recovery services as further options for macOS drives. Those are separate from Apple’s First Aid instructions, and the appropriate choice depends on the drive’s condition and the value of its contents. Western Digital’s RAW-drive guidance discusses these routes.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhy CHKDSK is not a first-step recovery tool
CHKDSK checks a file system and can repair errors; it is not the same as a file-recovery app. Microsoft says /f fixes file-system errors, while /r includes /f, locates bad sectors, and attempts to recover readable information. Microsoft also warns that repairs to FAT file systems usually change the allocation table and can sometimes cause data loss. See Microsoft’s CHKDSK documentation.
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For a corrupted disk containing the only copy of important files, don’t treat chkdsk /f or chkdsk /r as harmless recovery commands. Consider file recovery or professional assessment before running a repair.
When to stop DIY recovery and get professional help
Consider a professional hard-drive recovery service before running scans or repair tools if the drive may have media or physical failure, reads repeatedly fail, or the data is irreplaceable and you cannot accept the risks of experimentation. Western Digital says it does not provide recovery services itself and directs users to recovery partners. It also says any service agreement is between the user and provider and disclaims warranties for those services. Check the provider’s coverage, location, terms, and fees directly; no universal success rate or cost is established by the guidance cited here. Western Digital’s guidance on RAW drives and recovery options.
After files are recovered
- Save recovered output to a different, healthy drive—not the original source.
- Open and inspect the files that matter most to confirm they are usable.
- Make another backup before attempting to reuse the affected disk.
There is no universal check that can certify a repaired external drive as safe for continued use. If Apple’s Disk Utility reports that a disk is about to fail, Apple recommends replacing it.
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