How to Recover Lost Partition on External Hard Drive Quickly

How to perform external hard drive partition recovery? Check this article to learn how to recover lost partition on external hard drives.

By @Lora Last Updated September 13, 2024

"How do I recover a partition on my external hard drive Windows 10?"

Many users use an external hard drive to back up or store their data when the computer does not have enough storage space or is considered space-saving.

Similar to when using a computer's disk, users will also partition the external hard disk to store different types of data and files so that files can be accessed and stored easily.

However, as we all know, external hard drives require large power consumption.

If you ignore maintaining sufficient power and power connection, it is easy to accidentally encounter a power shortage or outage during use to cause partition loss.

Besides, there are more reasons for data loss on external hard drives. Many users are now seeking ways to perform external hard drive partition recovery.

   
   
   
       

I was on disk management on my computer, and I right-clicked on my portable hard drive and accidentally clicked delete partition how do I fix this. My hard drive won't show up in my computer or disk management."

       

- Question from TechSpot

   

Solving the problem of partition loss caused by accidental power failure or recovering an accidentally deleted partition is a major problem for users.

So, how to recover lost partition on external hard drives in Windows 10/11? Before moving on to the solvation of lost partition recovery, let's get an overview of it first.

Overview of external hard drive partition recovery

It's an excellent choice to get a primary and rough impression of external hard drives before going to the solutions of how to recover deleted partition in Windows 10/11.

In this part, users can get to know about what is the external hard drive and the reason why partitions of external hard drives get lost.

What is the external hard drive?

External hard drive, also known as a portable storage device, mainly refers to a small and portable hard drive that can transmit data to the system at a relatively high speed. The external hard drive has edges of small size, high speed, high security, and convenience.

"Minimize volume, maximize capacity" is a trend in portable storage devices. Using an external hard drive to back up necessary data is an efficient and secure way to back up.

Why do external hard drive partitions get lost?

As with the use of a normal hard drive, some unexpected conditions or failures can cause partitions to be lost when using an external hard drive.

  • Partition Table failure. Unexpected power outages, boot zone viruses, and so on can cause partition table error, resulting in partition loss.
  • Power outage. The power consumption of the external hard drive is much larger than that of the flash drive. If the power supply is insufficient, it can easily lead to read-and-write errors or even an unrecognizable drive, and partitions are lost.
  • Accidental deletion. To err is human. Maybe you're careless about deleting a partition, or you might delete a partition on a whim and quickly repent. 
  • Virus intrusion. Boot sector viruses can cause partition tables failure, leaving severe damage to the system and the data and forcing users to remove viruses using CMD but not normally.

With a fundamental impression on the causes of partition loss, we could move on to the lost partition recovery solution now.

3 steps to recover external hard drive partition in Windows 10/11

How to recover lost partition on external hard drives? In general, it is pretty hard for an ordinary user to bring back deleted data or partitions manually; but using a partition management tool is feasible and can save much time and labor.

For safety and efficiency, it is highly recommended that you choose the powerful software: AOMEI Partition Assistant, as it can meet your need and satisfaction in many aspects.

Pleasing design: Concise and explicit interface.
User-friendly operation. It is designed to serve users with simple steps, and it is easy to operate even for a green hand without any computer expertise. 
Powerful tech. As a benchmark for hard disk partition software, it is developed by a team with over 10 years of experience and keeps abreast of cutting-edge technologies. 
Compatible. It supports storage devices like traditional SSD, SSHD, external hard drives, all Flash Drives, RAID, etc. In addition, it supports Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP OS.

As trusty software, it can help you get your lost partition back within 3 easy steps; now download a Demo version to have a try!

Download Demo Win 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download
⚠️Notes:
  • Do not try to format the external hard drive.

  • Please do not perform any read and write operation to your lost partition to minimize your loss.

  • "Fast Search" helps you locate your lost partition quickly, it is recommended to choose this method first, if it fails, choose "Full Search" to scan every sector of the selected disk. It may cost longer; please wait patiently.

