How to Recover Files from a Damaged Disk: Step-by-Step Guide [2025]

Losing photos or important files from a damaged drive is everyone’s nightmare. Whether it’s family pictures, business data, or entire archives, panic is usually the first reaction. The good news is that in many cases, data can be recovered – if you act correctly.

Let’s look at how to safely recover files from a damaged disk, what not to do, and when it’s time to call in professionals.

How to tell if your disk is damaged

Before starting recovery, it’s important to identify whether it’s a case of physical or logical damage.

Most common symptoms:

• 🌀 The computer doesn’t recognize the disk or loads it very slowly.
• ⚠️ The system reports “disk not formatted” or “access denied.”
• 🔊 The disk makes unusual noises (clicking, scraping).
• 🧩 Files don’t open or disappear.

👉 If you hear mechanical sounds, turn off the drive immediately – it may be physically damaged, and each startup could make it worse.

First aid: what to do (and what not to)

Don’t:

• ❌ Don’t try to repair the disk by formatting it.
• ❌ Don’t overwrite the disk with new data.
• ❌ Don’t use unverified “miracle” recovery programs found online.

Do:

• ✅ Disconnect the drive as soon as possible.
• ✅ If possible, create a bit-by-bit copy of the disk (a “disk image”).
• ✅ Use only verified tools and methods.

How to recover files at home

If it’s a case of logical damage (e.g., deleted or overwritten files), you can often handle recovery yourself using software tools.

🧰 Trusted data recovery programs (2025):

• Recuva (Windows) – simple and free, ideal for basic recovery.
• R-Studio (Windows / macOS / Linux) – professional-grade solution supporting all disk types.
• EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard – intuitive tool with a high success rate.
• PhotoRec – open-source alternative, great for recovering photos and videos.

Tip:
Save recovered files to a different disk than the damaged one to avoid overwriting remaining data.

When to call a professional

If your drive has physical damage (e.g., from a fall, power surge, water, or internal platter noise), leave it to professionals.

Lab recovery is recommended when:

• The disk doesn’t make normal sounds or isn’t detected.
• Data loss occurred on a RAID array or NAS.
• The disk is mechanically damaged.

Companies such as DataHelp, Aqtron, and DataRec offer free diagnostics and can often recover up to 90% of data.

How to prevent data loss in the future

Data loss can never be completely avoided, but it can be significantly reduced.

Recommendations:

• 🧾 Follow the 3–2–1 rule: 3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite.
• ☁️ Back up regularly to cloud storage.
• 🔌 Protect your devices from power surges.
• 📅 Monitor disk health (e.g., using CrystalDiskInfo or SMART data).

How to safely store and organize recovered photos

Recovering data is only the first step. If you don’t want to experience the same problem again, you need a place where your photos and files will be well-organized and securely backed up.

That’s where Infiry comes in – a web application for managing and organizing photos:

What Infiry offers:

• 📂 Store all recovered photos in one place.
• 🧠 Automatic metadata reading (date, author, colors).
• 🔎 Search by keywords, captions, or dominant colors.
• ☁️ Secure cloud storage with sharing options.
• 🤖 AI assistance for sorting and adding descriptions.

👉 Try Infiry for free and make sure you’ll never lose your photos again – even if your disk fails.