How to Recover a Broken External Hard Drive – Symptoms, Recovery Methods, and Free Software

External hard drives are widely used for backups, file storage, and data transfer. However, they can sometimes fail due to physical damage, corrupted files, or software errors. If your external hard drive has stopped working, don’t panic—there are ways to recover your data. This guide covers: • Common symptoms of a failing external hard drive • Step-by-step recovery methods • Free data recovery software to retrieve lost files By following these steps, you can maximize your chances of restoring your files without spending money on professional recovery services. 1. Symptoms of a Failing or Broken External Hard Drive Before attempting recovery, identify the symptoms of your external hard drive failure. These can help determine whether the problem is related to hardware, software, or file corruption. a. The External Drive Is Not Recognized • The drive does not appear in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). • It appears in Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (...