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16 June 2024  Amanda J. Brook  Senior Product Manager
 

Summary
Learn how to perform the western digital hard drive recovery to prevent loss due to hard disk failure and ensure the longevity of your files.



Table of contents

table iconI. Introduction to Western Digital Hard Drive and Reasons for Hard Drive Data Loss
table iconII. What are the simple and practical data recovery software?
western digital hard drive recovery

I. Introduction to Western Digital Hard Drive and Reasons for Hard Drive Data Loss

Western Digital Corp (WDC) is a renowned hard disk manufacturer founded in 1970, beginning hard disk production in 1988. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California, it is one of the oldest hard disk manufacturers and a founder of the IDE interface. Known for high performance and low power consumption, WD hard drives are highly favored by users.
Western Digital hard drives, despite being made by renowned manufacturers, are still consumables and can fail, leading to data loss. Common reasons for data loss include:
● Virus infection : When the hard disk is attacked by viruses, data loss may occur.
● Human Factors: Human errors often lead to hard drive data loss, such as dropping the device, which can cause damage and data inaccessibility, or accidentally deleting files.
● Hardware failure: Prolonged use leads to wear and tear on hard disk components, potentially causing failure and making the disk unusable.
● Firmware Corruption: Firmware acts as the hard disk’s operating system, installed on a small memory chip to guide its function. Corruption can lead to data read failures or data loss.
● Environmental Issues: Hard drives are sensitive to excessive heat and humidity. Exposure to direct sunlight or placement in high-temperature, airtight, and humid environments can shorten their lifespan, leading to potential data access issues and data loss.
● Power failure: A sudden power loss during hard disk data transmission can cause data to be unreadable or lost.
To recover data from a Western Digital hard drive, try using the following practical data recovery software:

II. What are the simple and practical data recovery software?

1. Renee Undeleter

Renee Undeleter is software designed to restore various data files. If you accidentally delete important files, empty the recycle bin, or format the disk/storage, you can use this tool to retrieve lost data. The software includes four modules: Fast Partition Scan, Whole Partition Scan, Whole Disk Scan, and Image Creation. It addresses all possible data loss issues comprehensively, offering great convenience.
Hot Topic - ADsRenee Undeleter – Simple & Powerful Software for Data Recovery

Easy to use Recover data by 3 steps;

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan;

Supported file types Image, video, audio, text, email and so on;

Image creation Create a partition image to read and back up data;

Supported devices SD card, SDHC, SDXC, USB flash drive, hard disk and computer.

Easy to use Recover data by 3 steps;

Multiple scan modes Fast partition/whole partition/whole disk scan;

Supported devices SD card/USB/hard disk.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial 800 people have downloaded!
select whole partition scan in renee undeleter to recover deleted video from sd card
advantage:
  • Applies to both Windows and Mac systems.
  • It has three different data recovery functions to meet various data recovery needs.
  • The scanning speed is rapid, and the data recovery quality is exceptional.
  • It can be utilized in various scenarios, such as formatting a disk, emptying the recycle bin, the sudden disappearance of a partition, or converting a drive into RAW format.
  • The free version scans and previews lost files to determine if they are damaged.
  • It supports scanning multiple devices, including SD cards, USB drives, external hard disks, and local disks.
  • The File Recovery function allows for scanning only specific types of files, such as pictures, audio, and video, to save time.

shortcoming:

  • The free version supports recovery of 50MB.

It is simple to restore hard disk data with Renee Undeleter. The steps are as follows:
Step 1: Download, install, and run Renee Undeleter. Select the “Whole Disk Scan” option. If restoring a Western Digital external hard drive, connect it to the computer first.
Note: Do not install on the disk that needs to restore data, so as not to cause data overwriting.
select whole disk scan in renee undeleter
Data Recovery Function:

  • Fast Partition Scan – Quickly retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.
  • Whole Partition Scan – Recover files from inaccessible or formatted partitions.
  • Whole Disk Scan – Analyze partition information and fully scan the entire disk.
  • Image Creation – Create an image of a partition to back up its current state.
Step 2: Select the hard disk and click (Next).
select a disk to recover in renee undeleter
Step 3: The software will analyze the hard disk. A prompt window may appear, asking you to “Select the partition you want to scan.” Choose the desired partition or let it scan all partitions, which will take longer. After scanning, preview the files on the right, select the ones you need to restore, and click the Recover button in the lower right corner.
recover partition with Renee Undeleter
select taget files to recover with renee undeleter
Step 4: Select the target folder, click Browse to choose another disk for saving the recovered files, and then click Recover to start the recovery process. Wait patiently.
recover files from whole disk scan with renee undeleter

2. Disk Drill

Disk Drill is a popular and compact data recovery software that scans and recovers data from most storage devices, including internal and external hard drives, USB sticks, cameras, iPods, Kindles, and memory cards.
use disk drill to recover data from micro sd card
advantage:
  • Supports recovery of 300 file types.
  • The user interface design is compact and functional.

shortcoming:

  • The free trial version supports recovery of 500MB data.
  • Unable to select specific file types for scanning.
  • The pro version is very expensive.

3. Piriform Recuva

Piriform Recuva is a free, user-friendly data recovery tool for recovering accidentally deleted files from hard drives, USB devices, SD cards, and more. It offers fast data recovery and supports various file types, including photos, music, documents, videos, and emails.
check the files to recover sd card files in recuva
advantage:
  • The software is easy to operate.
  • Scanning and recovering data is fast.

shortcoming:

  • There are limited modes available for recovery.
  • The free version has a lower likelihood of restoring files.

The above software can help recover data from Western Digital hard drives. When data loss occurs, stop using the hard drive immediately to avoid overwriting deleted data, which can prevent successful recovery.