![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Repair-Damaged-Partition-Step-1.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Choosing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/change-drive-letter-and-paths.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Add](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/change-drive-letter.jpg\")
Select a new drive letter from the dropdown list and click OK<\/strong>.![\"Confirming](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/confirm-drive-letter.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n![\"How](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/CHKDSK-Step-1.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"allow](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/CHKDSK-Step-2.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Type](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/CHKDSK-Step-3.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"command](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/CHKDSK-Step-4.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Repair-Damaged-Partition-Step-2.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Perform](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Repair-Damaged-Partition-Step-3.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"final](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Repair-Damaged-Partition-Step-4.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Extracting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/unzip-testdisk-folder.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elevated-testdisk.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Choosing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/no-log.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Selecting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/select-drive.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Specifying](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/partition-table-type.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Searching](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/analyse-disk.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Performing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/quick-search.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Selecting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lost-partition.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Selecting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/write-lost-partition.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"recover](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Frame-54.png\")
<\/div>![\"partition](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Frame-51.png\")
<\/div><\/span>What is a Partition?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n![\"damaged](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Disk-Management.png\")
<\/p>\r\n
Pictures, videos, music, documents – all are different types of data. All of this data is stored on your hard drive<\/a>. While most can get by with using the hard drive the way it arrives in their computer, others want more control over where their data is stored.<\/p>\r\nPartitions are a way of separating portions of your hard drive to better organize your data and reduce data corruption<\/a> across your entire disk. Each partition can have its own file system, like NTFS<\/a>. Each partition has its own allocation of hard drive space.<\/p>\r\n<\/span>What Causes Partition Damage?<\/span><\/h2>\r\nWhen a partition is damaged, you will receive messages from Windows saying that the drive needs to be formatted, or that the file or directory is unreadable. Partition damage can be caused by a number of things. Most commonly, it\u2019s caused by:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- ⚠️ Corrupted or damaged partition table<\/b> – The partition table holds information pertaining to the partitions on your drives. This includes what types of partitions you have, as well as how your operating system can access the contents on the disk. If this table is corrupted or damaged, it could result in one of your partitions being damaged. A broken partition table can be fixed using the Command Prompt.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 🦠 Virus attack<\/b> – Viruses can be created to specifically target your partitions and the data inside them. If a virus has found its way to your machine, chances are your damaged partition could be a result of a virus attack. Thankfully, there are countless antivirus applications available online, with many being free.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 💾 Failed partition size modification<\/b> – Expanding or shrinking the size of a partition is a delicate process. If this process is interrupted, it can result in data loss and damage to the existing partitions. To prevent your partition being damaged because of this, be sure to have your computer plugged into a reliable power source that won\u2019t disconnect during the expanding\/shrinking process.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 🔍 Bad sectors<\/b> – Physical and logical damage can cause bad sectors on your hard drive. A bad sector refers to a physical space on the drive that no longer accepts read or write requests because it has become defective. If bad sectors are detected, any files that were once stored there will no longer be accessible by the operating system. Logical bad sectors can be overwritten with zeros to fix them. Physical bad sectors, however, cannot be fixed, and you should instead replace the drive.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 💥 Physical damage<\/b> – Traditional hard drives use spinning platters to read and write information. If your drive has sustained significant damage, it can displace moving parts within the drive, preventing the data from being read. Solid-state drives aren\u2019t immune to fall damage either, as it can snap delicate components on the internal circuit boards. If your drive has sustained extensive damage, try to recover what you can from the drive. Otherwise, send the drive to a data recovery center.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
Regardless of what has caused the partition damage, let\u2019s look at ways of recovering your data and fixing the partition so you can use it again.<\/p>\r\n
<\/span>How to Recover Data from a Damaged Partition<\/span><\/h2>\r\nThere\u2019s hardly ever a 100% chance of data recovery. It depends on the type of damage the drive has sustained and how long ago the partition was damaged.<\/p>\r\n
If you act with haste, you give yourself a better chance at recovering the data that\u2019s on the damaged partition before it\u2019s permanently lost, even if it\u2019s on a RAW partition<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<\/span>Method #1: Disk Drill<\/span><\/h3>\r\nRecovering data yourself has never been easier. There are myriads of data recovery tools<\/a> available online, with many of them offering trials which may suffice if you only have a small amount of data to recover.<\/p>\r\nToday we\u2019re going to use a Disk Drill<\/a>. It has a proven record of successful recoveries, an easy-to-use interface for any type of user, and its impressive array of additional features that help protect your data from further loss.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Download<\/a>, install, and open Disk Drill.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Select the drive that the damaged partition belongs to and click Search for lost data<\/b>.
