A hard drive that won’t mount can be a frustrating experience, especially if you have important data on it that you need to access. When a hard drive doesn’t mount, it means that the computer is unable to recognize or access the contents of the industry, which could be due to various reasons such as a damaged file system, corrupted partition table, or physical damage to the industry itself.
Fortunately, there are ways to recover data from a hard drive that won’t mount. In this process, you may try different methods such as connecting the drive to a different computer, using different cables, or utilizing data recovery software. However, if none of these methods work, you may need to seek professional data recovery services that use more advanced techniques to recover your data.
Why My Hard Drive Won’t Mount?
If your hard drive is not mounting or being recognized by your computer, several factors could be causing this issue. Here are some possible reasons and troubleshooting steps to help you diagnose the problem:
- Connection issues: Ensure that the cables connecting your hard drive to your computer are properly plugged in. Try using a different cable or port to rule out any connection problems.
- Power issues: Make sure your hard drive is receiving adequate power. If it’s an external hard drive, check if it has a separate power adapter and ensure it is properly connected and functioning. If it’s a portable hard drive, try connecting it to a different USB port or using a powered USB hub.
- Drive format or partition issues: If the hard drive is new or has been formatted in a file system that your operating system doesn’t recognize, it may not automatically mount. In such cases, you may need to format the drive or create a compatible partition using disk management tools.
- Drive letter conflicts (Windows): Sometimes, a conflict with existing drive letters can prevent a hard drive from mounting. To resolve this, you can assign a new drive letter to the hard drive using the Disk Management tool in Windows.
- File system errors: File system errors or corruption on the hard drive can prevent it from mounting. You can run disk repair tools like CHKDSK (Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac) to scan and repair any errors.
- Compatibility issues: Ensure that the hard drive is compatible with your operating system. Some older hard drives may require specific drivers or firmware updates to work with newer operating systems.
- Hardware failure: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, there is a possibility of a hardware failure within the hard drive. In such cases, it may require professional assistance or data recovery services to retrieve the data or repair the drive.
How To Recover Data From Hard Drive That Won t Mount
Method 1: Recover Data From External Hard Drive That Won t Mount By Booting into Safe Mode
Booting into Safe Mode is one method to recover data from a hard drive that won’t mount. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Restart the computer and repeatedly press the F8 key until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears.
Step 2: Select Safe Mode and press Enter.
Step 3: Once the computer has booted into Safe Mode, open File Explorer and check if the hard drive that won’t mount is visible. If it is, try to copy the data from the hard drive to a different location, such as an external hard drive or a USB drive.
Step 4: If the hard drive is still not visible, try checking the Disk Management tool. To do this, right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management. Look for the hard drive that won’t mount and see if it appears there. If it does, try assigning a drive letter to the hard drive by right-clicking on it and selecting Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Method 2: Recover a Hard Drive That Won t Mount By the Disk Management
If your hard drive won’t mount, you can try restoring files by using Disk Management in Windows. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management.
Step 2: Look for the hard drive that won’t mount in the list of drives. It should be marked as “unknown” or “unallocated”.
Step 3: Right-click on the drive and select “Initialize Disk”.
Step 4: In the Initialize Disk dialog box, select the disk you want to initialize and choose the partition style you want to use. Choose MBR if the hard drive is smaller than 2 TB, or GPT if it is larger than 2 TB. Click OK to initialize the disk.
Step 5: After initializing the disk, right-click on the unallocated space and select “New Simple Volume”. Click Next to proceed.
Step 6: Choose the volume size and assign a drive letter to the new volume. Click Next.
Step 7: Select the file system you want to use for the volume, and then click Next.
Step 8: In the Format Partition dialog box, choose the formatting options you want to use, and then click Next.
Step 9: Click Finish to complete the process.
Method 3: Recover Files From the Hard Drive That Won’t Mount By Removing the Hard Drive from the Enclosure
If your hard drive is housed in an enclosure and won’t mount, you can try removing the hard drive from the enclosure and connecting it directly to the computer using a SATA cable. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Power off your computer and unplug it from the wall.
Step 2: Open the enclosure by removing any screws or clips holding it together. This may require a screwdriver or other tools.
Step 3: Locate the hard drive inside the enclosure and remove it from its housing. You may need to detach any cables or connectors.
Step 4: Once you have the hard drive in hand, use a SATA cable to connect it directly to your computer’s motherboard. SATA cables typically have an L-shaped connector on one end and a straight connector on the other end.
Step 5: Power on your computer and check if the hard drive is recognized. If it is, you can try copying your data to another location.
It’s important to note that removing the hard drive from the enclosure may void any warranty you have on the device. Additionally, make sure to handle the hard drive with care and avoid touching any of the electronic components to avoid damage.
Method 4: Recover Data From External Hard Drive That Won t Mount Using Hi5 Partition Recovery Tool
Hi5 Partition Recovery is an award-winning tool loved by millions of users across the globe, the tool is user-friendly to make retrieve data from hard drive that won t mount is extremely easy. You can restore easily your files without any modification. The device is built with powerful algorithms that dive deeper into the petition to recover more than 500 types of files lost due to any reason It supports all kinds of brands of hard drives like SanDisk, Toshiba, hp, etc. The tool is compatible with all versions of Windows and Mac.
Download NowDownload NowSteps To Retrieve Files From Hard Drive That Won’t Mount
Step 1: The main screen will display the “Partition Recovery” option and the “Formatted / Reformatted Recovery” option.
Step 2: Select the “Partition Recovery” option if the partition is deleted, lost, or corrupted
Step 3: In case, if the partition is formatted or reformatted intentionally or unintentionally, then go with the “Formatted / Reformatted Recovery” option.
Step 4: Now, select the drive from where you want to recover partitions and go to the “Next” option to start the partition recovery process (Software will display all the available drives present in your system, including externally connected hard drives).
Step 5: Partition will be recovered in a short interval of time.
Step 6: Once the recovery process is completed, retrieved partition data will be displayed in the “Data Type” and “File Type” views
Step 7: you can check recovered partition files using the “Preview” option.
Step 8: Click on the “Save” button to successfully store the recovered data.
Tips To Prevent Data From Hard Drives That Won’t Mount
- Regularly back up your data
- Avoid physical damage
- Keep your computer clean
- Avoid sudden power loss
- Use reliable hardware and software
- Perform regular maintenance
Conclusion:
Here we end our discussion on retrieving files from hard drives that won’t mount. Where we have explained 6 ways to help you get files off hard drive that won t mount. However, if you are looking for an easy yet quick way to restore data from the hard drive. We suggest you make use of the Hi5 Partition Recovery Tool. If you have any additional questions regarding this article, Feel free to drop them in the comment section below.
