How to Repair a Corrupted External Hard Drive Without Losing Data

If your external hard drive has become corrupted, there are several methods you can try to repair it without losing your valuable data. Here are the steps you can take:

Scan Your Computer for Viruses

To scan your computer for viruses, you don’t need to download any third-party antivirus software solution. Instead, you can use the built-in Windows Security app (previously known as Windows Defender):

1. Press the Windows key and search for “Windows security”. Click on the first search result.
2. In the Windows Security app, click on the “Virus and threat protection” option on the home page.
3. Scroll down and click on the “Scan options” label. Then, select the “Customized scan” option on the next page.
4. Click the “Scan now” button located at the bottom. The app will ask you to select a location to scan. Select the external hard drive and click on the “Select folder” button.
5. Windows Defender will begin the virus scan. Let it complete and check if it found any threats on the drive.

Use CHKDSK to Fix File System Errors

If the virus scan doesn’t reveal any issues, you can try using the CHKDSK command to fix any file system errors on the external hard drive:

1. Press the Windows key R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type “cmd” and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
3. In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter: chkdsk E: /f /r /x (replace “E” with the drive letter of your external hard drive).
4. The CHKDSK command will start scanning and repairing the file system on your external hard drive. This process may take some time, depending on the size of the drive and the extent of the issues.

Replace Corrupted Files with SFC

If the CHKDSK command doesn’t resolve the issue, you can try running the System File Checker (SFC) tool to replace any corrupted system files:

1. Press the Windows key R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type “cmd” and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
3. In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow.
4. The SFC tool will scan your system and replace any corrupted files it finds.

Recover Your Files with Data Recovery Software

If the above methods don’t work, you can try using data recovery software to recover your files from the corrupted external hard drive. One popular option is Disk Drill, which can create a backup image of the drive and then scan it to recover your files:

1. Visit the Disk Drill website and download the software for Windows.
2. Launch Disk Drill and navigate to the “Drive Backup” option under the “Extras” section.
3. Select the external hard drive and click the “Byte-to-byte Backup” button to create a backup image of the drive.
4. Once the backup is complete, select the mounted image and click the “Search for lost data” button.
5. Review the files found by Disk Drill and select the ones you want to recover. Click the “Recover” button to save them to a location of your choice.