External Hard Drive Data Recovery

The Difference Between a Hard Drive and an External Hard Drive

Unlike general hard drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs), external hard drives connect to your computer via a USB.

Their portable nature makes them easy to use and convenient for transporting data between machines, however, it also creates a large risk for data loss due to being continuously plugged and unplugged to various devices and dropped or roughly handled.  External drives often employ encryption to protect the data that is stored on the drives and Ontrack has developed tools to help recover data from these special drives.

Customized External Hard Drive Recovery

We understand that data recovery incidents come in all shapes and sizes.

Ontrack’s engineers are equipped with the expertise to successfully recover data from external hard drives that have fallen victim to circumstances ranging from mechanical failure and accidental drops to fire and water  damage.

No External Hard Drive Brand Too Big…or Small

Ontrack can recover data from any type or brand of external hard drive. With repair authorizations from Western Digital, Fujitsu, Seagate, Samsung, and Toshiba, our data recovery experts can even do so without voiding your device’s warranty.

Support Types

Hard Drive Brands

*Don’t worry if your external hard drive is missing from the list. Ontrack’s engineers perform daily data recovery from all types and brands.

Contact one of our dedicated data recovery specialists for help determining the best plan of action for your external hard drive recovery today.  

Types of External Hard Drive Failures

Ontrack’s data recovery methods will depend on the type of damage your external hard drive has experienced. While each case is unique when it comes to external hard drive repair, the damage typically falls into one of two categories: physical data loss or logical data loss (including user error).

Physical Hard Drive Failures

• Drops and Knocks
• Smashed or Crushed Screens
• Water Damage
• Fire Damage
• Mechanical Failure
• Clicking or Grinding Noises

Logical Hard Drive Failures

• Deleted Data
• Formatted Drives
• Corruption
• Ransomware or Malware
• Firmware Issues

There’s a possibility that DIY recovery efforts with data recovery software may help solve common logical data loss issues, however, it’s worth noting that physical data loss incidents should be handled by professional recovery experts to prevent irreparable damage while attempting to recover data from an external hard drive.