Recover Photos, Videos, Music, and Archives From a Hard Drive

You can often recover deleted or missing photos, videos, music, and archive files from a hard drive if their data has not been overwritten and the drive is still readable. Stop using the drive first, then check backups and try recovery tools carefully; save recovered files somewhere else.

What You’ll Need

A separate drive or storage location with enough free space for recovered files. Do not save them to the drive you are recovering.
A computer and, if needed, a suitable cable or enclosure to connect the affected drive.
File-recovery software from a reputable source. Choose a tool compatible with your operating system and file system.
Optional: a second drive with enough space to hold a full image of the affected drive. Imaging is safer when the drive may be failing.

Step-by-Step

Stop writing to the affected drive. If files were deleted from an internal drive, avoid installing software, downloading files, or continuing normal use on that computer. For an external drive, eject it safely if it is currently connected, then disconnect it. New data can overwrite deleted file contents, making recovery impossible. If the drive is making repeated clicks, grinding, or other unusual noises, power it down and do not keep testing it.
Check easy recovery options first. Look in the Recycle Bin on Windows or Trash on macOS, and check the folder where the files were originally stored. Search for likely file names and extensions such as JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV, MP3, ZIP, or 7Z. Also check cloud storage, file-history tools, backup drives, and any application-specific libraries. Restoring from a backup is generally safer than scanning a damaged disk.
Identify the drive and the loss. Note whether the problem is accidental deletion, formatting, a missing partition, or a drive that is not detected. Confirm the correct drive by its capacity and connection, not just its letter or name. Do not initialize, format, repartition, or run a repair utility if the system prompts you to do so; these actions can change data and complicate recovery.
Decide whether to image the drive. If it disconnects, runs unusually slowly, reports read errors, or contains irreplaceable files, avoid repeated scans. A sector-by-sector image or clone made with a tool designed to handle read errors can preserve a working copy for recovery attempts. Store the image on a different drive with adequate space. If the drive is physically failing and the files are valuable, stop and consult a professional recovery service instead; home attempts can worsen the damage.
Choose a recovery tool and scan. Obtain software from its publisher or a trusted distribution source, and install or run it from a different drive if possible. Select the affected drive or its image, then start with a standard or deleted-file scan. If that finds nothing, try a deeper scan; it can take much longer. Follow the tool’s instructions and avoid options that write changes to the source drive.
Filter and preview the results. Sort by file type, path, name, or deletion time. Preview images and videos where the tool permits, and check archive names and sizes. A listed file is not necessarily complete: overwritten or fragmented data may be damaged, and some recovered files may have generic names or no original folder structure.
Recover to a separate destination. Select the files you want and save them to another physical drive or a location on a different storage device. Never recover onto the source drive, because writing there can overwrite other files that are still recoverable. Keep the original drive unchanged until you have checked the results.
Verify the recovered files. Open a sample of each file type using an appropriate application. Check that photos display fully, videos play beyond the first few seconds, music files have expected duration, and archives can be listed or tested with an archive utility. Preserve a second copy of anything important, then decide whether to reuse, replace, or securely erase the original drive.

Common Mistakes

Continuing to use the drive after deletion. Even routine operating-system activity can overwrite recoverable data.
Installing recovery software or saving recovered files on the affected drive.
Formatting, initializing, repartitioning, or accepting a repair prompt before checking backups and considering recovery.
Assuming that a scan result guarantees a usable file. Recovery software may find directory entries or fragments rather than intact content.
Running repeated scans on a drive that is clicking, overheating, disconnecting, or reporting read errors.
Confusing the source and destination drives. Confirm both by capacity and contents before starting recovery.

Tips

For a healthy drive, one careful scan is usually preferable to several different tools writing or changing data.
When available, scan a disk image rather than the original if the drive appears unstable. An image also lets you repeat recovery attempts without repeatedly reading the original.
Use the file-system scan first, then a deeper or signature-based scan if needed. Signature scans can find file contents without original names or folders.
For archives, try the recovery tool’s preview or test function before relying on the result. A damaged archive may still contain some files, but not all.
After recovery, create a backup on a separate device or service. A single copy on one drive remains vulnerable to failure or accidental deletion.

Troubleshooting

The drive does not appear: Check the cable, port, power supply, and any adapter, then try one known-good connection. Do not repeatedly plug in a drive that makes abnormal noises. If it is not detected on another computer either, it may have a hardware fault; professional assessment is safer than opening the enclosure.

The scan finds nothing: Confirm that you selected the correct physical drive or partition. Try a deeper scan or scan a full-disk image. If the drive was encrypted, recovery may require the original password or recovery key. If the data was securely erased or overwritten, software may not be able to restore it.

Recovered files will not open: Try another compatible viewer or media player, and check whether the file size is plausible. Repeat recovery from an image or with a different scan mode if the source is stable. Partial recovery cannot always restore damaged or overwritten sections.

The scan is extremely slow or reports errors: Stop if the drive is worsening, disconnecting, or making unusual sounds. Avoid stress-testing or repeatedly scanning it. For important files, power it down and seek specialist help.

The tool asks to format or repair the disk: Cancel that prompt. Do not write changes to the affected drive before recovery. If you have already formatted it, stop using it and scan the correct device or image as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover files after emptying the Recycle Bin or Trash?
Possibly. Deleted data may remain until overwritten, but recovery is not guaranteed. Stop using the drive and scan it from another device or a separate system drive.

Can I recover files from a formatted hard drive?
Sometimes, especially after a quick format, but results depend on what happened afterward and the drive’s file system. Do not save anything new to it; a full format or subsequent writes may make recovery much less likely.

Can recovery software restore the original file names and folders?
It may, if the file-system records remain intact. Deep or signature-based scans often recover content without the original names or folder structure.

Can I recover files from a clicking hard drive?
Do not keep scanning it. Clicking can indicate physical failure, and continued operation may reduce the chance of recovery. Turn it off and consider professional recovery for valuable data.

Where should I save recovered files?
Save them to a different physical drive or other separate storage. Saving to the source drive can overwrite data that has not yet been recovered.

Does recovery work for photos, videos, music, and archives?
Recovery tools can search for many file types, but success depends on the file system, overwriting, fragmentation, and physical condition of the drive. Check each recovered file; its extension alone does not prove it is intact.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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