"I have a 1TB HDD as a second drive for data storage on my PC, but it has just died. Is there any way to do data recovery in this situation?" Hard drives are used to store various files, including internal and external drives. Similar to other hardware, they can become dead due to a variety of factors. As a result, you cannot access it or your files. This tutorial tells you how to do a dead hard drive recovery.

Part 1: Can You Recover Data from a Dead Hard Drive

Once a hard drive is dead, it can no longer boot or be accessed by your computer. It won’t show up in a File Explorer. Whether you can retrieve data from a dead hard drive is determined by the type of damage.

Physical Damage vs. Logical Issues

Physical damage refers to faulty internal components, like platters, disk heads, or motor failures. Logical issues, on the other hand, involve software-level problems, like file system corruption or partition table issues.

Obviously, it is possible to get files from a dead hard drive if it has logical issues.

Part 2: How to Get Data on a Dead Hard Drive from Backup

If you have turned on the Backup and Restore feature before the hard drive is dead, it is possible to recover data from a dead hard drive. Here are the steps you can try for data recovery:

Step 1. Go to the Start menu, search for Control Panel, and open it.

Step 2. Click the Backup and Restore feature under the System and Security section.

Step 3. Click the Restore my files button under the Restore heading.

Step 4. Click the Browse for files button on the Restore Files dialog.

Step 5. Select the files you want to recover from the dead hard drive and click Add files.

Tip: If you want to recover an entire folder, click Browse for folders, select the desired folder, and hit Add folder.

Step 6. Hit Next to move on.

Step 7. Then, select In the following location and click Browse to set the restore folder.

Step 8. Uncheck the box next to Restore the files to their original subfolders.

Step 9. Finally, click the Restore button and hit Finish to confirm the dead hard disk recovery

Part 3: How to Retrieve Data from a Dead Hard Drive Without Backup

If you didn’t turn on Backup and Restore or cannot find the desired files from the automatic backup, you will need a powerful data recovery for a dead hard drive. Apeaksoft Data Recovery, for example, is a simple solution. Moreover, the compact design makes it easy to use.

How to Recover Data from a Dead Hard Drive

Step 1. Scan the dead hard drive

Launch the best data recovery software for a dead hard drive after you install it on your PC. There is another version for Mac. Go to the Hard Drive Recovery tab and choose the dead drive. If you intend to recover data from a dead external hard drive, go to USB/SD Card Recovery and follow the prompts to connect your drive. Click the Start Scan button to begin scanning the dead hard drive.

Step 2. Preview recoverable data

After a quick scan, the software will automatically perform a deep scan. When file scanning finishes, preview recoverable files. Go to the Type List tab on the sidebar and select the file types you want to retrieve. You can preview files by type. Head to the Path List tab and enter the recoverable folders. Furthermore, you can quickly locate specific files and folders with the Filter and Search Bar features.

Step 3. Recover files

At least, check the boxes next to all files and folders you want to get back. Click on the Recover button at the bottom right corner, select an output location and confirm data recovery from the dead hard drive. Make sure not to select the original location since the dead hard drive is inaccessible.

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