Files Missing from External Hard Drive but Still Taking Space
An external hard drive is a portable storage device that can store large amounts of data, easily connect to a computer, and provide convenience with its high-speed, easy-to-use, and small-size features.
Users may experience issues with their external hard drives, such as files missing from the drive but still taking up space, despite the benefits of using external hard drives, including data portability and protection.
To recover files and folders missing from an external hard drive, use Qiling data recovery software to prevent data loss while solving the problem. Once the files are recovered, we can discuss the possible causes behind their disappearance, such as software or hardware issues, and provide corresponding solutions.
How to Recover Files Disappeared from External Hard Drive
Deep Data Recovery is a competent hard drive recovery software that can restore deleted or hidden files from various storage devices, including HDD, SSD, USB flash drives, and external hard drives. It helps millions to recover pictures, documents, videos, music, and other types of files that were lost due to deletion or other reasons.
Download a powerful file recovery program to recover files missing from your external hard drive immediately and easily.
Step 1. Choose file types and click "Next" to start
- To recover lost data, download and install Qiling Data Recovery on your PC or laptop.
- Connect the external hard drive to your computer.
- Run Deep Data Recovery software. Choose file types and click "Next" to initiate the recovery process.
Step 2. Choose and scan the external hard drive
- To recover data from an external drive, select the drive from the list of external drives, then click on "Scan for lost data" to initiate the recovery process.
Step 3. Check the scan results
- Qiling data recovery software scans the selected drive for all data, including deleted, corrupted, and existing files.
- You can use the Filter feature to quickly locate files of a specific type, such as Pictures, Word, Excel, PDF, videos, emails, and more.
Step 4. Preview and recover data
- Double-clicking a file from the scanned results to preview.
- Choose the files you want and click "Recover".
- To avoid overwriting the original files, save the recovered files to a different drive. This will ensure that the original data remains intact and you can access both the recovered and original files.
After restoring all necessary data to a safe place, you can proceed with fixing the issue of files missing from an external hard drive but still taking up space by following the methods provided.
What Causes Files to Disappear
When files on an external hard drive go missing, stop writing any new data to the device to prevent overwriting, and consider checking the drive's file system, hardware, and software for issues that could be causing the problem.
- The files are hidden, not lost.
- The file system on the device is corrupted, or it doesn't contain a recognized file system. This could be due to a variety of reasons such as a faulty device, a corrupted file system, or a file system that is not supported by the computer.
- The "CheckedValue" has changed.
- The mirror image has corrupted.
- Malicious software or virus attack can cause files missing.
How to Fix Files Disappeared from External Hard Drive Problem
Now that we understand the causes of the problem, we can effectively find the corresponding solutions.
Method 1. Recover Hidden Files on External Hard Drive
- To run the Command Prompt as an administrator in Windows, type cmd in the search box, right-click on Command Prompt, and select "Run as administrator".
- Determine the drive on which files are hidden, and you want to recover.
- If it's drive D, then type attrib -s -h -r /s /d *.* and hit Enter.
There are four ways to show hidden files on a hard drive, with one exception being the CMD approach. To view the full list, click on the provided link.
Method 2. Fix File System Errors
- Right-click on the external hard drive. Choose "Properties".
- Click on the "Tools" tab and select the "Check" now button.
- Check "Automatically fix file system errors" from the pop-up window.
- To start the process, click on the "Start" button.
Method 3. Change Registry Value
- Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type Regedit in the text box, and click "OK" to open the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWAL.
- If the "CheckedValue" is not "1", it will be deleted, a new "DWOR" will be created in its place and renamed to "CheckedValue", then set its value to "1".
Method 4. Restart Computer and Reconnect the External Hard Drive
If the mirror image in memory is damaged and the operating system doesn't refresh in a timely manner, files may disappear from the external hard drive. To troubleshoot, try restarting the computer and reconnecting the external hard drive to the PC. This may allow you to view files on the device again.
Method 5. Scan External Hard Drive with Antivirus Software
Computers and storage devices are constantly at risk of being attacked by viruses, including the notorious shortcut virus and ransomware. The shortcut virus hides original files, replacing them with shortcuts, while ransomware deletes originals and generates virus files. To combat these threats, users can employ a virus attack data recovery tool to recover hidden or deleted files, followed by scanning and cleaning the computer with advanced antivirus software.
Conclusion
When files are missing from an external hard drive but still taking up space, you can try various methods to fix the issue. Regardless of whether you're using an external hard drive or the internal HDD/SSD on a computer, the first step in resolving the problem is to rescue the data. To do this, it's essential to have a data recovery software configured on your computer.
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