How to Recover Files from RAW Partition/Disk for Free
When a drive's file system becomes RAW, it means the drive is no longer recognized by the operating system, and its file system is either unformatted or corrupted, making it inaccessible. This can occur due to various reasons such as a virus attack, hardware failure, or a software malfunction. As a result, the drive's contents become inaccessible, and it appears as a RAW drive in the system, requiring formatting or recovery to restore its original state.
- 💢 You need to format the disk in drive X: before you can use it. This prompt indicates that the drive is not initialized or formatted, which means it's not ready to store data. Formatting the drive will erase any existing data on it and prepare it for new data to be written.
- 🚨 The error message "Unable to access X: This volume does not contain a recognizable file system" suggests that the operating system is unable to read or access the file system on drive X. This could be due to a corrupted file system, missing or incorrect file system drivers, or a hardware issue with the drive itself. To resolve this issue, you may need to run a file system check, reinstall the file system drivers, or replace the drive if it's faulty.
- 😩 The location is unavailable. Unable to access X:. The file or directory structure is corrupt and unreadable, the drive parameter is wrong, etc. can be resolved by checking the drive parameter, running a disk check, and ensuring the drive is properly connected.
- 📑 The drive file system shows RAW.
- ⭕ The hard disk/partition capacity is showing as "0".
- ⛔ The disk in drive X: is not formatted. Do you want to format it now? (Typical Windows prompt)
If you encounter error messages indicating that your drive is no longer recognized, resulting in a RAW file system, it is likely due to issues with your hard disk. This uncommon file system suggests that your drive is inaccessible. To resolve this, you can try to open the RAW drive and recover data from it. You can attempt to access the drive using disk management tools or file system checkers, and you can also use data recovery software to retrieve your files. Additionally, if the drive is physically damaged, you may need to seek professional help to repair or replace it.
- Quick Navigation
- Part 1: What Causes RAW Drives
- Part 2: 3 Ways to Recover Files from a RAW Hard Drive for Free
- Part 3: Comparison of the Three RAW Partition/Disk Recovery Free Ways
- Part 4: How to Convert RAW File System to NTFS/FAT
- Part 5: Tips to Avoid a RAW Disk
Part 1: What Causes RAW Drives
A RAW drive typically occurs when the file system on a drive becomes corrupted, making it inaccessible. This can happen due to various reasons, such as a sudden power outage, a virus or malware infection, or physical damage to the drive.
- 🚫 The drive's file system is damaged due to improper operations, like sudden shutdowns or power failures.
- 💽 The disk DBR information is corrupted.
- 🔋 The USB port's power supply is inadequate, leading to changes in the disk file system when connected to a computer.
- ☹️ The repartition/formatting is not completed.
- 👾 The virus caused some critical information on the hard disk to be lost, making it impossible to identify the file system.
- 📋 A disk error occurred in the partition table area of the disk. This area contains information about how the disk is divided up into partitions, which are sections of the disk that can be used to store files and other data.
Part 2: 3 Ways to Recover Files from a RAW Hard Drive for Free
Disk/partition, USB flash drive, external hard drive, and SD card are all commonly used data storage devices. When we use them, it inevitably avoids the errors mentioned above to make the drives RAW. Before getting down to the task, please follow the rules below for better free data recovery from RAW disk.
- 🖥️ Performing a CHKDSK on a RAW drive does not recover data and can cause further damage to the file system, making it harder to recover data. It's recommended to use specialized data recovery software or a professional data recovery service instead.
- 🛠️ Don't try to format the RAW drive or use software to repair it, as any further operations may result in data loss.
- 🔖 You can use free and professional software to recover your important files. There are many free recovery tools available that can help you solve the problem, so there's no need to pay for them.
At this time, the RAW drive becomes inaccessible, and your data will be hidden and cannot be saved anywhere. Don't worry, we don't see the RAW disk/partition files, but you can use a professional tool to help you show and free recover files from RAW partition or disk using free data recovery software.
Way 1: Use Qiling Free Data Recovery
The best free RAW drive recovery software is a top-notch option to recover data from a RAW hard drive, utilizing advanced algorithms to extract over 1000 file types from 2000 storage devices, and can also repair corrupted files, work on Windows or Mac, and even recover files from a formatted hard drive.
- Install and launch Qiling Free Data Recovery
- To initiate the scanning process, choose the "RAW disk" and hit the "Scan" button.
- After scanning, the system displays all found files and allows you to preview them to decide which ones to return.
- After selecting the required files for recovery, choose the "Recover" option to save the file on your system or other storage.
Way 2: Use TestDisk
Using TestDisk to recover files from a RAW partition can be a bit tricky, as it recognizes the entire disk rather than just the partition. Additionally, it's a command-line interface, but it's completely free.
- Download and run TestDisk on your PC.
- To create a bootable USB drive, select "Create" from the menu, then choose your RAW disk, select "Intel" as the architecture, analyze the disk, and finally perform a quick search.
- "To recover lost files, use the up and down arrow keys to navigate through the available options. Select the files you want to recover and follow the prompts to complete the process.
- Click C to copy found files.
- When the file transfer is complete, you go to the saved directory to verify the files.
