Many people back up important files on external hard drives. But different errors can lead to data loss which makes rescuing data from an external drive necessary.
Here are some of the most common instances why you might need to rescue data from your external hard drive.
Table of Contents:
Accidental Deletion of Files
Every time you manage your files on an external drive and try to arrange your files, there is always the risk of accidentally deleting some of your files. In cases like this, data recovery software can help you recover deleted files easily.

Accidental Formatting of External Drive
Similar to accidental deletion, accidentally formatting the external drive can also happen. Again, the good news is that most data recovery software can help in rescuing data from an external drive provided that you don’t store new files in that partition.
Overheating of External Drive
- The moment an external drive overheats, it will die all of a sudden and the BIOS won’t recognize it.
- The computer might also start to run slowly, and you might hear some noise coming from the external hard disk.
- If you find yourself in this situation, stop using the drive right away and back up the disk immediately.
Physical Damage to External Hard Drive
The portability and size of external hard drives make them prone to dropping. Don’t assume that this won’t have any impact on the data stored in them. If you have dropped your external hard drive, it might click or tick once you connect it to a computer. This scenario is almost always an indication of physical damage to the external drive.
If you notice your external hard drive starting to produce some noise, rescuing data from an external drive can be done by backing up the entire disk right away.
If you don’t and you lose all data on the drive, you should look for a professional data recovery service that can recover data from the physically damaged drive. This is because most data recovery software cannot rescue data from a drive that has been physically damaged.
Improper External Drive Removal
One of the most common reasons for the loss of data on an external drive is because of its improper removal from the computer or another device. Incorrect unplugging of the USB cable from the computer may result in damage to the local file system of the drive.
In this case, there was no physical damage to the external drive, but data loss occurred because of a file system error. You might also be prompted with an error telling you to format the disk in the drive before using it. But formatting the drive will result in losing all the data on the partition. To prevent this from happening, make sure you always use the button for Safely Remove Hardware when ejecting the external hard disk.
Rescuing data from an external drive becomes necessary once you encounter any of the issues above. Always practice with caution to prevent any problems.