Introduction
Unfortunately, I recently made the mistake of accidentally wiping my hard drive while trying to reformat it. As you can imagine, I panicked when I realized that all of my important files and documents had been deleted. However, there are several methods I learned about to try recovering lost data from a wiped hard drive. In this article, I will discuss the steps I took to attempt recovering my lost files and what I learned in the process.
Assessing the Situation
The first thing I did after realizing my mistake was to remain calm and avoid taking any further actions that could overwrite the deleted data. As soon as a drive is wiped, the files are not immediately gone. Rather, the references to their data on the hard drive are removed. The data itself remains on the drive until it is overwritten by new information.
So my first goal was to avoid adding any new data to the drive, which gave me the best chance of recovering the old data. I immediately stopped using the computer and shut it down, as any further activity could reduce the chances of recovery.
Attempting Data Recovery Software
The next step I took was to research data recovery software that might help retrieve my files. There are many options available, both free and paid. I tried several free recovery tools first, but had limited success. The free versions usually only allow you to recover a limited amount of data.
Ultimately, I decided to purchase a paid version of Stellar Data Recovery software. This allowed me to run a deep scan and search for file types I specified. I found the interface easy to use. The software scans the entire drive sector by sector and flags files it can recover. Once the scan completed, I was able to preview several files before choosing to recover them.
In the end, I was able to recover over 75% of my original data using Stellar. It takes patience and time to scan the entire drive and recover files, but it works if the data has not yet been overwritten.
Attempting Data Recovery Services
If you are unable to recover data on your own with software, another option is to send your hard drive to a data recovery service. I researched a few reputable companies, like DriveSavers and Kroll Ontrack. Though expensive, they use specialized tools in a dust-free clean room environment to recover data.
However, I was fortunate enough to recover my files with software alone. But for difficult mechanical failures, corrupted drives, or very large data loss, a professional service may be able to recover even more.
Tips to Prevent Data Loss
Going through this experience taught me the importance of regularly backing up important data. Here are some tips I’d recommend to avoid finding yourself in a similar situation:
- Use a cloud backup service like Dropbox or Google Drive to automatically save copies of files off-site.
- Regularly back up to an external drive that can store important files and documents.
- Be extremely careful when reformatting drives, triple check you have selected the correct drive before proceeding.
- Consider disabling drive reformatting in your computer’s BIOS, if possible.
- Use the write-protection tab on SD cards and USB drives when possible, to avoid accidental wipes.
- Know your options for data recovery, but avoid installing any software after data loss until recovering files.
Conclusion
Accidentally wiping a hard drive can be devastating and result in substantial data loss. However, by remaining calm, avoiding further overwrites, and using data recovery software and services when needed, it is often possible to recover a majority of lost files and documents. Going forward, I am implementing multiple backup systems to ensure I never again face such permanent data loss.
