The Difference Between a Hard Drive and an External Hard Drive
Unlike general hard drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs), external hard drives connect to your computer via a USB.
Their portable nature makes them easy to use and convenient for transporting data between machines, however, it also creates a large risk for data loss due to being continuously plugged and unplugged to various devices and dropped or roughly handled. External drives often employ encryption to protect the data that is stored on the drives and Ontrack has developed tools to help recover data from these special drives.
Customised External Hard Drive Recovery
We understand that data recovery incidents come in all shapes and sizes.
Ontrack’s engineers are equipped with the expertise to successfully recover data from external hard drives that have fallen victim to circumstances ranging from mechanical failure and accidental drops to fire and water damage.
No External Hard Drive Brand Too Big…or Small
Ontrack can recover data from any type or brand of external hard drive.
Support Types
|
PATA (IDE, EIDE) |
SATA |
SCSI |
|
SAS |
Fiber Channel |
USB |
|
Firewire |
eSATA |
*Don’t worry if your external hard drive is missing from the list. Ontrack’s engineers perform daily data recovery from all types and brands.
Contact one of our dedicated data recovery specialists for help determining the best plan of action for your external hard drive recovery today.
Types of External Hard Drive Failures
Ontrack’s data recovery methods will depend on the type of damage your external hard drive has experienced. While each case is unique when it comes to external hard drive repair, the damage typically falls into one of two categories: physical data loss or logical data loss (including user error).
Physical Hard Drive Failures
- Drops and Knocks
- Smashed or Crushed Screens
- Water Damage
- Fire Damage
- Mechanical Failure
- Clicking or Grinding Noises
Logical Hard Drive Failures
- Deleted Data
- Formatted Drives
- Corruption
- Ransomware or Malware
- Firmware Issues
There’s a possibility that DIY recovery efforts with data recovery software may help solve common logical data loss issues, however, it’s worth noting that physical data loss incidents should be handled by professional recovery experts to prevent irreparable damage while attempting to recover data from an external hard drive.
FAQs: Common External Hard Drive Data Recovery Questions
Have more questions? View our Hard Drive Recovery FAQs or contact us directly.