![\"How](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Disk-Drill-Step-2.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- When the scan has finished, click Review found items<\/b>.
![\"Review](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Disk-Drill-Step-3.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Using the dropdowns, mark the files you want to recover by checking their checkbox. Click Recover<\/b> when ready.
![\"Click](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Disk-Drill-Step-4.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Select a recovery location for the files. To avoid the files being lost again, it\u2019s highly recommended that you restore them to a storage location that\u2019s not on the drive that has the damaged partition. Press OK<\/b>.
![\"Select](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Disk-Drill-Step-5.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- When the recovery is finished, you\u2019ll be presented with an overview screen. Click Show recovered data in Explorer<\/b> to be taken directly to the recovered files.
![\"Show](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Disk-Drill-Step-6.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Method #2: Windows File Recovery<\/span><\/h3>\r\nMicrosoft has its own data recovery tool called Windows File Recovery. It\u2019s still quite new compared to other recovery tools, having only been released in May 2020. However, it\u2019s an appealing option for many as it allows you to recover files at no cost. All you need is a Microsoft account.<\/p>\r\n
The below steps will guide you through installing and using Windows File Recovery to recover your data.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- Download<\/a> Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store. Open it.
![\"Downloading](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/get-winfr.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Type winfr C: D:\\RecoveredFiles \/regular<\/strong>. Replace C: <\/strong>with the drive letter you want to recover from, and D:\\RecoveredFIles <\/strong>with your chosen output path. Press Enter<\/strong>.
![\"Running](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/winfr-command.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Press Y <\/strong>to proceed. When the command is finished, press Y <\/strong>again to open the recovered files.
![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/winfr-open-recovered-files.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Method #3: Data Recovery Service<\/span><\/h3>\r\nRecovering data yourself doesn\u2019t always work. If using Disk Drill hasn\u2019t worked for you, or if you find the \u2018do it yourself\u2019 method too technically challenging, you can instead let the professionals handle it for you!<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\nPartitions are a way of separating portions of your hard drive to better organize your data and reduce data corruption<\/a> across your entire disk. Each partition can have its own file system, like NTFS<\/a>. Each partition has its own allocation of hard drive space.<\/p>\r\n When a partition is damaged, you will receive messages from Windows saying that the drive needs to be formatted, or that the file or directory is unreadable. Partition damage can be caused by a number of things. Most commonly, it\u2019s caused by:<\/p>\r\n Regardless of what has caused the partition damage, let\u2019s look at ways of recovering your data and fixing the partition so you can use it again.<\/p>\r\n There\u2019s hardly ever a 100% chance of data recovery. It depends on the type of damage the drive has sustained and how long ago the partition was damaged.<\/p>\r\n If you act with haste, you give yourself a better chance at recovering the data that\u2019s on the damaged partition before it\u2019s permanently lost, even if it\u2019s on a RAW partition<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n Recovering data yourself has never been easier. There are myriads of data recovery tools<\/a> available online, with many of them offering trials which may suffice if you only have a small amount of data to recover.<\/p>\r\n Today we\u2019re going to use a Disk Drill<\/a>. It has a proven record of successful recoveries, an easy-to-use interface for any type of user, and its impressive array of additional features that help protect your data from further loss.<\/p>\r\n Microsoft has its own data recovery tool called Windows File Recovery. It\u2019s still quite new compared to other recovery tools, having only been released in May 2020. However, it\u2019s an appealing option for many as it allows you to recover files at no cost. All you need is a Microsoft account.<\/p>\r\n The below steps will guide you through installing and using Windows File Recovery to recover your data.<\/p>\r\n Recovering data yourself doesn\u2019t always work. If using Disk Drill hasn\u2019t worked for you, or if you find the \u2018do it yourself\u2019 method too technically challenging, you can instead let the professionals handle it for you!<\/p>\r\n<\/span>What Causes Partition Damage?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
\r\n\t
<\/span>How to Recover Data from a Damaged Partition<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
<\/span>Method #1: Disk Drill<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
\r\n\t
<\/li>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Method #2: Windows File Recovery<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
\r\n\t
<\/li>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Method #3: Data Recovery Service<\/span><\/h3>\r\n