Free Hard Drive Recovery Software. Recover HDD Data [2025]

Recover Data From Hard Drives in Any Data Loss Situation

Data loss occurs for a variety of reasons that demand a versatile recovery tool. Disk Drill helps you recover lost and deleted files in almost any data loss scenario.

Formatted Hard Drives

It’s easy to accidentally format the wrong hard drive or partition. Disk Drill can easily recover data from a formatted hard drive or partition saving you from extensive data loss.

Accidental Data Deletion

Everyone inadvertently deletes a file at one time or another. Disk Drill will retrieve data from a hard drive even if it was deleted and you emptied the Recycle Bin.

File System Problems

When faced with a disk that suddenly shows up as a RAW file system, our hard drive recovery tool can scan the device and get your valuable data back intact.

Disk Is Not Visible in File Explorer

Disk Drill can recover even hard drives that are not visible in File Explorer. As long as the disk is visible in Disk Management with the correct size, recovery is possible.

Hard Disk Not Showing Files

Are you having trouble locating certain files? Our hard drive recovery tool can efficiently locate and restore files missing from the hard drive regardless of why they've become hidden.

Other Software & Hardware Issues

Viruses and malware can cause data loss on your hard drives. Disk Drill can recover data from systems where malware has made files inaccessible through applications like File Explorer.

Your Best Solution: Disk Drill Hard Drive Recovery Tool

Disk Drill is hard drive recovery software that can help you recover from virtually any type of data loss scenario, including those involving internal and external hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD), as well as issues with lost or damaged partitions. If you have deleted an important file (document, image, video, archive, etc.) from your computer or laptop, Disk Drill can get it back quickly and easily. Some of the tool’s benefits include:

Intuitive and user-friendly interface;
Sophisticated scanning algorithms;
Wide storage device and file type support;
RAID, NAS, and Windows Storage Spaces compatibility;
Free disk imaging and data protection features;
Built-in S.M.A.R.T. monitoring module;
Free data protection tools;
Free data recovery up to 500 MB (on Windows)

5 EASY STEPS

How to Recover Files From a Hard Drive

Here are the simple steps needed to recover lost and deleted files from a hard drive using Disk Drill for Windows.

1. Download & Install Disk Drill Hard Drive Data Recovery Software

Download and install Disk Drill to a separate physical disk so as not to overwrite the files you wish to restore. If you don’t have a separate internal drive, download and install the program to an external drive. You will need to provide the Administrator's credentials during the installation process.

Download & Install Disk Drill Hard Drive Data Recovery Software for Windows

2. Choose the Hard Drive or Partition

Launch Disk Drill. The main screen will display a list of scannable devices connected to your Windows computer. If you’re intending to scan an external drive, connect it now.

Recover deleted or lost partitions

2.1 Recovery from a Healthy Drive

If your drive is in healthy condition, and the data that was lost by accidental deletion or formatting, scanning the drive itself will be fine. Select the drive from the list of devices, or you can select a partition to scan instead of the entire drive.

2.2 Recovery from a Problematic Drive

Drives suffering from logical corruption, error messages, missing file systems, and other forms of logical damage are erratic and can fail at any moment. Therefore, you should create a copy of the drive using the Byte-to-byte Backup feature of Disk Drill. This image copy can be scanned to avoid putting stress on the drive. It’s also useful for SSD users who need to preserve the drive before a TRIM command is issued.

2.3 Recovery in Complex Data Loss Scenarios

For advanced users, the HEX view lets you inspect the drive and look at raw data structures. The binary contents may include information like file headers that give an idea of what data is recoverable. This is especially useful with SSDs, as you can see if the contents of the drive have been erased by TRIM.

3. Start Scanning for Lost Hard Drive Data

Click the Search for lost data button to start the scanning process. Disk Drill will keep you informed as the scan progresses by displaying an overview of how many files it has found. The scan can be paused and resumed as needed, and found files can be explored as Disk Drill scans your drive in the background. Waiting for the scan to finish is encouraged to see everything that’s found.

