My older 1TB Western Digital external hard drive powers on normally and is recognized by my computer. I can still see the folders and files, but opening even small files takes a very long time. Audio and video usually start playing and then freeze after about a second. Copying files to another drive is extremely slow or stops partway through. A CrystalDiskInfo check reports at least 1,329 bad sectors that could not be relocated, so the drive appears to be failing. The files are important, and my main goal is to save as much data as possible to a new drive. Are there safer or more effective recovery methods than ordinary drag-and-drop copying?
3 Answers
Instead of copying files normally, make a sector-by-sector image or clone to another drive at least as large as the original. Tools designed for failing disks, such as GNU ddrescue or HDDSuperClone, can skip unreadable areas and return to them later. Work from the clone or image afterward so the damaged disk is accessed as little as possible.
The drive is not realistically repairable, so focus on recovering the data rather than trying to fix it. If the files are irreplaceable, professional data recovery gives you the best chance, though it can be expensive. Avoid repeatedly opening files or running repair utilities, since extra reads can make a failing drive worse.
If you cannot use a recovery-focused cloning tool, Robocopy may be more reliable than copying through File Explorer. Copy to a different physical drive, disable sleep, and expect it to take a long time. Stop if the drive starts clicking, repeatedly disconnecting, or getting unusually hot.
Thanks—that makes sense. I’ll prioritize getting an image or clone made before attempting more ordinary file copies.