How to Recover Data from an Internal Hard Drive [Proven Methods]

Common Data Loss Reasons on Internal Hard Drive

Whether you're using a Windows desktop, a gaming laptop, or a business workstation, data loss on an internal hard drive (HDD or SSD) can happen unexpectedly and often at the worst possible time. But this doesn’t mean the data will be permanently lost. If you're seeking solutions on how to recover data from an internal hard drive, this guide is for you.

Before diving into recovery methods, it's important to understand why data loss happens on internal hard drives. It can help you prevent future disasters and act swiftly when recovery is needed. Here's a breakdown of the most frequent reasons:

🔔Accidental Deletion: Users unintentionally delete important files or folders, often bypassing the Recycle Bin using "Shift + Delete" or through command-line operations.

🔍Drive Formatting: Formatting a partition (or the entire drive) intentionally or by mistake wipes the file system structure, making files inaccessible.

💡File System Corruption: The internal structure that organizes your files (NTFS, exFAT, etc.) becomes damaged. The drive and files stored on it may be unreadable.

🔒Malware or Ransomware Attacks: Viruses, trojans, or ransomware can encrypt, hide, or delete files stored on your internal hard drive.

⛏️Hardware Failure: Mechanical parts (in HDDs) or memory chips (in SSDs) degrade or malfunction over time.

🛠️Operating System Crashes or Boot Errors: The OS fails to load due to system file corruption, registry errors, or bootloader issues, and the internal drive is intact but inaccessible through standard boot.

How to Recover Data from an Internal Hard Drive

No matter the cause, stopping the use of the internal hard drive with lost data immediately can help minimize the risk of data being overwritten. Based on the above reasons, data loss can be mainly divided into three categories: first, accidental or permanent data loss; second, the drive failing to boot; and third, drive crash. This section will propose solutions focusing on these three aspects. You can choose the appropriate method according to your actual situation.

Restore from Backups

If you have ever backed up the files you want to recover, whether using Windows' built-in backup tools or cloud backup tools, you can directly restore the desired data from the backup. Here, we’ll take Windows' built-in tool—Backup and Restore—as an example.

Step 1. Open "Backup settings" in the Start menu and click "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)".

Step 2. Choose "Select another backup to restore files from" and select a backup including the lost files.

Step 3. Select the files you want to recover by clicking on "Browse for files/folders".

Step 4. Choose a destination folder to save the recovered files and click "Restore" to begin the process.

When the process is completed, the message "Your files have been restored" will pop out. You can click "View restored files" to check the recovered files in the destination folder.

★Tips:

Similar to Backup and Restore, you can only recover files from File History if you backed them up before the data loss occurred.

Additionally, you can also restore deleted files from OneDrive and more cloud backup tools, provided that they have been enabled.

Accidentally Deleted: Check the Recycle Bin

When no backup is available, checking the Recycle Bin first is the right method after files are deleted. Files deleted (not permanently deleted) from an internal hard drive are moved to the Recycle Bin, where they remain until restored or the Recycle Bin is emptied.

Step 1. Double click the Recycle Bin icon to open it.

Step 2. Browse through the items and select the files you wish to recover.

Step 3. Right click on them and choose "Restore" to return them to their original location.

Permanently Deleted or Formatted: Windows File Recovery

Windows File Recovery is a command-line data recovery tool provided by Microsoft. It supports recovering data from internal and external hard drive. It's powerful but requires a basic understanding of the command line.

Step 1. Download and install Windows File Recovery on your computer from Microsoft official channel.

Step 2. Open Windows File Recovery and run it as administrator.

Step 3. Type the following command "Winfr F: E: /regular" and press "Enter". Replace the drive letters "F" and "E" with your actual drive letters.

When the process is finished, you can press "y" to check the recovered files in the destination folder.

Drive Corrupted or Won't Boot: Use MyRecover

If your hard drive is corrupted or Windows refuses to start, you need a more powerful solution. In such cases, MyRecover comes in handy. It can scan all disks on the computer and provide an opportunity to recover lost data on them. Moreover, MyRecover can cover almost all scenarios of data loss on Windows, including recovering files from deleted partitions, formatted partitions, emptied Recycle Bins, system crashes, virus attacks, and more.

MyRecover is an advanced tool that supports data recovery even from non-bootable systems or RAW partitions. When the internal hard drive fails to boot your computer, you can follow these steps to get files back from the hard drive won't turn on.

Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on a working computer from secure channel and prepare a blank USB.

Step 2. Launch MyRecover and connect the USB on the computer, then select "PC Crashed Recovery" section.

Step 3. Choose "USB Boot Device" and click "Create" to make bootable media.

Step 4. Wait several seconds until the USB bootable media created successfully. Insert the bootable media into the unbootable computer.

Step 5. Enter the BIOS system and choose the created USB bootable media to boot the computer.

Step 6. Select the drive where the lost data were stored to scan and click "Scan".

Step 7. Choose the files you intend to recover from the recoverable lists and click "Recover".

Step 8. Select a safe location to save the recovered files.

Once the process is completed, the message indicating successful recovery will pop out. You can check the recovered files by clicking on the destination folder path or "Browse" button.

How to Fix Corrupted Internal Hard Drive

If your computer can start up but you can’t access the files stored on the drive, it means your hard drive may have corrupted. The safest approach is to first use MyRecover to recover data from the hard drive following the methods mentioned earlier (starting from step 6), and then use the methods below to repair the crashed hard drive. This is because the repair process could potentially cause you to lose data permanently.

Run CHKDSK Command

CHKDSK is a Windows utility used to scan a hard drive for file system error or bad sectors and attempt to automatically repair them. You can run CHKDSK Command to check the logical errors for your internal hard drive.

Step 1. Open "Command Prompt" and run it as administrator.

Step 2. Type the command "chkdsk G: /f /r" and hit "Enter" key. Replace the drive letter "G" with your actual drive letter. Then it will automatically fix detected errors.

Scan with Windows Defender

Some viruses and malware can block access to drives and files, or even delete important files. You can use Windows' built-in Windows Defender to remove them.

Step 1. Open "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Windows security".

Step 2. Select "Virus & threat protection" and click "Scan options" to choose a scan mode.

Step 3. If you want to perform a comprehensive scan, you can select "Full Scan" to start the process. This may take some time.

Conclusion

Whether it’s accidental deletion, corruption, or a drive that won’t boot, understanding how to recover data from an internal hard drive gives you a better chance of successful recovery. If you don’t have a backup or your system won’t start, try MyRecover—a professional yet user-friendly tool designed for all skill levels. Its read-only scanning process ensures no data is overwritten during recovery.

For both home users and business users, you can upgrade to the Technician version to bring data security to your family and friends with one license.