Way 3: Use DiskGenius
A powerful hard disk management program can help you solve almost all drive problems, making it a must-have tool for any computer user.
- Select your RAW drive in the hard drive list.
- Click on the File Recovery option in the header menu.
- To copy a file, select the target file and right-click on it. From the context menu, choose "Copy to" and select a desired location to save the file.
Part 3: Comparison of the Three RAW Partition/Disk Recovery Free Ways
All three tools - EaseUS, AOMEI, and Disk Drill - can help recover files from a RAW partition or hard drive. Each has its pros and cons, but choosing the right one depends on your specific needs.
- Recovery success rate
- Repair of damaged files
- Preview file
- ELevel of Expertise Needed
- Support system
- Qiling Free Data Recovery
- ★★★★★
- level 0
- Windows and Mac
- TestDisk
- ★★★★☆
- level 5
- Windows, macOS, and Linux
- DiskGenius
- ★★★☆☆
- level 3
- Windows
Part 4: How to Convert RAW File System to NTFS/FAT
After recovering a RAW partition or disk for free using third-party software, the next step is to convert the RAW drive to be recognized by the system, allowing you to continue using it. This can be achieved through two methods: using third-party software or built-in system tools. The former involves utilizing specialized software to convert the RAW drive to a usable format, while the latter uses built-in system tools to accomplish the same task.
Methods 1, Change RAW to NTFS/FAT Without Formatting
To fix a RAW hard drive using CMD, follow these steps:
- To open Command Prompt as an administrator, type "Command Prompt" in the search bar. When the app appears, click "Run as Administrator".
- To fix a RAW drive, you should type "chkdsk *: /f" in the Command Prompt, replacing * with your drive letter, and then press Enter. This will initiate the Check Disk process with the /f flag, which forces a scan and repair of the drive.
Methods 2, Convert RAW to NTFS/FAT by Formatted
Before formatting a RAW drive, which involves significant data loss risks, it's essential to recover any data using free software to avoid losing valuable information. Once you've completed the data recovery process, you can proceed with formatting the drive and converting it to a more suitable file system, such as NTFS, FAT, and others.
- To access your RAW disk or partition, open "My Computer" and navigate to the "Devices and drives" section. From there, select the RAW disk or partition you want to access.
- Right-click and select the "Format" option
- To start the process, please select a file system from the available options and click the "Start" button in the new window.
Part 5: Tips to Avoid a RAW Disk
To avoid a disk turning into a RAW drive, it's best to prevent the problem in advance by following simple precautionary steps, such as regularly backing up your files, checking for disk errors, and ensuring that your disk is not damaged or corrupted. This can help prevent data loss and the need to recover files from a RAW partition/disk.
- 🔌 Please don't close it before its repartitioning/formatting process is over.
- ⛱️ To safely disconnect an external hard drive from your computer, follow the "Safely Remove Hardware" option. This ensures that all data is properly closed and the drive is safely removed, preventing any potential data loss or corruption.
- 👹 To prevent malware issues that can cause issues with a RAW disk, make sure to keep your system updated by running a consistent antivirus scan.
- 📰 To prevent the RAW drive problem, it's essential to take regular backups of your drive data and avoid overusing the storage device. This can help ensure the longevity of your storage drive and prevent data loss due to corruption or failure.
- ⚙️ Regularly using a hard drive repair tool can help identify potential issues with the drive before they become major problems, allowing for proactive maintenance and potentially preventing data loss. This can be done by running a disk check or scan on the drive at regular intervals, such as weekly or monthly, to ensure it is functioning properly and to catch any errors or issues early.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you'll be prepared to handle a situation where your storage device becomes a RAW drive without getting scared. To avoid valuable data loss, keep the best free RAW hard drive recovery software, Deep Data Recovery, installed on your system for a permanent solution to any data loss situation.
FAQ
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If your hard drive has become RAW, you cannot access it because our system does not recognize the RAW file system. But you can convert it to a recognized drive with "chkdsk *: /f" command. So you can access it.
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Yes, Although it became inaccessible. But we can extract and save files to other locations through RAW drive recovery software. Here, you can take the help of Qiling data recovery software for Mac or Windows to help you with this task.
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First, you can use Deep Data Recovery to help you recover data from RAW external hard drive, disk, partition, USB drive, and more. Then, you can convert it to NFTS/FAT by formatting/CMD. Finally, save the file to the location of the principle. This way, you are done recovering a RAW disk without losing files.
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Select the RAW partition > Right click and select format option > Select the file system as NTFS > Click the "Start" button. When this process is complete, your partition file system will become NTFS.
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Yes! With the high-end technology of Deep Data Recovery software, you can do that flawlessly.
- Connecting the RAW external hard disk to the computer.
- Select it and click the "Scan" button to extract data.
- Preview the files returned by the software.
- Select the files you need and click the "Recover" button to save them.
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Multiple free tools are available in the market to get files back from RAW disk/partition. If you need it, you can choose the software below.
- Qiling Free Data Recovery
- Recuva
- Puran File Recovery
- EaseUS Data Recovery Free Wizard
- FreeUndelete
- TestDisk
- Glarysoft File Recovery Free
- CD Recovery Toolbox
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