A computer’s hard drive is one of its most critical components. It contains all of the data and information that turns the machine from an interesting conglomeration of electronic components into an extremely flexible tool. A malfunctioning hard drive can result in decreased performance as well as missing or corrupt data.
The HDD in your computer can contain hundreds of gigabytes of data encompassing millions of files. Some of these files can easily be recreated by reinstalling software or downloading content. There is a very good chance that at least some of the data that resides on your hard disk is valuable and would be hard, if not impossible, to replicate. If you are experiencing problems with your hard drive, you may need to employ a disk repair tool to rescue your data. In this article, we will take a look at five different hard disk repair tools.
1. Disk Drill – Simple Yet Effective Hard Drive Repair Software
The first hard drive repair software we will consider is Disk Drill for Windows. This utility supports Windows 7 through Windows 10 as well as older versions of the OS. It can be downloaded for a free test drive where up to 500MB of data can be recovered. We will concentrate on the full-featured Pro version of the application as we investigate its features.
Key Features:
- An intuitive user interface which allows you to easily perform a disk repair or recovery operation.
- Advanced scanning algorithms that permit you to perform both Quick and Deep scans to identify and recover your files and folders.
- Intelligent recovery recognizes and can reconstruct files in hundreds of different formats to repair your hard drive.
- Flexibility in the types of storage media from which data can be recovered. In addition to repairing a hard disk, you can perform data recovery on virtually any type of disk storage device.
- Create bootable recovery disks and disk image backups.
- Additional free data protection and maintenance tools included.
Price: $89 for Pro version
About six months ago my hard disk died. Although I had double backups, there were some files that were 100% new, & not backed up. Luckily I had recovery software and was able to recover 100% of my files. Try a trial version of Disk Drill Pro for PC.
— Ravi Butalia (@RaviButalia) December 23, 2019
Verdict:
This is an excellent data recovery tool that can be used to repair a hard drive or recover from any type of unexpected data loss scenario.
2. EaseUS Partition Master
Partition Master is the next hard drive repair utility we will review. This tool’s primary purpose is to resize, repartition, and restore lost partitions. It supports all Windows versions and is available for a free trial with a limited feature set.
Key Features:
- Partition and resize disks of any size.
- Easily clone a disk or partition.
- Convert a partition or disk to another file format.
- Manage dynamic volumes.
- Create a WinPE bootable disk.
Price: $39.95 for the Pro version
It’s all fun and games until you wipe out the OS partition!
I had a problem Feature Update laptop I’ve been working on and noticed that it had weird partitions and was trying to reconfigure them and somehow nuked the OS partition with EaseUS Partition Master.#ReimageTime #oops
— Adam Gross [MVP] – ASquareDozen.com (@AdamGrossTX) February 25, 2020
Verdict:
A good tool for resizing and restoring partitions. Not suitable for other data recovery situations.
3. WinDirStat
This freeware tool can provide statistics that may enable you to fix problems with your disk such as insufficient space. It works with all Windows versions and is a clone of a Linux tool. It is not specifically a data recovery tool.
Key Features:
- Create directory lists sorted by file/subtree size.
- View a treemap which displays the complete directory tree at once.
- Display an extension list that shows statistics concerning file types.
- Graphic statistical display employing rectangles of varying size and colors.
- Delete files from within the program.
Price: Freeware
Verdict:
Performs its single function of mapping disk usage statistics admirably.
4. CloneZilla
CloneZilla is a tool that allows the user to clone disk partitions in a wide variety of file formats including those used in the Windows OS. To use the software you must download and burn the application to a CD after which you use the newly created disk to boot your PC. At that point, you can use the tool to create clones of disks and partitions.
Key Features:
- Support for multiple file systems.
- Restore one image to multiple targets simultaneously.
- Disk image encryption.
- Can be used for bare metal backup and recovery.
Price: Freeware
Verdict:
A good tool for disk imaging and cloning. Does not perform data recovery tasks.
5. Recuva
Recuva is a data recovery tool that works with all versions of the Windows operating system. It can help you repair a hard drive and recover accidentally deleted files.
Key Features:
- Recover damaged or formatted disks.
- Undelete mistakenly deleted files.
- Quick start wizard for a speedy recovery.
- Deep scan facility.
- Securely delete files permanently.
Price: $19.95 for a one year license to the Pro version.
Verdict:
A basic data recovery tool that can be useful for repairing a hard drive or recovering deleted files.
Comparison Table
Disk Drill | Partition Master | WinDirStat | CloneZilla | Recuva | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free Trial | Yes, 500MB recovery limit. | Yes, 8TB disk capacity limit. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Price | $89 | $39.95 | Freeware | Freeware | $19.95 per year |
Windows compatibility | All versions | All versions | All versions | All versions | All versions |
Fix damaged or lost partitions | Yes | No | No | Can clone a partition | Yes |
User interface | Intuitive | User-friendly | User-friendly | Primitive | User-friendly |
Recover deleted data | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
Additional free features | Data protection and maintenance tools. | No | No | No | No |
The Reasons Behind Hard Drive Failure
Hard drives can fail for a number of reasons. Here are some of the most common causes of hard drive failure:
- Excessive heat
- Exposure to high humidity or water damage
- Power surges
- Firmware corruption
- Malware infection
- Physical shock
- Human error
- Employ a surge protector to minimize the chance of electrical damage.
- Use the machine in climate-controlled areas free of high heat or humidity.
- A quality antivirus program can help limit your exposure to malware.
- Keeping your firmware updated will reduce the risk of drive failure.
- Finally, ensure the human interaction with your data is performed by trained individuals to limit the potential for human error.
FAQ
Most drive repair software can be used to fix an external drive as long as you can connect it to your computer through a USB or other type of port.
Employing a quality data recovery tool is the fastest method for fixing a corrupted hard drive. The application will enable you to recover most if not all of the files from the damaged disk.
The answer to this question varies based on the specific tool you are using. Comprehensive applications such as Disk Drill have features which let you analyze your disk to address duplicate file and space concerns.
Conclusion
As you can see from our review, there is a wide range of tools that can be used to help you repair a damaged hard drive. We feel the best HDD repair tool is Disk Drill for a number of reasons. Its user interface and ease of use allow you to recover data in a streamlined manner. The advanced scanning algorithms will interrogate your disk on a sector-by-sector basis to recover the maximum amount of data possible. Download the tool for free today and use it to recover 500MB before investing a cent in the application.
Sources:
- Hard disk drive failure (2020, wikipedia.org)
- What are the system recovery options in Windows? (2020, microsoft.com)
- Trying to rescue files from a dying hard drive, but every fix leads to dead end (2020, bleepingcomputer.com)
- How to Prevent Hard Drive Failures by Checking and Fixing Disk Errors in Windows 10 (2019, groovypost.com)
