Solved: How to Restore Data After Logical Drive Failed

Wondering how to restore data after logical drive failure? Here you can learn how to recover from logical drive failure, as well as the failure causes and 3 practical ways to repair a failed logical drive.

Lori

By Lori / Updated on September 13, 2024

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“I experienced a logical drive failure. The error states: "This logical drive has failed and cannot be used. All data on this logical drive has been lost." How to recover data from a logical hard drive failure? Thanks!”

Logical drive failures happen more often than you think. Unlike physical drive failures due to hardware damage, logical failures occur due to software problems, file corruption or even human error. When your logical drive fails, you lose access to your valuable files and may even lose data. How to restore data after a logical drive failure?

Hard Drive

Don't worry! In this article, we'll explore the best way to recover data after a logical hard drive failure effectively and efficiently. You can also get 3 feasible ways to repair a failed logical drive. So, let's dive in and get your data back where it belongs!

What is a Logical Hard Drive?

A logical drive is a partition in a physical drive that is used to isolate different types of files, such as system files and user data, from each other. Usually, the first partition is created on the hard drive to store system files and the operating system (drive C). The remaining space on the disk can later be divided into different logical drives, which are partitions.

Although your data is stored on the same disk, it will be divided into logical segments. These independent storage blocks are called logical drives and allow you to manage your data easily. Each partition contains a large amount of data, so any type of failure is unbearable or unacceptable.

Common Causes of Logical Drive Failure

Multiple reasons can cause a logical drive to fail, resulting in a large amount of data loss.

🎇 File system corruption: Logical drive failure can occur when the file system becomes corrupted due to improper shutdown, system crash, or malware.

🎊 Partition loss: Accidental deletion or corruption of drive partitions can render data inaccessible.

🎆 Accidental formatting: Mistakenly formatting the wrong drive is a common cause of logical drive failure.

🐱‍🚀 Malware attack: Viruses and malware can corrupt files and make drives inaccessible.

🎡 Software errors: Bugs in the operating system or other software can cause logical drive failure.

It is possible to recover data from logically failed hard drive, since the data is not permanently deleted or lost in this case. The fact is that only the pointers are deleted, not the original files. Therefore, it is important to recover data from logical drive failure as soon as possible before the original files are overwritten.

How to Recover Data from Logical Hard Drive Failure

If you have lost data from a failed logical hard drive or partition, reliable data recovery software - MyRecover can help. It is easy to use and can recover files that are lost, deleted or inaccessible in various situations, such as partition loss, disk formatting, logical drive failure, system crashes, computer crashed recovery, etc. Its powerful scanning algorithm can find and recover all recoverable data with a high success rate.

MyRecover
Professional Hard Drive Recovery Software
  • Support 200+ file types, including recovering permanently deleted photos, documents, audio, videos, compressed files, application files, etc.
  • It is capable to recover data from failed logical drives of external hard drives also. Supported all external hard drive brands, such as SanDisk, Buffalo, Western Digital, Seagate, etc.
  • Search, filter, and recover dataquickly without losing filename/path/format/content/quality. You can also preview them before recovery.
  • It can be used to recover data from unbootable hard drive in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, or Server PC and NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems.

The free edition of MyRecover supports you to restore data after logical hard drive failure, up to 500MB for free. Give it a try! Now, download and install it to perform logical drive failure recovery as quickly as possible.

How to restore data after the logical drive fails?

Step 1. Select the logical drive to scan

Download MyRecover on a Windows PC, install, and run it. Hover over the logical drive or partition from which you lost data, and click Scan.

select-location-to-scan

Step 2. Scan the logical drive

MyRecover will scan your failed logical drive automatically and thoroughly to locate all the deleted or lost files. You can use the search and filter options to locate specific files, and preview them before recovery.

scanning-drive

🌟Tip: You can filter data based on Files Type, Size, Date, etc.
  • Type: Select the file type (Documents, Images, Videos, Audios, Mails, Webpages, Compressed files, etc.)
  • Date modified: Set the date (today, yesterday, last 7/30 days, etc.)
  • Size: Filter the file size (<128KB, 128KB~1MB, 1MB~ 512MB, 512MB above, etc.)

Step 3. Restore data

Select the files you wish to recover and click on the Recover X Files. Save the recovered files to a different drive to avoid overwriting.

select-files-to-restore

🌟Tips:
  • To recover more than 500MB of data, please upgrade to MyRecover Pro or Technician to enjoy unlimited data recovery and powerful recovery features.
  • If you cannot boot your computer from the logical hard drive, MyRecover can also help you recover data when PC won’t boot by creating a bootable media.

How to Repair a Logical Failure Hard Drive?

To repair a corrupted logical hard drive, you can use the built-in utility in Windows. Here are 3 possible repair methods for your reference.