4. Select Which Files You Want to Recover from Your Hard Drive

Click Review found items once the scan is finished. All of the files that Disk Drill found will be presented in a long list. There are several ways you can sort through the results more efficiently. You can change the tree view to icons for easy previews, or use filters and categories to refine the data that you actually want to see.

4.1 Use ‘Filters’ for a Faster Search or to Select a Specific File Type

Recovered files are filtered and displayed in folders to make it easier to find exactly what you need. Select from these categories when searching for data: Pictures, Video, Audio, Documents, Archives, and other files. This feature saves a lot of time, allowing you to focus on the recovery results that matter to you without needing to go through the whole recovery report.

4.2 Search for Files

You can search for files in the app’s display or perform a search using the search bar at the top of the program’s main window. This lets you directly look for a specific file name, no matter what type of file it is. When you go into the window of a particular file type, you will see a list of recoverable files as well as those that have been reconstructed by a deep scan.

4.3 Check the Reconstruction Section

Reconstructed files are those that could not be recovered with the help of file system records. Instead, the files were reconstructed based on signatures unique to each file type. As such, metadata like the original file’s name will be lost. Instead it will have a common name, or a name based on the metadata of the file itself (camera_date_shot_extension, etc.). You can preview the files to see if you want to recover them and then rename them when recovery is complete.

5. Recover the Deleted Hard Drive Data

Each file can be selected for recovery by checking the box next to it, then you can click Recover. Otherwise, you can click the Recover all button to restore everything that Disk Drill found. You will be prompted to provide a safe storage location where you want the data to be restored, which should reside on a separate physical drive. When recovery is complete, you can go to the designated folder and move the files wherever you want. Some reconstructed files may need to be renamed.

How to Recover Files from an External Hard Drive

Chances of Successfully Recovering Hard Drive Data

Disk Drill employs a labeling system to intelligently predict the likelihood of successful data recovery and keep you informed throughout the process. Files that can be confidently recovered without any issues are marked with a full dark star. Those that may be slightly damaged but still recoverable are indicated with a half-filled star. Lastly, files that are unlikely to be successfully recovered are denoted by an empty star (no fill). Keep in mind, however, that these are just prediction chances. Even a file denoted by an empty star has a chance of being successfully recovered in a real-world scenario.

In practice, the three color labels roughly correspond to the following data loss scenarios:

HIGH - Accidental deletion

It’s usually possible to recover recently deleted files from a hard drive without any data loss—even if the files are no longer present in the Recycle bin folder.

HIGH - Hard drive formatting

As long as formatting isn’t followed by the writing of new data, the original data should still be recoverable with little to no data loss.

AVERAGE - Minor data corruption

Common causes of minor data corruption include software bugs, power outages, and benign malware. Such corruption may cause files to seemingly disappear but it seldom leads to their destruction.

AVERAGE - Partial overwriting

Some files, such as images and videos, can be recovered even when partially overwritten. Other files, such as executables, can’t.

LOW - Extensive overwriting

When files are overwritten beyond a certain degree, their recovery is extremely difficult, and, when successful, it doesn’t produce good results.

LOW - Malware infection

Some serious malware infections, such as ransomware, make files inaccessible by encrypting them. Even if you stop the encryption process in time, it’s often too late to recover fully and partially encrypted data.

Recover Any Type of Files

Lost photos, videos, audio files, documents; any file is recoverable based on file system indicators. But if the file system is lost, inaccessible, or otherwise unusable, Disk Drill uses its deep scanning algorithms that can recognize around 400 different file signatures and reconstruct them from the data fragmented across the drive. During a hard drive restore, files are conveniently organized so you can find the data you need.

Video

MPG (MPEG video), M4V (iTunes video), AVI, FLV (Flash video), MP4 (MPEG-4 video), WMV (Windows Media Video)

Audio

AIF, MP3 (MPEG Audio Stream, Layer III), AIFF (Audio Interchange File), AIFC, WMA (Windows Media audio files)

Images

BMP, JP2, GIF, JPEG, TIFF, PSP. Polaroid/Sigma: X3F. Adobe: AI, APM, INDL, IDML, INDB, INDD, INX, LRCAT, PSB, PSD. Pentax: PEF.

