“A hard drive wiping itself”. Sounds, as if your hard drive has come to life and is suddenly using its powers to cause destruction. No, we are not talking out of some sci-fi fiction novel or movie, and yes! It is a possibility. Though, there are also times when the culprit might not be your hard drive. But, first, let’s consider our original thought i.e. “your hard drive has actually wiped itself”. It could be a hard drive failure or system issue or at the same time, this could also be an indication that your computer is infected by a malicious threat. We’ll consider all such scenarios in this blog, so read on.
How To fix Hard Drive Has Wiped Itself On Windows PC
We know how jittery one can become when at the eleventh hour we don’t get the files we need. We haphazardly look for the files everywhere. Whatever the situation might be, keep calm and collect yourself first. Believe it or not in this day and age, even if you have permanently deleted a file, there are high chances you can recover it.
For starters, your Windows search or your File Explorer search for that matter can be your ultimate savior. Just key in the right file name and you probably will find the file you’d been searching for crazily. Can’t remember the right file name? You can ask your friend, family member, or colleague the right file name?
2. Check Your Backups
If you have been reading our blogs, you probably have come across a lot about creating backups. And, honestly, it is situations like these when backups turn out to be extremely useful. So, in case, you can’t seem to find your file anywhere, turn to the backups you have in place.
3. Recover Hard Drive Data Using A Data Recovery Tool
In case the hard drive has wiped itself, you can still recover data using a data recovery tool. If you are unable to see the drive itself, you may have to remove the drive and reconnect it. If you are able to at least see the hard drive in Windows or File Explorer, you still have hopes left. Now, it’s time to bring a data recovery tool like Advanced Disk Recovery into action.
Also Read: Why Is Advanced Disk Recovery The Best Utility To Retrieve Lost Data
Download, install and run Advanced Disk Recovery
Select your hard drive
Next, select the scan type. In the aforementioned situation, we urge you to conduct a Deep Scan
Wait for the scan to finish
Select the files, you want to recover
Note: We urge you to not store files on the same drive from which they had been removed.
You can also check out this post and find some more ways to recover permanently deleted files as well.
4. Will A System Restore Help?
The answer is a yes and no. If you have lost some important system files, you can recover them back provided you had already created a system restore point in the past. But, it won’t recover files such as photos, documents, and other kinds of files. In such a case, you will mostly have to rely on file recovery software. Moreover, if we consider that your hard drive is erasing itself because of system-related issues, a system restore can help.
Some Adverse Situations – Extreme Situations Need Extreme Measures
Below are the situations when you should exercise damage control so that your hard drive doesn’t continue to delete files or other important data.
– Your Hard Drive Is In A Bad Shape
If you have experienced the instances like the ones mentioned below, it’s time when you should consider changing your hard drive for good –
- Your hard drive letters keep not showing up frequently
- You have started to experience data loss now and then
- Random hard drive crashes have become common
- The hard drive has started to become unresponsive and slow
– Check for Malware As Well
Last but not least, check if your computer has been infected by malware. Simply put, malicious threats can snatch control from you and in the worst-case scenario even from your operating system. And, then they can wreak havoc to their heart’s content, and making a hard drive wipe of files might just be the beginning. To put an end to malware, you can use an Antivirus. Since we are talking of Windows, Systweak Antivirus is one of the best Antivirus for Windows that can help you protect your computer from threats.
How To Defend Your Computer Against Malware Using Systweak Antivirus?
Download, run and install Systweak Antivirus
Click on the magnifying glass icon and choose the mode of scan
Wait for the scan to complete
Wrapping Up
If your computer’s hard drive has deleted itself or you find that the data in your hard drive keeps on deleting for no apparent reason, you can try one of the ways above to first recover your precious data and second to cease any further damage. For recovering data, you can always count on a data recovery application like Advanced Disk Recovery. If this blog helped you and if you think it could also help someone in need, do share it with them. We’d also like to hear out your views in the comments section below. Follow us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
