WD Data Recovery: How to Recover Lost Files from Western Digital Drives

About WD Hard Disk

Western Digital (WD) is one of the most trusted names in storage solutions. Known for their reliability and high performance, WD hard drives are widely used for storing important files, backups, and media. However, like any storage device, WD hard disks can encounter problems that might lead to data loss. Whether you're using a WD external hard drive, a WD My Passport, or a WD internal drive, it's crucial to know how to recover lost data and prevent future data loss.

This guide will provide the top four methods for data recovery from WD drives, including both software solutions and professional recovery services.

Common Causes of Data Loss on WD Drives

WD drives are generally reliable, but they are still susceptible to data loss due to various reasons. Understanding these specific reasons can effectively help you find the most suitable recovery method and prevent WD hard drive data loss from happening again in the future. Here are the common reasons:

📌Accidental Deletion

It’s easy to delete files by mistake, especially when working with large volumes of data or transferring files. Even the most careful users can sometimes click the wrong button and lose important documents.

🛠️Physical Damage

WD external hard drives, especially portable models like the WD My Passport, are prone to physical damage from dropping or mishandling. Physical damage can lead to failure of the drive’s internal components, making it difficult or impossible to access your data.

📂File System Corruption

If the file system becomes corrupted due to improper ejection, power failure, or virus attack, files may become inaccessible or unreadable.

📍Bad Sectors

Hard drives are susceptible to developing bad sectors over time, which can cause files to become inaccessible. This is especially true for older WD drives or drives that have been heavily used.

💽Formatting Errors

Sometimes, a user might mistakenly format a WD hard drive or partition, resulting in the loss of all data stored on it.

💡Virus or Malware Attacks

Malicious software can cause serious damage to your files and even corrupt your entire WD drive, making it difficult to retrieve your files.

WD Data Recovery: How to Recover Files from WD Hard Drives

If you've lost data on your WD hard drive, don't panic. There are several methods available to recover lost files, depending on whether any backups are available. Below are some of the most common ways to recover your files from WD drives, you can try them one by one.

Recover with Acronis True Image for Western Digital

Acronis True Image for Western Digital is a reliable backup and data recovery tool provided by WD for their drives, which is co-branded product launched by Acronis and WD. It creates disk images and backups, allowing users to restore data from the created backups if something goes wrong. It’s designed specifically for WD drives, making it an excellent solution for users with WD hard drives.

Step 1. Download and install Acronis True Image for Western Digital from WD official website.

Step 2. Launch it and select "Recovery" section, choose a created backup you want to restore files from, then click "Next".

Step 3. Choose to recover the entire hard drive or specific files according to your actual situation, then choose the items to restore.

Step 4. Choose a destination folder to save the recovered files, then confirm the recovery settings and click "Proceed" to begin the process.

Run Windows File Recovery Command

There is no need to worry if no backups are avaliable. Windows additionally offers a built-in data recovery utility that you can attempt to use. It allows you to recover permanently deleted files from external drives, including WD hard disks, Seagate USB drives, etc. as long as they haven’t been overwritten.

Step 1. Download and install Windows File Recovery on your computer from Microsoft official channel. Connect the WD hard drive to your computer.

Step 2. Locate Windows File Recovery in the Start menu and right click on it, then select "Run as administrator".

Step 3. Type the following command "winfr F: E: /regular" and hit "Enter" key. Replace the drive letters "F" and "E" with your actual drive letters. This command can recover recently deleted files in "F" drive and save them to "E" drive.

Moreover, Windows File Recovery also supports to recover specific file, folder or file type. You just need to add a filter command after the basic command. For example, recovering all the deleted image files, you can enter the command "winfr H: D: /extensive /n *.jpg /n *.png".

Notes:✎...

Windows File Recovery is only compatible with Windows 10 and later versions.

Professional WD Data Recovery Tool: MyRecover

As observed, while Windows File Recovery is a highly effective data recovery tool for WD devices, it poses significant challenges for non-professional users. They are required to first acquire the fundamental knowledge of command lines, and any slight error may result in the failure of data recovery.

In that case, a user-friendly professional data recovery tool like MyRecover can be your best option. It adopts an intuitive interface to simplify the data recovery process, allowing even novice users to complete data recovery with just a few clicks on the icons. MyRecover scans your WD drive and displays a list of recoverable files. You can then choose which files to recover and restore them to a safe location.

Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer from Microsoft Store, then connect your WD hard drive to your computer.

Step 2. Launch the app and select the WD hard drive to scan for lost files, then click "Scan".

Step 3. Choose files you wish to recovered from the recoverable lists under the "Path" or "Type" tab and click "Recover".

Step 4. Select a safe location to save the recovered files.

When the process is finished, you'll see the message "Files have been recovered successfully". Then, you can view the recovered files by clicking on the destination folder path or the "Browse" button.

Professional Data Recovery Service

If software recovery tools do not work, or if the drive is physically damaged, your last resort would be to contact a professional data recovery service. These services use specialized equipment to recover data from hard drives that are physically damaged or have severe corruption.

How to Prevent Future Data Loss on WD Drives

While it’s impossible to predict every data loss scenario, you can take several steps to minimize the risk. Follow these tips:

🔥Regular Backups: Always keep a regular backup of important files. Use tools like File History or cloud backup tools like OneDrive to back up your files automatically.

🔥Use Safe Ejection: Always eject your WD external drive safely before removing it from the computer to prevent file system corruption.

🔥Anti-virus Protection: Ensure your computer has good anti-virus software installed to prevent malware attacks that could corrupt your drive.

🔥Keep WD Drive Away from Physical Damage: Protect your external drives from physical damage by keeping them in protective cases or storing them in safe, stable environments.

Summary

Data loss on WD hard drives can occur for a variety of reasons, ranging from accidental deletion to physical damage. While WD data recovery can be challenging, there are several solutions available, from built-in tools like Windows File Recovery to professional data recovery software like MyRecover.

For best results, ensure you back up your files regularly and keep your WD drive in good condition to avoid potential data loss. In cases of severe damage, a professional data recovery service may be your best option.