How to recover data

If your external hard drive is corrupted, stop using it right away to avoid losing more data. First, try plugging it into a different USB port, using another cable, or testing it on another computer to check if the issue is with the connection. Open Disk Management to see if the drive is listed—sometimes it may not have a drive letter or might show as RAW.

Don’t format the drive, even if asked. You can try fixing it by opening Command Prompt and typing chkdsk X: /f (replace X with your drive letter). Avoid using /r unless your data is backed up. If the drive still doesn’t open, use free data recovery software to scan and recover your files without making changes to the drive. Once your files are recovered, save them on another working drive and stop using the damaged one.