Partitions are divisions in a hard drive or other storage devices. They are used to create separate and isolated sections within the drive. They can be managed independently and contain their own file systems. Partitions are vital in organizing data, boosting system performance, and enhancing data management.
However, these partitions may sometimes be deleted, lost, or missing or become inaccessible to you and your system. Due to reasons like;
- Accidental deletion of the partition(s)
- Virus or Malware attacks
- File System Corruption
- Physical damage or Hardware Failures
- Hardware Issues
- System Crashes
- Operating System Errors
- Power outages and failures
Ultimately, this results in data loss. This write-up will help you easily recover partitions from any internal or external storage devices.
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Partition Recovery | How To Recover Partitions from Any Storage Device?
Partition recovery involves restoring deleted, corrupted, inaccessible, lost, or missing disk partitions to regain access to the stored data. This can be done using various solutions. I have classified these solutions into DIY (Do-It-Yourself) and MODIFY (Make-Others-Do-It-For-You).
Solutions like the Command Prompt and using Recovery Software are DIY solutions. On the other hand, solutions like using Professional Recovery Services are MODIFY solutions.
Each solution has advantages and disadvantages. In the following section, I will discuss each solution in depth.
Solution 1: Recover Missing Partitions Using Command Prompt
The Command Prompt can be helpful in case partition loss occurs due to minor file system errors, such as a missing drive letter or unassigned drive.
This solution can help you assign a drive letter to the partition. Thereby gain back the access to the previously inaccessible partition.
Please note that this solution won’t work in severe cases like permanent deletion, loss, or extreme corruption.
1: Launch and run Command Prompt as an Administrator.
2: Type diskpart in the Command Prompt window and hit the Enter button.
3: Type in the following commands one by one.
- list disk = This command will list all the available disks.
- select disk x (replace x with the number of the hard drive or the device that contains the missing or disappeared partition)
- list volume = This command will list all the available volumes or partitions in the selected disk.
- Select Volume X (replace x with the number of the lost partitions)
- Assign letter=X (replace X with an available drive letter).
4: Once done, exit the Command Prompt windows and check if you can access the partition.
The next solution talks about using professional partition recovery software.
Solution 2: Deleted Partition Recovery Using Rikvr Data Recovery Software
Are you looking for a solution that is robust enough to work in all scenarios yet light on the pockets? Then, look no further. Rikvr Data Recovery Software is the ultimate solution for restoring partitions lost or deleted for any reason.
The tool is designed to work flawlessly with all internal and external storage devices and file systems, including FAT, EXFAT, FAT32, NTFS, even RAW Partitions, and all versions of Windows OS.
These things make Rikvr a perfect companion for recovering deleted or lost partitions.
Partition Recovery Process Using Rikvr
1: Download and install the Rikvr Data Recovery Software on your system.
2: Connect the external drive from where you want to recover the partition to your system and launch the tool.
3: From the main screen, locate the connected drive. Suppose the connected drive was not displayed on your screen. Click on the “Can’t Find the Drive?” option. Select the drive from where you want to recover the lost partition and click the Scan button.
4: Rikvr will start the scanning process. Scanning results and progress will be displayed on your screen.
5: Upon completion of the scan. You can view the partitions and data recovered from the selected drive.
6: Select the data you want to recover and the location where you want to save it.
You have now recovered partitions deleted or lost from your internal or external storage devices.
Contact professional undelete partition recovery services if your partitions or drive are severely corrupted or damaged. The next section discusses this further.
Solution 3: Recover Lost Partition Using Professional Recovery Services
Professional partition recovery services are specialized services data recovery experts provide to help recover partitions from any storage device.
These services are extremely helpful when DIY methods fail to help you recover partitions and in severe cases of data loss.
These data recovery services offer professional expertise and experience, employ advanced tools and techniques, better handle physically damaged drives, and offer a higher success rate than trying solutions like Command Prompt.
What data recovery services should you go with? I will let you decide that.
I can give you a list of factors to consider while choosing a professional data recovery service.
