A storage drive, like an HDD or SSD, contains a single undivided memory space. To systematically store data, it is logically divided into different sections called partitions. This process is called Disk Partitioning. It helps segregate files, improve data management, and reduce fragmentation.
However, the hard drive partitions may get lost, deleted, or become inaccessible when the hard drive runs into errors, corruption, development glitches, or bad sectors over time. Other reasons that lead to partition loss or deletion include:
- MBR corruption
- Partition table corruption
- Interruption while resizing the partition
- Running CHKDSK after Disk Defragmentation
- Hard drive failure
All such scenarios put your hard drive and its data at risk. However, there are ways to recover lost or deleted partitions.
For a computer to successfully boot up, you need two things: The Master Boot Record (MBR) should be present and working and there must be a partition table with at least one active partition. When the former conditions are met, the code in MBR hands control over to the active partition, which then loads the necessary files based on its file system.
Conversely, if these system files are missing, deleted, or corrupted, the operating system won’t start as it should. This is where a partition recovery tool comes in. They scan the hard drive directly and bypass the usual boot process to locate lost or deleted partitions.
This is often done by running the recovery software from an external device, such as a USB drive, external hard disk, or bootable CD/DVD. Once the software boots successfully, it can display the files and folders on the drive, allowing you to recover and save them elsewhere.
Is it Possible to Recover Lost Partitions?
It’s a common misconception that once a partition is deleted, it’s gone for good. In reality, that’s not true. Partition recovery tools are capable of bringing back partitions that have been deleted or lost. This is possible because of how computers keep track of storage.
Your system identifies partitions using a partition table and a boot sector. When you delete a partition, the system erases details like it’s file system, type, size, and location from the partition table but it doesn’t actually erase the data stored in that space.
The information about the partition’s location is removed, so you won’t see it File Explorer or Disk Management, but the data itself often remains untouched until it’s overwritten. Sometimes, what looks like a deleted partition is actually just a missing name, volume label, or drive letter. If that’s the case, you can restore access to the partition using method 1 below.
Is Timing Relevant When Recovering Partitions?
When you delete a partition, your computer doesn’t erase what was there, it simply marks that area of the hard drive as available for new data. As long as that part of the disk hasn’t been written over, the odds of restoring the lost partition using a partition recovery software remain high.
Note that the more you use your computer after partition loss, the greater the risk that new files will overwrite the old data. That’s why it’s important to act quick to increase your chances of recovery.
Methods to Recover Lost or Deleted Partitions in Windows
The methods below include recovery through Disk Management, a Windows built-in utility, and professional partition recovery software. Understand the scenarios and follow the steps carefully to regain access to your partition and its data.
Method 1: Use Disk Management to Recover Lost or Missing (Unallocated) Drive Partition
Each partition on your storage devices needs a drive letter in Windows to show up in File Explorer. Even if all your data is still intact, a partition without a letter won’t appear. If its original letter was removed, the quickest solution is to assign a new one. Here’s how to do that with Disk Management:
Step 1: Press Win + X and click Disk Management.
Step 2: Right-click on the partition which is missing the drive letter and click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Step 3: Click Add.
Step 4: Select a drive letter, then click OK.
Once the drive letter has been assigned, you will be able to access the missing partition again using File Explorer.
Note: Be careful while formatting a partition. Formatting a partition with data will cause you to lose your files. In such a case, you must stop using the drive immediately and use professional data recovery software to recover data from formatted drives or partitions.
Method 2: Use a partition recovery tool to recover lost or deleted drive partitions.
If you accidentally delete your hard drive partition while performing different operations, such as extending or shrinking the partition to manage the drive through ‘Disk Management’, you can still recover the partition. You can opt for a powerful partition recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
The DIY tool recovers drive partitions lost due to accidental deletion, drive corruption, formatting, malware attacks, file system errors, and more.
The software provides the ‘Can’t find drive’ option when the hard drive partition is lost or deleted. You have to select it and start the scanning process. The software will locate the missing or deleted drive and its partitions to scan and recover multiple data batches simultaneously.
Steps to recover missing or deleted hard drive partitions are given as follows:
Step 1: Download, install, and launch Stellar Data Recovery Professional software.
Step 2: Click All Data and then click Next.
Step 3: If your hard drive is visible under Connected Drives, select it, scan it, and proceed with recovering the data.
Step 4: However, if the hard drive doesn’t show under Connected Drives, select the Can’t Find Drive option and click Scan.
Step 5: After the scan is complete, the software will locate the hard drive.
Step 6: Select the hard drive that you want to scan for lost partitions from the Select Disk list and click Search. A scan for lost or deleted partitions will be performed in the selected disk or drive.
Step 7: After scanning, you’ll see the lost or deleted drive partitions on the screen. Select the partitions from which you want to recover the data, and click Scan.
Step 8: The software will restore data from the selected drive partition(s). You can choose all the files you want to retrieve and click Recover.
Step 9: Click Browse on the following prompt to choose the destination for storing the recoverable data. (Always select a separate drive or partition to store the recoverable data.)
Step 10: Finally, click Start-Saving to save the data.
Step 11: Check the selected destination to ensure that the recovered files have been successfully restored.
Conclusion
The blog details the proven ways to recover hard drive partitions lost due to accidental deletion, drive corruption, bad sectors, etc. After recovering the partition and its data, run the drive monitor utility to scan your drive for potential errors. Moreover, ensure that you backup your important data regularly to prevent data loss in the future.