Documents

PPTX (Microsoft PowerPoint), DOCX (Microsoft Word), XLSX (Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet), PDF (Portable Document Format)

Keys for Increasing Your Hard Drive Recovery Success

Here are some tips that can help increase the chances of a successful data recovery. Failure to follow these suggestions may lead to permanent data loss.

Stop using the device

The hard drive in question should be left disconnected or unused until recovery can be performed. Even if you’re not actively saving files to it, new data can still be written by updates, background processes, software synchronization, and more - all of which can be detrimental to your recovery chances.

Don’t ignore strange sounds

Strange noises are a clear sign of damage to a mechanical device like a hard drive. At the first sign of strange noises, you should either (a) create a byte-to-byte backup and recover the data to another, healthy drive, or (b) send the drive to a data recovery professional.

Back up the drive

Create a byte-level backup to reduce the stress on a failing drive. Disk Drill provides this functionality which allows you to save data from the device before it fails.

Use a different drive

Use a different drive for downloading and installing Disk Drill. Using the device that lost data runs the risk of overwriting the files you want before you restore them.

Use reliable software

You may only get one chance to recover your valuable data. Don’t leave it to chance with an unreliable software tool. Disk Drill Hard Disk Recovery Software has a proven record of recovery success.

Recover to a new location

You don’t want to recover your data to the same device that experienced the data loss. This could overwrite your data and make it impossible to ever recover it.

Best Hard Drive Data Recovery Software Comparison

We have selected and compared five of the most popular Hard Drive Data Recovery software solutions that really work. This breakdown of features should help you choose the right tool when faced with a data loss situation. When you need to recover deleted data you don’t want to be playing around with a tool that may or may not work. These applications have all been used in many recovery scenarios and should help you get your data back.

	Disk Drill	Recuva	EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard	Recoverit Data Recovery	Stellar Data Recovery
Rating	5/5	3/5	4/5	4/5	4/5
Price	$89.00 (Lifetime)	$19.95 (Annual)	$99.95 (Annual)	$69.95 (Annual)	$79.99 (Annual)
Deep scan file recovery	400+	50	1000	1000	200
Automatic scans	✔	✘	✔	✔	✘
Apple Hard Drive Recovery (Mac version)	✔	✘	✔	✔	✔
RAID recovery	✔	✘	Partial support	✘	✔
File recovery from Windows Storage Spaces	✔	✘	Partial support	Partial support	Partial support
Recycle Bin recovery	✔	Partial support	✔	✔	✔
BitLocker support	✔	✘	✔	Partial support	✔
Unbootable hard drives recovery	✔	✘	✔	Partial support	Partial support
Auto-resuming scans and backups	✔	✘	✘	✘	✘
Scan damaged or dead hard drives	✔ Data recovery center	✘	✔	Partial support	Partial support
Power failures recovery	✔	✘	✔	✔	✔
Back up failling HDD to a disk image	✔	✔	✘	✘	✔
Partition problems recovery	✔	✘	✔	Partial support	Partial support
Mount recovery results as a virtual drive	✔	✘	✘	✘	✘
Disk health monitoring (S.M.A.R.T.)	✔	✘	✘	✘	Partial support
Save scanning sessions	✔	✘	✔	✘	✔

When Software Recovery Isn’t Enough

In cases where your hard drive has crashed or suffered mechanical failure, resulting in physical damage, software recovery might not suffice. Instead of stressing the hard drive with DIY recovery attempts, we recommend you contact a professional data recovery service:

Visit the web page of our data recovery center. Our experts are equipped to recover even badly damaged hard drives.
Complete, print, sign, and send the Work Order form for your hard drive. Provide detailed information for an accurate diagnostic evaluation.
Protect your media in an anti-static bag or foil, cushion it with foam or bubble wrap, and ship it using a service with tracking.
Decide if you want to approve the quote you receive from our data recovery lab. Our "No Data – No Charge" policy guarantees you pay only if we successfully recover your desired files.
After recovery, we return your data on a DVD, flash drive, or external hard drive.

