author avatar
23 September 2024  Amanda J. Brook  Senior Product Manager
 

Summary
There are three primary methods to recover data from a wiped hard drive on Windows. The first method is to restore data from an available backup, such as OneDrive, File History, or manual backups. If no backup is available or it’s outdated, the second method is to use data recovery software, which can scan the wiped hard drive and recover data that hasn’t been overwritten. The third method, if software recovery fails, is to seek professional data recovery services, where experts can attempt to retrieve the lost data.



Table of contents

table iconHow to Increase Chances for Data Recovery
table iconMethods to Recover Wiped Hard Drive on Windows
table iconWhat Happens When a Hard Drive Is Wiped
table iconConclusion
When it comes to recovering data from a wiped hard drive, there are three primary methods you can consider. The first and most straightforward option is to restore data from an available backup. If you’re using OneDrive to backup important files to the cloud, relying on the File History feature to create incremental backups on another storage device, or manually backing up important files, you may be able to recover your data without any additional tools or services.
disk not initialized
However, if you don’t have a backup or it’s outdated, the next best option is to use data recovery software. These programs can scan the wiped hard drive and recover data that hasn’t been overwritten with new data. The best data recovery software can even recover file metadata and folder structures, making it easy to get back to work after a wiping disaster.
If data recovery software doesn’t yield any results, you can always consider professional data recovery services. The experts employed by these services have access to professional-grade data recovery software and hardware tools, so there’s a chance they’ll be able to deliver results even if DIY recovery attempts were unsuccessful. They can also repair any physical damage that’s making the hard drive inaccessible. However, professional data recovery services can be expensive, so it’s important to weigh the cost against the value of the data you’re trying to recover.

How to Increase Chances for Data Recovery

The success of your data recovery procedure depends on various factors such as the reason for data loss, time elapsed, and whether you used the drive after data loss. To substantially increase the extent of data recovery, keep the following tips in mind:
- Stop using the drive as soon as you discover the data loss. Writing new data to the drive overwrites the previous data and makes it irrecoverable. Even the normal operations of Windows can write new files to the drive.
- Attempt data recovery as soon as possible. Delaying data recovery increases the chances of new data being written to the drive.
- Use the best data recovery program right from the beginning. The first data recovery attempt is the most successful.
- Save the recovered files on another drive. Prevent overwriting of data or chances of deletion again.
- Contact a data recovery service if the drive was wiped because of physical damage. Don’t tamper with the drive at home.

Methods to Recover Wiped Hard Drive on Windows

Option 1: Recover Data from an Available Backup

If you have previously created backups of your important files and data, then it is possible to recover your wiped hard drive from them. Here are the steps to recover data from three common Windows backup methods:
OneDrive:
1. Log in to your OneDrive account on a different device or through the web.
2. Locate the files or folders you want to recover and select them.
3. Click the Download button to save the files to the new device.
File History:
1. Connect the drive containing the File History backup to your computer.
2. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > File History. Your existing backup drive should be automatically detected.
3. Click Restore personal files and select the files or folders you want to recover.
Windows File History
4. Click the green Restore button to complete the recovery process.

Option 2: Use Data Recovery Software

When it comes to recovering data from a wiped hard drive using data recovery software, the solution we recommend the most is Renee Undeleter.
Renee Undeleter stands out with its user-friendly interface and powerful recovery capabilities that make it possible even for regular Windows users to achieve professional results. The software can identify and recover wiped data based on available file system information (this makes it possible to recover metadata) and signatures (enables the recovery of completely wiped drives).
All major Windows file systems, including NTFS, FAT, FAT32, and exFAT are fully supported, and so are macOS and Linux file systems. Included with Renee Undeleter are several extra features that can help you recover a wiped hard drive, including a byte-to-byte backup feature.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

Renee Undeleter Introduction and Usage Steps
Step 1: Connect the wiped hard disk to another normal computer with USB enclosure.
It’s not possible that the wiped hard drive or partition contained the Windows OS. Therefore, you cannot perform data recovery on the same computer that houses the HDD as the computer won’t boot. In this case, you will need another computer to perform data recovery using data recovery programs.
connect disk to another computer with enclosure
Step 2: Download(Windows, MacOS), install and run Renee Undeleter, select the (Whole Disk Scan) option on the main interface.
Note: Do not install on the disk that needs to restore data, so as not to cause data overwriting.
select whole disk scan to scan disk in renee undeleter
Step 3: Next, select the hard disk device to be scanned, and click (Next). Select (default setting) on the advanced setting interface.
select a disk to recover in renee undeleter
Step 4: The software will initiate a scan of the hard drive and present a “Select the partition you need to scan” message. Select the appropriate partition.
Select the partition you need to scan
After the scan, preview the files by double-clicking in the preview pane on the right. To recover a file, highlight it and click the Recover button located at the bottom-right corner.
preview before recovery
Step 5: Click (Browse) to select another disk to save the recovered files, and then click the (Restore) button to start the file recovery command, you just need to wait patiently.
recover the whole disk data

Option 3: Pay a Professional Data Recovery Service

If the hard drive was wiped because of physical damage, it’s better to contact a data recovery service. While you can recover data from a corrupted hard drive in some cases, severe logical corruption that renders the HDD unreadable is best dealt with by professional services.
fix damaged cards in clean room
Data recovery services are substantially more expensive than data recovery programs, but your drive is handled by experts. An overview of how data recovery services operate:
1. The user contacts the data recovery company and books an evaluation.
2. The wiped hard drive needs to be dropped off or shipped to the data recovery lab.
3. The company evaluates the drive (usually free).
4. If there is recoverable data, the company contacts the user and provides them with a quote.
5. The user can then decide if they want to proceed with the data recovery.

What Happens When a Hard Drive Is Wiped

There are different reasons why a hard drive could be completely wiped. What exactly happens in some common scenarios is explained below:
Reason for a Wiped Hard DriveExplanation
The user accidentally deletes all the data.In this case, the files are still on the drive, but they’re marked as invisible. Therefore, until new data overwrites the previous data, you can still restore your files.
The user formats the drive.A Full Format is irreversible and permanently erases the data. However, you can still recover data after a Quick Format.
The hard drive is wiped because of logical damage.Mild logical damage due to malware or corruption can cause data loss, which can be easily undone using data recovery software. Severe logical damage is harder to deal with, and a data recovery service is your only bet.
Physical damage such as shock, a power surge, or water, damages the hard drive and makes the data inaccessible.Physical damage cannot be handled at home, and attempting DIY recovery will further harm the wiped hard drive. Again, it’s best to contact a professional data recovery service.
The hard drive was wiped using shredding programs.There are specialized programs that are created for wiping out hard drives. HDDs wiped using these apps are impossible to recover data from.

Conclusion

Contrary to how it may seem at first, it’s often possible to recover data from a wiped hard drive. This article has outlined three primary methods: restoring from an available backup, using data recovery software like Renee Undeleter, and seeking professional data recovery services for severe cases. We hope that by following these steps, you can successfully retrieve your valuable data and mitigate the impact of accidental data loss.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!