Way 1. Check Physical Connections

Sometimes, the issue might be as simple as a loose connection.

  • Turn Off Your Computer and unplug the power cord.
  • Open the Case and locate the hard drive.
  • Check Cables: Ensure the data and power cables are securely connected.
  • Close the Case and reconnect the power cord.
  • Turn On Your Computer and check if the hard drive is recognized.

If the issue persists, try other repair methods.

Way 2. Run CHKDSK

You can also use the “CHKDSK” command on Windows to scan any logical hard drive. CHKDSK is a file system repair utility designed to address logical errors on your drive. By employing specific parameters, you can guide CHKDSK to scan and type the “/f” and “/r” parameters to fix logical errors and corrupt partitions. Follow these steps to repair logical drive failure using CHKDSK.

❗ IMPORTANT:

While repairing disk errors, you may find CHKDSK deletes files or even damages the disk itself (if the disk is in a particularly bad state) because of the additional load placed on the disk. Therefore, it’s suggested to make file backups of the disk before performing these steps.

Step 1. Type cmd in the search bar > click Run as administrator.

run-as-administrator

Step 2. In the command prompt window, type chkdsk *: /r and press Enter to scan and repair the drive. Replace *with the drive letter of your failed logical drive.

CHKDSK G

Way 3. Run the Disk Check Utility

Scan the corrupt logical drive with a utility to see if that fixes the problem, you can manually check for errors by following the steps below.

Step 1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer > right-click on the corrupt logical drive > click Properties > Tools > Check.

properties-tools-check

Step 2. Click Scan drive to start scanning and the repair process.

scan-drive

Symptoms and Signs of Logical Drive Failure

Here are the common indicators that your hard drive may be experiencing a logical failure. Once the symptoms and signs of logical hard drive failure appear, take action before data loss becomes serious

1️⃣ Inaccessible and Corrupted Files or Folders: You can't open a file or folder, or you see an error message when you try to open it. Also, the file you try to open is corrupted or doesn't open at all.

2️⃣ Frequent Crashes and Freezes: Your computer keeps crashing, freezing, or showing a blue screen error for unknown reasons.

3️⃣ Missing Partitions: The drive or partition suddenly disappears from File Explorer or Disk Management.

4️⃣ Error Messages: You see messages such as "File System is RAW," "Drive is not formatted," or "Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) Error."

5️⃣ Slow Performance: Your computer slows down a lot, especially when you try to access files or run programs.

6️⃣ Repeated Disk Check Prompts: When you start your computer, you are repeatedly asked to check the disk for errors.

Tips To Avoid Losing Data After Logical Drive Failure

To minimize the risk of data loss after a logical drive failure, consider taking the following preventive and protective measures:

✔ Back up regularly: Back up your data frequently to an external drive, cloud storage, or other safe place. You can back up regularly to prevent data loss with this free Windows backup software AOMEI Backupper.

File Backup

✔ Use antivirus software: Install antivirus software and keep it updated to protect against viruses and malware.

✔ Avoid sudden shutdowns: Always shut down your computer properly. Use a UPS to protect against power outages.

✔ Perform disk checks regularly: Check and repair disk errors regularly using tools such as Windows Check Disk (chkdsk).

✔ Avoid overloading your hard drive: Leave some free space on your hard drive. Don't fill it to capacity.

Conclusion

When you face a logical drive failure, it's crucial to act quickly to restoredata aftera logicaldrivefailure. The longer you wait, the higher the risk of data becoming unrecoverable. MyRecover is specially designed to retrieve data from different types of logical failures on hard drives. You could also use it to easily recover data from formatted hard drive. Try it for free now!

Download Software Windows 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

FAQs on Logical Drive Failure Recovery

1. What is a logical drive fail?

A logical drive fail refers to a situation where the drive becomes inaccessible due to software issues, corrupted files, or accidental formatting, rather than physical damage.

2. Can I recover data from a logical drive fail on my own?

Yes, you can recover data from a logical drive failure using powerful data recovery software like MyRecover.

3. Can a logical failure be repaired without data loss?

Yes, in many cases, a logical failure can be repaired without data loss. You can use disk repair tools, data recovery software, or seek professional help. If you do encounter data loss during the repair process, you can download MyRecover to restore the lost data.

4. How to re-enable logical drive?

If your system wasn't powered up or down correctly, follow these steps:

  • Press F1: Continue with logical drives disabled.
  • Press F2: Accept data loss and re-enable logical drives.

Next, resolve any issues that caused the drive to be disabled. If the drive was replaced, restore data from your backup.

Lori
Lori · Editor
Lori receives professional technical training since joining AOMEI, and aims at helping users troubleshoot problems on data recovery and protection. She focuses on simple, efficient and practical methods, and provides professional advice. Being able to help readers and users is her ultimate goal.