In the blink of an eye, an external hard drive can transform from a reliable storage companion to a source of heart-stopping anxiety. You could lose years of photos, critical work documents, or your entire creative portfolio—all because of unexpected drive corruption.

An easy-to-spot sign that an external hard drive is corrupted is when it doesn’t show up when plugged in or if the files can’t be read or are inaccessible. Fortunately, there are several ways to fix a corrupted external hard drive without formatting. 

Follow this guide to learn how you can repair a faulty or corrupted external hard drive without formatting, and how to recover data in case of a corrupted external HDD. 

How your external hard drive became corrupted

Hard drive corruption can be related to misuse or even to your device's lifespan. The reasons related to those that cause the corruption, leading to a possible data loss, include:

• Corrupted or out-of-date firmware/drivers
• Bad sectors or damaged hard drive platters 
• Physical damage to the external hard drive’s circuitry 
• Incompatible file system formats 
• Accidentally deleted partitions 
• Viruses, malware, and other malicious software infections 
• Improperly ejecting your external HDD from a PC/Mac  
• Poorly connected cables and ports

How to fix a corrupted external hard drive without formatting 

While a catastrophic failure of your external hard drive can be disheartening, fixing a corrupted external hard drive without formatting is still possible. This choice is critical for those who don’t have a backup of their external hard drive data, especially because of what happens when formatting a hard drive, which will undoubtedly erase all stored data.

These are six secure methods to fix a corrupted external drive without formatting. Only try a solution you’re confident you can perform, or skip the risk and contact a verified data storage repair service provider. 

Here’s how to repair your external hard drive without formatting:

1. Check your cables & ports

Always start with the most basic solution to avoid simple issues that may prevent you from accessing your external hard drive. Ensure that all cables are properly connected and that the ports aren’t damaged or corroded. 

You can also try different cables to ensure that your external hard drive is not showing up on your Windows computer due to faulty cables.

2. Assign or change the drive letter

Your system automatically assigns the drive letter. However, errors can be removed, and you might need to assign a new letter.

Make sure to use a file format compatible with the Windows operating system:

• NTFS is the default file format for Windows and is designed for drives that will be used with Windows computers. 
• FAT32 is an older file format compatible with both Windows and macOS. 
• exFAT is a newer file format that is compatible with both Windows and macOS. 

To assign a new letter to your external hard drive:

1. Press the Windows + X keys and click on Disk Management.

2. Find your external hard drive and right-click it. 

3. Then, select the Change Drive Letter and Paths option.

4. Select a drive letter or click the Change button to assign a new one if no letter option is shown. 

5. Confirm the changes and check if you can access your external hard drive.

3. Update drivers or install missing drivers

If you can’t access your external hard drive after connecting it to your computer, try checking if any drivers need to be installed or updated on your Windows PC. 

1. Press the Windows + X key again and choose the Device Manager option.
2. Find the option Disk Drivers and expand it. 
3. Right-click on your external hard drive or USB drive and select Properties.
4. Go to the Driver tab and click Update Driver > Search automatically for the driver. 
5. Go back to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button. 
6. Remove your external drive and connect it again. 

As Windows recognizes your external drive, it also updates the Drivers.

4. Run a CHKDSK diagnostic

CHKDSK (Check Disk) is a built-in Windows utility that scans and repairs file system errors on storage drives. When you run CHKDSK, it performs a comprehensive diagnostic check to identify and potentially fix issues like bad sectors, file system corruption, and lost clusters. The command checks the drive's file system integrity, verifies file allocation tables, and attempts to recover readable information from damaged sectors. 

By running CHKDSK with specific parameters (like /F to fix errors, /R to locate bad sectors and recover readable information), you can often resolve minor to moderate external hard drive corruption without losing data.

1. Type cmd in the Windows search box and select Run as Administrator.

2. Then, on the Command Prompt window, type the CHKDSK D: /F /R /X command and hit Enter. 

Replace D with your external drive letter.

3. Wait for the scan to finish. It will indicate whether your external hard drive has a problem and if it was successfully fixed.

5. Run an antivirus scan

Viruses are among the causes of a corrupted external hard drive. However, scanning your external storage device for viruses will not fix it. The most you can do is prevent malicious files from continuing to infect your devices and remove the infection.

You can use Windows Defender for it. However, our experts recommend you use reputable and updated antivirus software to increase the security of your files.

Then, you can fix the corrupted files or use a backup to recover your external HDD data.

6. Seek professional help

Seeking professional data recovery help from a reputable service provider is the safest way to fix your corrupted external hard drive without formatting. These professionals can assess and repair any complex issues with physical hardware components on the device itself (e.g., bad platters). 

This will ensure that no further damage is done while attempting repairs yourself, such as accidentally deleting partitions.

How to recover files from a corrupted external hard drive

If you lost your data while repairing your corrupted external hard drive or formatted it accidentally, you can still restore your files.

If you formatted your external hard drive, stop using it immediately. You can recover files from a formatted external hard drive as long as the files are not overwritten.

1. Use data recovery software 

Use reliable and trusted data recovery software to scan your external HDD for any lost or damaged files. This will help you find out what kind of issue is preventing you from accessing the disk and give you an idea of how much data can be recovered. 

You can check the software reviews and security certificates before downloading them.

SalvageData’s data recovery software offers secure and free data recovery solutions for PC and laptop users, ensuring you can retrieve your external hard drive files safely. 

1. To use SalvageData’s free data recovery tool for Windows systems, download and install the software. 
2. After agreeing to the terms and conditions, click the “DATA RECOVERY” button.

3. Select the drive to recover your files, then click “RECOVER.” 
4. Choose the file system and initiate the scanning process.

Once the scanning is complete, you can browse through the list of recoverable files and select the ones you wish to restore. 

2. Recover files from backups

As long as you keep your backups updated and have more than one copy of your files, you can easily restore your files from it.

Simply restore your files from your cloud drive account or copy them from a second backup storage device.

3. Contact a data recovery service 

It’s always wise to consider contacting a reputable IT service provider specialized in external HDD data recovery for assistance. They can assess the damage done to the device and determine what steps need to be taken to restore as much of your data as possible.

How to prevent external hard drives from becoming corrupted

If you want to ensure your hard drive lasts as long as its lifespan predicts, or even longer, you must follow steps to preserve the device's integrity.

• Handle drives with extreme care, avoiding physical shocks or drops
• Store in cool, dry environments away from direct sunlight
• Use protective cases during transportation
• Avoid extreme temperature fluctuations
• Always use the "Safely Remove" option before disconnecting
• Ensure clean, undamaged cables and ports
• Avoid connecting/disconnecting during active data transfers
• Use high-quality, manufacturer-recommended cables
• Keep operating system and device drivers updated
• Run regular antivirus and malware scans
• Perform periodic disk health checks
• Avoid filling drives to maximum capacity
• Consider uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for critical data storage
• Keep firmware updated

Implementing these comprehensive prevention strategies will significantly reduce the risk of external hard drive corruption and protect your invaluable digital assets.