How to Fix Logical Disk Errors and Recover Data

Some data loss issues caused by logical disk errors can be solved without third-party data recovery software by applying the easy fixes described below. To avoid data loss, working with a damaged or unstable drive necessitates the creation of a byte-to-byte copy to avoid further data loss.

FIX 1

Use CHKDSK Command

The CHKDSK command can be used to scan any storage device for logical errors. If CHKDSK finds any problems, it will attempt to repair them:

Press Win + X.
Select Windows Terminal (Admin) if you’re using Windows 11 or Windows PowerShell (Admin) if you’re using Windows 10.
Enter the following command and press enter (replace “X” with the letter assigned to your storage device): chkdsk X: /r

Fix 2

Run Error Checking Tool

If you're not a fan of command-line tools, Windows offers a visual alternative to CHKDSK. To check your storage devices for errors and fix them without having to type commands, you can:

Right-click on the device you want to check for errors and choose Properties.
In the new Properties window that shows up, move to the Tools tab.
Click on Check in the Error checking section.
Choose Scan drive from the dialog box that pops up.
If errors are found, you can have them fixed.

Fix 3

Use ATTRIB Command

Does your hard drive suddenly seem to be completely empty even though the amount of free storage space is still the same? Then it’s possible that malware has caused the files to become hidden. Fortunately, you can fix them using the ATTRIB command:

Press Win + X.
Select Windows Terminal (Admin) if you’re using Windows 11 or Windows PowerShell (Admin) if you’re using Windows 10.
Enter the following command and press Enter (replace “X” with the letter assigned to your storage device): attrib -h -r -s /s /d X:*.*

Fix 4

Update Hard Disk Drivers

Outdated or malfunctioning drivers can lead to all kinds of hard drive problems, such as unreliable data transfers or file system corruption. This is especially true for complex disk types, like hybrid disks. The solution? Force Windows to update them by following these instructions:

Press Win + X.
Select Device Manager.
Go to Disk drives and right-click your hard drive.
Select the Update drivers option.
Choose to “Search automatically for updated driver software”.

Fix 5

Assign a New Drive Letter

It’s possible for a logical error to cause the affected drive to lose the letter that was assigned to it and become impossible to access from File Explorer.

Press Win + X.
Select Disk Management.
Right-click the hard drive that has become inaccessible and then click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Click Add and select the new drive letter.
Press OK to confirm.

FIX 6

Fix a Damaged Partition Table Using TestDisk

TestDisk is a powerful open-source data recovery software that can fix partition tables to recover lost partitions. While it doesn't have a graphical user interface, the steps you need to follow in order to fix logical disk errors and recover your data are fairly straightforward:

Download and install TestDisk.
Launch TestDisk and decide if you want to create a log file.
Select the disk that has the lost partition you want to recover.
Tell TestDisk which partition table type it should look for.
Analyze the current partition structure.
Use the Quick Search option to look for recoverable partitions.
Select a found partition and press Enter to recover it.
Write the new partition table.
Confirm your decision.
Exit TestDisk.

Fix a Damaged Partition Table Using TestDisk

Fix 7

Check S.M.A.R.T. Status

All modern SSDs and HDDs incorporate S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) monitoring technology. This monitoring gives you a status update of your drive through several S.M.A.R.T. data values. These values can help you determine what problem your hard drive is facing. Disk Drill includes a passive S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tool that will alert you at the first sign of problematic values, but you can also check it manually in Windows:

Open the Settings app by pressing Win + I on your keyboard.
Navigate to System on the left panel, then click on Storage on the right.
Expand Advanced storage settings and click on Disks & volumes. This section will list all the storage devices connected to your system and display a status message saying "Healthy" if there are no issues.
You can click the Properties button next to each device to see additional details.
Within the drive's properties, you will find the Drive health status. This area provides critical information about your disk's health, including its estimated remaining life, which shows the approximate percentage of the drive's life used, based on the manufacturer's predictions.

