Recovering deleted files from an external hard drive is possible with the right tools and techniques. As long as the deleted data hasn’t been overwritten by new data, there is a good chance you can get those files back. Here is a step-by-step guide on how I recover deleted files from an external hard drive:
Stop Using the External Hard Drive
As soon as you realize files have been deleted from your external hard drive, it is crucial to stop using it. Any new data written to the drive could overwrite the deleted files – making them unrecoverable. Eject and disconnect the external hard drive immediately.
Download Data Recovery Software
The next step is to download data recovery software designed to locate and restore deleted files. I recommend Stellar Data Recovery for Mac users or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Windows users. These are reputable programs capable of restoring files from external drives.
Connect the External Hard Drive
Now reconnect the external hard drive to your computer. But do not save or move any files to this drive. Launch the data recovery software and select the external drive to scan.
Scan the External Hard Drive
Allow the software to run a deep scan on the entire external hard drive. This can take some time depending on the size of the drive and number of files. The software will search for deleted files that still retain data.
Preview and Recover Files
Once the scan completes, the recoverable files will be listed in the software interface. You can preview image files, documents, and more before choosing to recover them. Select the files you want to restore and click the recover button.
Save the Recovered Files
Be sure to save the recovered files to a different safe location – not the external hard drive. Save them to your computer’s internal hard drive or another external device. Review the files to check if the data is intact.
Learn from this Experience
Going forward, always keep a backup of your important files on a separate device. This way if you accidentally delete files from your external hard drive again, you can retrieve them from the backup. Practicing caution when deleting files can prevent this headache in the future.
Recovering deleted files from an external hard drive takes time but is often successful with the right software and careful approach. Stop using the drive, scan it with recovery software, restore files, and examine them thoroughly to ensure your most important data comes back intact.
