External Hard Drive Partition Recovery | 4 Proven Methods

In general, an external hard drive is a storage device used for storing and transferring data among different systems and preserving important files as backups.

Like an internal hard drive, external HD can also be segmented into divisions known as partitions. The entire information about the hard disk partitions will be stored on the partition table present in the external hard drive.

There are chances of losing partitions from external hard drives due to many reasons. In this article, we will tell you how to perform external hard drive partition recovery with ease.

Table of Contents

• How to Recover Lost Partition on External Hard Drive?
• Method 1: Recover Lost Partition on External Hard Drive using Data Recovery Software
• Method 2: External Hard Drive Partition Recovery Using Data Recovery Services
• Methods To Recover Lost Partition On External Hard Drive Without Software
• Method 1: Run CHKDSK Command
• Method 2: Assign A New Drive Letter
• Conclusion

Let us take a specific instance, wherein you have three different partitions on your external hard drive in order to maintain data in an organized way. Now, you want one more partition for saving multimedia files due to which you want to resize the existing partitions for creating a new one.

Meanwhile, when creating a new partition using Diskpart Management, you chose the wrong partition and typed the “Clean” command. And you have noticed that one of your partitions containing important data has been wiped out from the external hard drive. Now, if you are thinking about how can I restore a partition after diskpart clean, we have an answer for that.

How to Recover Lost Partition on External Hard Drive?

There are only a few ways to recover a lost partition on external hard drive, one of them is by using data recovery software.

Method 1: Recover Lost Partition on External Hard Drive using Data Recovery Software

There are several options ranging from freeware like TestDisk and Recuva to paid ones with various claims. You will have to make a wise decision by choosing a reliable data recovery to perform external hard drive partition recovery.

We suggest you try Remo Recover for recovering deleted or lost partitions on external hard drives as it is capable of handling severe data loss cases and supports various file systems like NTFS, exFAT, etc.

The tool is safe and easy to use to ensure to a smooth data recovery process. Download, scan and preview the recovered partition data for free.

Steps to Recover Lost Partition on External Hard Drive

Step 1: Download and install Remo Recover on your Windows or Mac computer and connect your external HDD.

Step 2: From the main screen select the external drive from which you want to recover data.

Note: In case your partition is corrupted then there are chances that you will not be able to access your drive. You can select the option Can’t find the drive?

Step 3: Click on the Scan option to initiate the scanning process.

Note: Once the Quick Scan is completed, the tool automatically starts Deep Scan. You can click on the Dynamic Recovery View to see the recovery results.

Step 4: Go to the Lost Partition to find your lost partition drive data. You can also Enter the file name in the Search bar to locate the file manually.

Step 5: Finally, select the lost files which you want to restore and click on the Recover option to get back the recovered files to the desired location.

Tip: Select a different drive to save the recovered files instead of the original one.

Method 2: External Hard Drive Partition Recovery Using Data Recovery Services

If you can't recover the lost partition on external hard drive then let the experts handle it. Opt for a highly successful data recovery service that falls under your budget to retrieve the hard drive partition.

Apart from pricing and reviews make sure you go through their terms and conditions and privacy policy before you send your external hard drive for partition recovery.

Methods to Recover Lost Partition on External Hard drive Without Software

The below-mentioned solutions are the best bet you can take if you have lost your external drive partition due to logical file system errors:

NOTE: If you have deleted your external hard drive partition then these methods won’t bring back your partition.

Method 1: Run CHKDSK Command

All Windows computers will have an in-built disk-checking utility called CHKDSK that scans and repairs your hard drive, even if it’s an external HDD. It will verify the file system integrity of the volume and attempt to fix logical file system errors.

1. Open the Command prompt as Administrator.



2. Type:chkdsk E: /f (Replace E with your external hard drive letter) and Press Enter.

This will scan your drive and it may take a while depending on the size of the external hard drive.

After the scan is complete, close the CMD console and then reboot your computer to check whether the drive is functioning again.

Method 2: Assign a New Drive Letter

Often, a partition that doesn't have a drive letter appears lost. A new drive letter can be assigned easily using Disk Management:

• Click on Windows + X.
• Search for Disk Management from the list and open disk management.
• Locate the missing partition and right-click it.



• Click on Change Drive Letter and Paths.



• Click on Add and pick the drive letter which is related to the external hard drive.

These methods will assist you in determining whether the hard drive has errors, is corrupt, or simply appears to be lost. Even after attempting these methods, if you are unable to locate the partition on your hard drive, your only option is to use credible partition recovery software such as Remo Recover.

Causes of External Hard Drive Partition Loss

Several factors can lead to the loss of a partition on an external hard drive. Some common causes include:

• 🔍 Accidental deletion: You may accidentally delete a partition while performing disk management operations or using third-party software.


• 🖥️ Operating system errors: System crashes, file system errors, or issues during the partitioning process can result in partition loss.


• 🔒 Virus or malware attacks: Malicious software can corrupt the partition table or file system, causing partitions to become inaccessible.


• ⚡ Power failure: Sudden power outages or improper shutdowns can disrupt the partition structure and lead to loss.


• 💽 Hardware failure: Faulty external hard drive components or physical damage can render partitions unreadable.

Prevent Partition Loss on Your External Hard Drive

Backup: Take regular backups of important files in a safe place to avoid losing them to any data loss scenarios.

Proper Ejection: Do not remove the external hard drive abruptly from the computer. Always use the “Safely Remove Hardware” option before disconnecting.

Antivirus: Scan using updated and reliable antivirus tools to prevent virus and malware corruption on your external hard drive.

Sudden Power Surges: Protect your external hard drive from sudden power surges to avoid data corruption and partition loss.

Check for Errors: Regularly check your external hard drive for errors using the error checking tool and the chkdsk command.

Conclusion

External hard drives are a useful way to store files, but they can sometimes lose data. If you can't find a partition on your external hard drive, don't panic and try not to erase anything.

Instead, you can use reliable tools like Remo Recover to get back the missing partition without making things worse.