Is your hard drive no longer working? There are some solutions on the net to recover data. Beware of false myths.
When your PC won't boot why the hard disk is not recognized, there may be various causes that may have damaged the hard drive. In addition to any viruses that can damage Windows files and compromise the boot of the system, the disk may have suffered major hardware damage to the heads or other internal components.
Usually you are looking for solutions online, but unfortunately there can be several fake news or hoaxes that could cause you to further damage your hard drive. Here are 5 things not to do to try to recover your files from a broken hard drive.
1. Tap
If the disk has hardware problems, such as a damaged head that cannot read the surface of the disk, it is strongly not recommended to tap the device to try to make it work. It is often used hit the hard drive hoping to get it working again, but instead you just risk damaging it severely, causing more damage.
2. Drop the notebook onto a surface
If the laptop doesn't work, you might be tempted to drop the computer on a surface, such as a desk. Doing so does not solve anything, and is likely to cause even greater damage considering that normally on the bottom of a notebook there is the hard disk and RAM memory. So you seriously risk causing huge damage to the laptop without solving anything.
3. Create your own clean room
The clean room is a pristine room with pure air free of dust and humidity, strictly controlled to avoid compromising the hard drives when they are opened. There are articles and videos online that show you how to create your own clean room.
However, it is highly not recommended to open hard drives in a "do it yourself" clean room, because you risk compromising the disk permanently, destroying it and losing all data. There dust it could end up on the disc spinning at 7200 revolutions per minute. The head encounters the speck of dust present on the surface of the disc, which spins at a high speed, and definitively compromises the support.
4. Congelare l’hard disk
This is one of the more solutions controversial. On the net you can find the testimonies of several people who, by freezing the hard disk for a few hours, managed to make it work again. In theory, metal components are subject to thermal expansion, which causes metal components to shrink when subjected to low temperatures.
Despite some positive testimonials, it is nonetheless about an operation not recommended because you risk seriously damaging the hard disk.
5. Download a data recovery software
There are several software on the net to recover data. Some of these can be useful for restoring deleted files, but they are not enough to repair major damage, and in some cases they could compromise the hard disk.
Don'ts for File Recovery: Conclusions
If you have a broken hard drive and need to recover data, be very careful about the solutions you find on the net. Don't hit the hard drive and above all do not open it in an improvised clean room, you could end up damaging it.
It is always recommended to contact data recovery experts, such as professionals from, who will be able to solve mechanical problems by opening the device in laminar flow hoods.
