How to Recover Data from Burnt Hard Drive?

recover data from burnt hard drive

A burnt hard drive is not only the result of a hazarsdous fire but overheated hard drive which gives out smoky and burning smells is also a case of burnt hard drive. The reason behind this could be a power surge further may lead to burning of various fragile elements of the hard drive.

Not only this,  events like PCB degradation, substandard soldering, inferior grade elements used in the hard drive, moisture or a typical user error could also lead to a burnt hard drive. Also, there could be a short in the controller board which may also result in inaccessibility of the data on the hard drive.

In this post, we’ll discuss the possible reasons of burnt hard drive and the best way to recover data from burnt hard drive.

Is my hard drive burnt?

To check if it is a case of a burnt drive or not, go through the points written below:

  1. Smell: In case there is a smell which resembles the smell of burning plastic, that means it is a case of a burnt hard drive.
  2. Smoke: If smoke is emitting out of the drive, then too it is a case of a burnt hard drive.
  3. Visual Inspection: If the PCB of the hard drive could be removed, you can easily spot the burnt areas of the drive with naked eyes.
  4. Drive Performance: If the drive is not spinning or turning on, it could also be a case of burnt hard drive.

What NOT to do when there is a burnt hard drive case?

Here are some points that needs to be pondered over while handling a case of a burnt hard drive:

  • Don’t Coot It: In case the hard drive is overheated, you should not do such things such as putting the drive in the freezer to cool it down.
  • Dismantle: Unless you are an expert in data recovery from physically damaged devices, do not try to dismantle the hard drive on your own to recover data.
  • Boot: Do not try to boot the hard drive once it is known that it is burnt. This may lead to further damage to the device.
  • Data Recovery Software: Do not try to recover data by using data recovery software from a burnt hard drive as it is a case of physical damage which requires to be taken to the service center for data recovery.

What should I do to recover my data from burnt hard drive?

If the hard drive is burnt, try to retain the remaining data from it. To do so, follow the given steps:

  1. Connect the hard drive to a working PC: In case of an external hard drive, connect it to a PC by using a USB port. However, in case of an internal hard drive, remove it from the existing system and connect it to another system with a USB port.
  2. Create Back-up: In case the hard drive is accessible, the remaining data (if any) should be copied on a healthy hard drive so that there is no further loss of the data from that hard drive.

However, if the hard drive is not accessible, it should be straightaway taken to the experts for recovering the data. In case the data was partially accessible, then also the same should be done.

Who are the experts in burnt hard drive data recovery?

Stellar Data Recovery Service is the best answer to the question of ‘How to Recover Data from Burnt Hard Drive?’

With an experience of more than two decades in recovering data from physically damaged hard drives, Stellar ensures 100% data recovery to all its customers. It has a track record of recovering data from almost all the major makes and models of hard drives. Besides skilled technicians, Stellar has world class infrastructure where they recover data from burnt hard drive by strictly adhering to the international standards of service, said Brian from HR Software.

Concluding Note

It is important that no hit and trial methods should be used on the burnt hard drive for data recovery. Any forced trials can lead to permanent loss of the data. You must immediately reach the Professional Data Recovery Experts such as Stellar to recover data from such hard drives. You can submit your damaged hard drive at their service center or opt for their free pick-up services. Once this is done, you can sit back and relax while Stellar recovers your lost data with 100% transparency and privacy. Stellar Data Recovery India has proven to be successful in terms of data recovery from the past 26+ years. They have 15 branches across India. Stellar data recovery experts can recover data from all types of hard drives, irrespective of their make and model.