  • If you are using Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, etc., pleaseupgrade it to Server Edition.

Step 1. Find Wizards in the sidebar > click Partition Recovery Wizard. Select a disk that contains your lost partition, then click Next.

Step 2. Two types of search methods are offered here. Choose one that fits your preference > click Next.

Step 3. Then the detected partitions will be listed in the list box >select the one you need to recover > click Proceed to begin recovery.

With the help of this tool, you can readily perform unallocated partition recovery.

Perform external hard drive partition recovery with CMD

If you do not want to download extra software on your computer,  you can try to use diskpart command. However, it can only recover lost partitions due to accidental deletion. For other situations, please download the professional software.

1. Go to Menu > search for cmd. Then choose Run as administrator.

2. Type “diskpart” in the window > press “Enter”.

3. Type “lisk disk” in the window > press “Enter”.

4. Type “select disk #” and press “Enter” (# means the number of your external hard drive including the lost partition).

5.  Type “list volume and press “Enter”.

6. Type “select volume #” and press “Enter” (# means the number of the lost partition). Type “assign letter #” and press “Enter” (# means a drive letter that can be used).

How to recover files from an external hard drive

If you just want to find some lost files from a partition on external hard drives, you can try a top-rated data recovery software for Windows with an intuitive GUI (graphical user interface).

With a clear GUI, MyRecover is just such friendly software for you to recover deleted/lost files from any type of external hard drive. No matter why your files were lost, it can help you recover lost files on an external hard drive effectively.

MyRecover
Powerful File Recovery Software
  • Recover Texts, Photos, Videos, Audio, Emails, Webpages, Compressed files, and other200+ types of data from external hard drives.
  • Retain the original format, filename, and path for the deleted/lost data.
  • During scanning, you can use the search and filter feature or wait to find all the deleted and other lost files on your computers.
  • Support NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and Windows Server.
  • An intuitive graphical user interface andeasy-to-follow operating systems.

If you want to recover lost files from external hard drive, you can follow the easy tutorial here to try MyRecover:

Step 1. Install and launch MyRecover on your PC. Then connect your external hard drive to the computer properly.

Step 2. Hover the mouse over the drive and click Scan to scan.

Step 3. MyRecover will perform Quick Scan and Deep Scan automatically, you can search or wait to see all the deleted and other missing files on your external hard drive.

Step 4. View and choose the files you want to restore. Then click “Recover x files” and store them in a new saved path.

Related suggestions

The definition of external hard drives, reasons for external hard drive partition loss, and, most importantly, methods to conduct external hard drive partition recovery have been introduced at quite a full length.

Besides, to prevent future risks as much as possible, here are some related suggestions for you.

  • Backup your cherished data is always the best bet and will not harm your drive.
  • Use the external storage device with care to avoid bumps.
  • Keep your PC, hard drive, and other devices away from liquid and heat.
  • Keep a regular update habit of your devices and software.
  • Take advantage of Antivirus programs to protect your PC and hard drive away from virus attacks.

In addition, when you need to recover data from external hard disks, MyRecover will be the second-to-none choice, which can assist you in scanning and fetch data back very easily and quickly.

FAQs

How to recover partition without losing data?
 
Before your partition is recovered successfully, please do not write new data into it. To make sure the recovery rate, please choose a professional partition recovery tool to assist you.
Does chkdsk fix corrupt files?
 
Yes. CHKDSK can scan for bad sectors on your computer, and ruin parts of your hard drive, even when your PC won't turn on. Use CHKDSK regularly can help repair and clean up your PC, and maintain its health.
Can a hard drive partition be removed?
 
The partition on a hard drive can only be deleted if it's not currently in use. For example, if Windows is installed on the partition you want to delete, you can't as you are logged in to Windows. To delete a primary partition, you'll need to erase your hard drive and start over.