This allows you to recover your important data, even if the disk is damaged beyond readability.

R-Studio can identify and analyze the contents of the damaged disk without relying on an intact file system. R-Studio is a data recovery utility that lets you 'see' that data in ways that the operating system can't. Some or all of your data may still be on the disk, albeit invisible to the operating system. Judging by the information given by these disk utilities, it may appear that the data on the disk has been completely wiped out or lost. Other operating systems show such disks much the same way Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge

The screenshot below shows a damaged disk in Windows Disk Manager. When attempting to mount the disk, the computer will be unable to recognize the file system or may see it as unallocated space (and therefore ask to format the disk). If a disk is roughly disconnected while the operating system is accessing it, the disk's file system may be damaged, causing the disk (and the files on it) to become inaccessible. This ensures that no write operations are currently in progress when the disk is removed. All major operating systems include an 'eject' command, which prepares your disk to be physically removed from the computer or device. Logical errors caused by improper removal from a computer or sudden power loss are also a common risk for removable hard disk and flash drives.

The most obvious risks are physical hazards, such as a disk being dropped on the ground, mishandled or exposed to harsh environments (extreme heat or cold, moisture or direct sunlight) for a prolonged time. While USB disks are generally very reliable as file storage, they do introduce some unique risks when compared to internal disks and non-removable media. This makes them nearly ideal for use as mass storage devices for music, videos, photos or as backup storage for files and systems.

Data Recovery from a Reformatted Ext2/3/4FS Disk (Linux)Įxternal USB disks are becoming larger, faster and more affordable every day.

Data Recovery from a Re-Formatted exFAT/FAT Disk (Windows/macOSX/Linux).

Data Recovery from an Erased HFS or HFS+ Disk (macOS).

Data Recovery from a Reformatted NTFS Disk (Windows).

Note: Data recovery from various formatted disks is described in the following articles:

Will initializing disk erase data