My Portable HDD Became Corrupted During a File Transfer, What Should I Do?

It's definitely a tough situation. Running chkdsk on an SSD isn't typically the best move, as it can sometimes complicate data recovery options. If your drive is failing, making an image of it might be the safest first step before doing anything else—though I know that can be tricky if you're not experienced. If you have important data, consider reaching out to a professional data recovery service. They have the tools and expertise to help you recover your files safely.

I feel for you—losing important files can be a nightmare! Since you mentioned this HDD was your master copy, you should definitely try to cancel chkdsk and evaluate the situation. It's a good habit to have another backup method in place for your photos in the future. If you can, get the drive checked by a professional who can provide the best chance of recovering your data. Updating how you backup your files can prevent this headache from happening again!

Chkdsk is generally not very effective for SSDs and often doesn't help in recovery. If it seems like your HDD is failing, canceling chkdsk might be a wise choice—you can typically do this by pressing Ctrl + C in the command window. Once you stop it, I'd recommend checking the HDD's health using software like Crystal Disk Info to see if there are any obvious issues. If your data is critical, finding a recovery service might be the best option, as recovery from a failing drive can be tough.