Fix 8

Use Vendor's Tools

All storage device manufacturers offer official tools for checking their condition and testing them. Since each of them works somewhat differently, we won't dive into the details of how to use them. You can find them by looking at your device manufacturer's official site, usually in a "support" section. For four of the most popular brands, take a look at:

Fix 9

Use a Bootable Linux Distribution

Even if you're using Windows, you can temporarily use Linux to check your disks for problems and attempt to fix them. All without changing or affecting in any way your current operating system. Windows users will feel right at home with GParted. The app accompanies most Linux distributions and is straightforward in its use. To check your disks with it:

Download one of the more Windows-friendly Linux distributions, like Linux Mint.
Make a bootable USB with it. Check this guide if you don't know how to do that.
Boot your PC from your bootable Linux media. Check your PC motherboard's manual to see how you can boot from a secondary device.
When you reach the Linux distribution's desktop, expand its Start menu equivalent, and search for Gparted. Run the application.
Choose your storage device from the drop-down menu on the top-right.
Right-click on your device and select Check from the menu that pops up.

FIX 10

Format Disk to NTFS Using Disk Management

Windows includes a useful Disk Management utility that allows you to format hard drives that are not accessible from File Explorer, which can happen when the drive is corrupted, has an unsupported file system, or becomes RAW. It's important to note that formatting a disk will erase all existing data on the drive, so it's best to create a complete hard drive image backup beforehand. Here’s how to format a disk using the Disk Management utility:

Press Win + X.
Select Disk Management.
Right-click the problematic hard drive and select the Format option.
Choose the NTFS file system and confirm.
Click OK to complete disk formatting.

Format Disk to NTFS Using Disk Management

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated on Aug 12, 2025 by Disk Drill Team

How to Recover Deleted Files from a Hard Drive?

To recover deleted files from a hard drive, you should first stop using the affected drive. Download and install Disk Drill on a separate drive, then select and scan the hard drive for lost or deleted data. Refine the results using filters and categories, preview the files, and recover the ones you want. If you’re dealing with an inaccessible or unresponsive drive, consider creating a byte-to-byte backup and scanning that instead. For drives suffering from physical damage or failed recovery attempts, consult a professional data recovery service.

What is the best free hard drive recovery software in 2025?

Disk Drill is among the best free hard drive recovery tools in 2025, alongside solutions like Recuva and EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Disk Drill stands out by offering up to 500 MB of free recovery on Windows and deep scan support for around 400 file types. It also includes additional features like byte-to-byte backups, passive S.M.A.R.T. monitoring, and extra data protection. Recuva is an ideal choice if you’re looking for something free, simple, and capable of basic undelete functionality, but it is not recommended for more advanced cases. EaseUS offers a generous free trial and modern user interface (UI), but lacks extensive file signature support and features a lot of ads.

What hard disk brands are supported by Disk Drill software?

Disk Drill can recover data from virtually any hard disk brand. This includes providing support for drives manufactured by Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, Hitachi, Kingston Technology, Samsung, and Iomega. If your storage device is disk-based, then there is an excellent chance that Disk Drill supports it and can be used to successfully recover and data that is accidentally lost.

Can I recover deleted files from my HDD with Disk Drill software for free?

Disk Drill for Windows allows users to recover up to 500 MB of data for free. Scans can be performed for free, and all files can be previewed, including photos, videos, documents, and more, to confirm they’re intact. Recovery beyond 500 MB will require an upgrade to the PRO version, and is only necessary if you’re satisfied with Disk Drill’s capabilities.

What are the signs of hard drive failure?

These are the signs that your hard drive might be getting ready to fail:

Strange clicking and grinding noises coming from the hard drive;
Unexpected program crashes and disk access errors;
Persistent error messages while running software applications;
Inconsistent computer performance with slower than normal response time;
Unexplained missing files.

Can files be recovered from a failed hard drive?

Yes, you can recover files from a failed hard drive. Your operating system needs to be able to recognize and access the device for software to work. The software needs to be able to scan the disk to perform its recovery functions. If this is not the case, your best bet is to use a data recovery center that can physically recover your data.

How to restore deleted files from an external hard disk?