1: Reputation and Reviews
The first and foremost factor to consider is the service provider’s reputation. Do a quick Google search, and you will learn everything you need to know about the service provider.
You should consider reviews and testimonials from previous customers who have experienced or used these services. You can also look at their previous records, success rate, devices supported, location, etc. More on that below.
2: Cost
Data recovery services can dent your pockets. A few might charge a few hundred dollars to a few service providers charging a couple thousand dollars.
If you are a cost-conscious user, ask for an evaluation and a quote beforehand.
This will help you make an informed choice.
3: Logistics
Logistics is one of the hurdles when recovering partitions or data from any device. Packaging and shipping the drive from the customer to the site takes time.
Depending on the urgency, consider whether the service provider offers on-site and remote partition recovery solutions.
4: Data Evaluation and Estimation
Ensure you get your drive evaluated. This will help you understand its condition, the chances of successful recovery, etc.
5: Data Privacy and Security
Your utmost concern should be the safety and integrity of your data. Ensure the service providers follow strict data privacy and confidentiality policies. This helps you prevent your sensitive data from getting into the wrong hands.
6: Time Taken
Data recovery services usually take anywhere from a couple of days to a handful of weeks.
Consider the urgency of the recovery process and take the call accordingly.
7: Customer Support
Discover more about the customer support the data recovery service providers offer.
Ideally, customer support should guide you through each step in the process and keep you regularly updated.
Here, we end our article on recovering the deleted or lost partitions from internal or external storage devices, where I discuss solutions like Command Prompt, Rikvr Data Recovery Software, and other third-party professional data recovery services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Suppose you suspect that you’ve lost your partition or are aware that you have deleted a partition from your storage device. Acting quickly and cautiously is vital to increase the chances of recovering the partition(s) successfully.
Stop using your drive immediately. If it’s an external drive, I suggest you quickly disconnect and isolate it from the system.
Later, you can try solutions like Command Prompt, Partition Recovery Software, or Professional Recovery Services, which have been explained in depth above.
Common indicators include inaccessible data, missing drive letters, encountering error messages, unallocated disk space, constant system crashes, wrong or incorrect disk capacity, decreased system performance, and file systems or directories getting corrupt. One might also see a change in the partition name, etc.
All these indicate that your partition has gotten corrupt and needs to be fixed urgently.
Deleted or missing partitions can be easily recovered by following the correct steps and using the earlier solutions.
The success of the recovery process mainly depends on the type and the cause of partition loss.
For example, using Command Prompt can be helpful if the loss is due to an unassigned drive. If the drive needs to be formatted, tools like Rikvr can be extremely helpful. Relying on professional services can be helpful in severe cases of physical damage and extreme corruption.
Contrary to popular belief, CHKDSK or Command Prompt cannot recover lost or deleted partitions.
CHKDSK can check and fix file system errors and issues and repair bad sectors on any drive.
Rikvr Data Recovery Software is a freemium tool. It allows you to use and recover partitions for free, but you must purchase a licensed version to save the recovered partitions or data.
The only way to recover partitions without using software is by using data recovery services.
Depending on the solution, you are choosing to recover your data. You have free solutions like Backups and even free tools like the Microsoft Windows File Recovery Software. But these solutions come with a few drawbacks.
This is where paid tools like Rikvr come to your rescue. We have designed Rikvr to be as pocket-friendly as possible. We believe data loss or recovery shouldn’t be one of your problems. That is why we have designed Rikvr data recovery software.
As mentioned earlier, data recovery services charge anywhere between a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Rikvr data charges only $60.
Ease of use, customer support, compatibility with various devices and operating systems, wide file system and file type support, and pocket-friendliness are some factors you can consider when choosing the best partition recovery software.
Partition Recovery Tools are safe to use. Tools like Rikvr are designed to recover data without harming or tampering with it. I suggest you go with tools that work in read-only mode. This will ensure the integrity of your data.
Depending on your solution, the Command Prompt requires you to know a few commands. Rikvr is built to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible.
The answer is yes. You can easily restore deleted partitions, recover lost partitions, or retrieve data from them even if you don’t have any backups.
