How to salvage data from a broken external drive?

My external drive that contained all my important files, documents, and work papers started to "click" constantly when I plug it in. That doesn't sound good. Any chance I can still save the contents, or is this game over for me?

 

You're going to love this:

Testdisk from CGSecurity.

 

If you can still access the hard drive, I guess this is the opportunity to copy all your important files into another backup. The hard drive is mechanical as opposed to the SSD which has no moving part so when there is a strange sound, it is already a cause for alarm. We have that experience before although the broken hard disks were of older models and smaller capacity.And if you cannot access the hard drive, maybe you need a tech.

 

Linux might still be able to read some of the data. Since Linux doesn't save the information in the same way that windows does, it might still be possible to retrieve the data that you saved using windows.

 

Thank you so much I have about three hard drives that have all failed from sitting around and gathering dust in the past. the only good thing is that I did not have much on these hard drives besides playlist of music from years gone by. Either way, it will be cool to just dig through some of my old favorites again.

 

This is truly a helpful thread. I know someone who's external hard drive stopped working, the computer wouldn't recognize it all of a sudden and there are far too many important files and documents in that drive. I'm going to have to try the link suggested above, hope it works so he can recover his files.

 

Sometimes when a hard drive is locking up, you can put it in a freezer overnight, then keep it at room temperature for 24 hours. The expansion and contraction of metal parts loosens up whatever is locking up.

DO NOT use the hard drive until it is completely thawed. This takes 24 hours MINIMUM.

However, if you can still access the data, copy it onto another hard drive a few files at a time, starting with the most important ones.