Connect your external hard disk to the PC. If it is damaged, it should be visible in Disk Management with the correct size before you recover data. If the disk is fine, you can scan it directly. If it’s not, you will need to create a byte-to-byte image and scan that instead. This is how you restore deleted files from an external HDD to another drive with sufficient space:

Download and install Disk Drill.
Connect the external hard drive to your computer and launch the app.
Select the drive from the list.
Click Search for lost data to scan for files.
Preview the recoverable data which you want to restore from and external hard drive.
Select the files for recovery and click Recover all to restore your data.

How can I recover data from a formatted hard disk?

Recovering data from a formatted disk is similar to recovering deleted files. Even though they may not be visible, the data is still there so long as it was a quick format, not a full format. All you need to do is install Disk Drill to a separate drive, select the affected disk, and scan it. Don’t panic if you notice the data no longer has its original file names and folder structure - this is likely due to the metadata being erased. Such files are reconstructed and can be found in the Reconstructed tab.

Is it possible to recover deleted files from a hard drive without software?

Yes, it is. Start by checking where recently deleted files go. On Windows, that’s Recycle Bin. On macOS, that’s Bin. The other option is checking any backups made by native or third-party backup tools. Windows includes File History or OneDrive as its primary backup utilities, while macOS uses Time Machine or iCloud.

What is the best hard drive data recovery service near me?

Cleverfiles Data Recovery Center is the best data recovery service and is within reach of everyone with a simple phone call or email. All recovery services require you to ship your device, so their physical location is somewhat irrelevant. Cleverfiles offers customers reliable recovery services with no charge for unsuccessful recoveries. A free cost estimate is available through their website.

What kinds of drives and devices do you recover data from with Disk Drill?

Disk Drill is compatible with almost all storage devices that your computer can recognize. So, you can use it to recover files from HDDs, SSDs, or even that old and battered CF card you found forgotten in a drawer.

Can Disk Drill recover password-protected hard drive data?

Disk Drill can recover data from password-protected devices but won't circumvent their protection. Thus, it will ask you to provide the password for "unlocking" the device to enable it to access the data stored there and attempt recovery.

Hard Drive Data Recovery Software

Recover Data From Hard Drives in Any Data Loss Situation

Formatted Hard Drives

Accidental Data Deletion

File System Problems

Disk Is Not Visible in File Explorer

Hard Disk Not Showing Files

Other Software & Hardware Issues

Your Best Solution: Disk Drill Hard Drive Recovery Tool

Recover Data From Any Storage Media

How to Recover Files From a Hard Drive

1. Download & Install Disk Drill Hard Drive Data Recovery Software

2. Choose the Hard Drive or Partition

3. Start Scanning for Lost Hard Drive Data

4. Select Which Files You Want to Recover from Your Hard Drive

5. Recover the Deleted Hard Drive Data

Chances of Successfully Recovering Hard Drive Data

Recover Any Type of Files

Keys for Increasing Your Hard Drive Recovery Success

Stop using the device

Don’t ignore strange sounds

Back up the drive

Use a different drive

Use reliable software

Recover to a new location

Not Only Hard Drive Recovery - Active Data Protection

Best Hard Drive Data Recovery Software Comparison

When Software Recovery Isn’t Enough

How to Fix Logical Disk Errors and Recover Data

Use CHKDSK Command

Run Error Checking Tool

Use ATTRIB Command

Update Hard Disk Drivers

Assign a New Drive Letter

Fix a Damaged Partition Table Using TestDisk

Check S.M.A.R.T. Status

Use Vendor's Tools

Use a Bootable Linux Distribution

Format Disk to NTFS Using Disk Management

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Recover Deleted Files from a Hard Drive?

What is the best free hard drive recovery software in 2025?

What hard disk brands are supported by Disk Drill software?

Can I recover deleted files from my HDD with Disk Drill software for free?

What are the signs of hard drive failure?

Can files be recovered from a failed hard drive?

How to restore deleted files from an external hard disk?

How can I recover data from a formatted hard disk?

Is it possible to recover deleted files from a hard drive without software?

What is the best hard drive data recovery service near me?

What kinds of drives and devices do you recover data from with Disk Drill?

Can Disk Drill recover password-protected hard drive data?

Customers and software guru say

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