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How to Recover Data from WD External Hard Disk on Windows—Best Practices
When you face accidental deletion, disk corruption, mechanical issues and more issues, do you know how to recover data from WD external hard disk? Get expert tips to safely recover photos, documents, and more from your WD external drive without complicating the process.
By Aria / Updated on July 14, 2025
Is it Possible to Recover Data from an WD External Hard Drive?
WD external hard drive are portable storage devices known for their reliability and large storage capacities, ideal for backing up files, storing media, or expanding device storage. They come in various models suitable for personal and professional use, such as My passport, My Book, WD Elements, WD Black and more.
However, like any storage device, WD external hard drives can sometimes fail, whether due to accidental formatting, corruption, or even physical damage. The encouraging thing is that data recovery from the external hard drive is often possible with right methods, even if the drive is not functioning as expected.
How to Recover Data from WD External Hard Drive on Windows
Experiencing data loss from an external hard drive can be a distressing ordeal. However, if you take prompt action, your valuable data isn't necessarily lost forever. In many cases, it's possible to retrieve them.
This section will explore several practical techniques for retrieving lost data from WD external hard drive. Let’s dive into each step and find a solution that works for your situation.
- Notes:✎...
- When using the following methods, don't forget the most important thing: connect the WD external hard drive to your Windows with a suitable connector, ensuring the connection is correct.
Recover with Acronis True Image for Western Digital (With backup)
This tool is a free version co-launched by WD and Acronis, exclusively for WD hard drive users. It supports backing up files or even entire hard drives to local storage, generates ".tib" backup files, and is only compatible with WD devices. If you created a backup before losing your files, you can restore data from My Passport, My Book and more product models using the following steps.
Step 1. Download and install Acronis True Image for Western Digital from the Western Digital official site.
Step 2. Launch it and select a backup you want restore files from, then click "Next".
Step 3. Choose to restore the entire hard drive or specific files/folders, and select the items to recover.
Step 4. Select a new location to save the recovered files, confirm the recovery settings and click "Proceed" to start the recovery process.
Run Windows File Recovery Command (For deleted or formatted)
If you accidentally delete data from a WD external hard drive or the drive gets formatted, running the Window File Recovery command can help retrieve the data.
Step 1. Download and install Windows File Recovery on your computer from the official Microsoft channel.
Step 2. Launch Windows File Recovery and run it as administrator.
Step 3. Type the command "Winfr F: E: /regular" and press "Enter". Replace the drive letters "F" and "E" with your actual drive letters.
- ★Tips:
- D: the source drive letter.
- E: the destination drive letter.
- Regular: perform a quick scan. If you accidentally format the WD hard drive, you can switch to "extensive" mode.
Moreover, if you want to recover a specific file, folder or file type, you can add filtering requirements after the basic command. For example:
Use Third-Party Recovery Tool—MyRecover (Cover all scenarios)
The above methods are suitable for different hard drive conditions. If you have difficulty determining whether the data on your WD hard drive is formatted, lost, or unreadable, MyRecover is the most suitable tool for you—it covers all the above scenarios. MyRecover is an all-in-one tool that can easily retrieve the files you want, whether you permanently deleted data, formatted the drive, or lost data for other reasons.
MyRecover- Intuitive interface requiring no technical expertise.
- Faster scanning compared to command-line tools.
- Higher success rate for permanently deleted files.
- Compatible with all Windows operating systems.
- Work on HDD, SSD, USB flash drive, memory card, etc.
100% Secure4 Steps to Recover Data from WD External Hard Drive
Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer from secure channel.
Step 2. Launch it and select the WD external hard drive to scan for lost files and click "Scan".
Step 3. Select the files you want to recover from the recoverable lists and click "Recover".
Step 4. Choose a safe location (not the WD external hard drive) to save the recovered files.
Upon completion of the process, the message "Files have been recovered successfully" will pop out. Then you can access and check them by clicking the destination folder on the pop-up window.
Run CHKDSK Command (For corrupted drive)
The CHKDSK command in Windows is used to check the integrity of a file system and file system metadata on a disk. It can also be used to scan for bad sectors and attempt to recover readable information from them. If your WD external hard drive is inaccessible on Windows, you can try using this command to fix it.
Step 1. Type "command prompt" in the Start menu and run it as administrator.
Step 2. Type the command "chkdsk G: /f/ r" and press "Enter". Replace the drive letter "G" with your actual drive letter. Then the command will scan and repair the founded errors.
Professional Data Recovery Service (For physical damage)
If your WD hard drive suffers severe physical damage, none of the above methods will work. You should immediately stop using it, store it carefully to prevent secondary damage, and contact WD's official data recovery service, which is the most reliable option in this case.
FAQs:
1. How to recover data from an external hard drive that won't power on?
Sometimes, your external hard drive might not power on, leaving you unsure of what to do next. This could be due to faulty power cables, issues with the USB port, or internal hardware failure. You can try connecting the hard drive to different interfaces or devices and check if it appears in Disk Management. If it still fails to power on, the best approach is to seek help from professional data recovery services.
2. How do I recover permanently deleted files from my hard drive?
To recover permanently deleted files from a hard drive, you need to use professional data recovery tools like Windows File Recovery and MyRecover. You can follow the steps mentioned above to restore them.
3. Can data be recovered from a physically damaged hard drive?
Yes, data can often be recovered from physically damaged hard drives, though the process is more complicated and expensive. If it's a WD hard drive, you'd better seek help from WD's official data recovery service.
Summary
Recovering data from WD external hard drive is often possible with the right tools and methods. Remember, it's essential to stop using the affected drive immediately to avoid overwriting data and improve the chances of successful recovery.
A comprehensive data recovery tool like MyRecover is a worthy investment. With it, you no longer need to worry about the risk of data loss. Additionally, the Professional and Technician editions of MyRecover offer more advanced features, such as recovering data from unbootable system drive and providing unlimited data recovery capacity.
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