How to Recover a Failed Disk

When a hard disk is not functioning properly, your files are in jeopardy of being lost forever. If your hard disk has failed you can try to recover the entire hard disk by freezing it, or recover files from the hard disk using free recovery software available on the Internet. A recovery program will recognize as many files as it can on a failed hard disk and make it possible for you to pull those files off of the failed hard disk and place them on a working hard disk.

Things You'll Need

• Two zipping freezer bags
• Working computer

Instructions

Freeze the Failed Hard Disk

1. Place the hard disk in a zipping freezer bag. Place this freezer bag containing the hard disk into another zipping freezer bag to provide extra protection to the disk.

2. Put the freezer bag inside your freezer and freeze the hard disk for roughly one hour. This allows a hard disk to temporarily work better than it was before by tightening the hard disk's packets, making it easier for the computer to read the information on the hard disk. Proceed to Step 3 if the hard disk is a primary hard drive and proceed to Step 4 if the hard disk is a secondary hard drive.

3. Remove the freezer bag from the freezer. Take the hard disk out of the bag. Reconnect the primary hard drive to the computer and turn on the computer. If the hard disk boots up, move as many files as you can onto an external storage device, such as an external hard drive or a flash drive. If the hard disk does not boot up, proceed to Section 2.

4. Remove the freezer bag from the freezer. Take the hard disk out of the bag. Reconnect the hard disk to the computer and turn on the computer. Click "Start" then "Computer" if the hard disk is the secondary hard drive. If the drive appears under "Hard Disk Drives" click on it and move as many files as you can from the hard disk onto an external storage device, such as an external hard drive or flash drive. If the drive does not appear, proceed to Section 2.

Recover Failed Hard Disk Files

1. Insert or plug the hard disk into a working computer. Turn the computer on and download TOKIWA Data Recovery by clicking the "TOKIWA: DataRecovery Version 2.4.6" link in the Resources section and then clicking "Download" on the top part of the page. TOKIWA Data Recovery is completely free.

2. Open TOKIWA Data Recovery and select the hard disk from the list of available drives on the left side of the program window. Click the "Scan Files" button in the lower left corner of the program window to scan the hard disk for files.

3. Click on the files you want to recover. The program may recognize some of the files, all of the files or none of the files, depending on how damaged the failed hard disk is. Click the "Recovery" button in the lower left corner of the program window to recover those files. Choose where to save the files on your working computer's primary hard drive and click "OK."

Tips & Warnings

• Periodically, make backups of your files on another storage device so that you never lose a thing.

• Some of your files may be lost forever.

References

• Lance L Hoff: Freeze a Clicking Hard Drive to Recover Data
• Data Recovery Pros: Data Recovery From a Failed Hard Drive - Freezing Method
• Microsoft: Move and Copy Files Using Drag and Drop
• TOKIWA: DataRecovery FAQ

Resources

• TOKIWA: DataRecovery Version 2.4.6