How to Repair a Damaged Hard Drive Partition? [Windows 11/10/8/7]

By Andy Samuel to Partition Manager | 2024-05-28
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If you're struggling with a damaged hard drive partition, understanding the proper methods for partition recovery is crucial. A damaged partition can lead to significant data loss and disrupt your work or personal projects. Fortunately, several reliable methods exist to repair a damaged hard drive partition, ranging from built-in utilities like CHKDSK to specialized partition recovery software. This guide will walk you through the steps needed to fix your hard drive, providing detailed instructions for both manual methods and using various partition recovery software options. Following these steps, you can ensure that your valuable data is retrieved without further damage, restoring your hard drive to its optimal state. Whether you're a professional IT technician or a novice computer user, these strategies will help you handle partition issues with confidence and ease.

Image of hard drive

Part 1: What Can Cause Hard Drive Partition to Become Damaged?

Partition damage can be caused by various internal and external factors, leading to data loss. You should know specific reasons for partition data loss to prevent partition repair the next time before damaged partition recovery. Let us look into the four main reasons for partition damage.

  • Damage or corruption to the partition table. If the partition table is corrupted, you cannot access the partition to read or write data. You can use the Command Prompt to fix the partition table.
  • Computer virus attack. Viruses can be designed to attack your partitions and data specifically. Fortunately, numerous antivirus apps are available online, many free of charge.
  • Human factor. Beginning computer users often misuse the disk or perform improper operations like expanding or shrinking the partition size. This can lead to corruption of the partitions and, finally, permanent harm.
  • Bad tracks or sectors. Logical errors or physical damage to the disk could result in bad sectors. In case of a logical failure in the industry or track, only the lousy section/track is unavailable, and you can attempt to fix the partition.

Part 2: How to Repair a Damaged Hard Drive Partition?

When a hard drive partition becomes damaged, repairing it promptly is essential to prevent further data loss. Here are several methods to help you effectively fix a damaged hard drive partition.

Solution 1. Run the CHKDSK Utility

If you have the correct solution, it is easy to fix a damaged partition. CHKDSK is a handy tool for Windows computers. It is a built-in Windows utility that checks the file system and file system metadata. It can also be used to repair any partition errors found. Before repairing via CHKDSK, ensure you have recovered all necessary files from the damaged partition.

  1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard and search for Command Prompt. Right-click and select Run as administrator.

    Image of the first step of repairing hard drive
  2. Type chkdsk #: /r (replace # with the drive letter you need to repair) and press Enter.

    Image of the second step of repairing hard drive
  3. After the command prompt has finished, you will see what actions were performed.

    Image of the third step of repairing the hard drive

Solution 2. Fix Partition with Corrupted MBR

You can't boot your computer if the system partition is corrupted due to a broken MBR. To solve the problem and perform partition repair, start your computer by installing the DVD/CD (or the recovery USB) and then follow the steps below to fix the MBR.

  1. On the Welcome screen, click "Repair your computer".
  2. Choose "Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt".

    Image of the second step fixing partition with corrupted MBR
  3. When the Command Prompt opens, type the following commands and press Enter after each:

    • Bootrec.exe/fixmbr
    • Bootrec.exe/fixboot
    • Bootrec.exe/rebuildbcd
  4. Wait for the process to complete. After that, restart your computer and check if the partition works appropriately.
  5. Solution 3. Format Damaged Partition via Disk Management

    If the partition is damaged and cannot be repaired using CHKDSK, formatting it is the best way to repair it. As a result, all files in the damaged partition will be erased, and the partition will be restored to its original state. Of course, this should be performed only once your data is retrieved. Some data will be lost forever if you format them before trying to retrieve them.

    1. Press Win+R and input “diskmgmt.msc” to open Disk Management.
    2. Right-click on the damaged partition you want to repair and select “Format.”

      Image of the second step formatting damaged partition via disk management
    3. Add a name for the new partition and tick “Perform a quick format.” Hit OK.

      Image of the third step formatting damaged partition via disk management
    4. You can choose OK to back up data before formatting.

      Image of the fourth step formatting damaged partition via disk management

Part 3: How to Repair a Damaged Hard Drive Partition without Data Loss?

When faced with a damaged hard drive partition, it's crucial to approach repairs in a way that ensures no further data loss. PassFab 4EasyPartition is a reliable partition recovery software. It offers a comprehensive solution that enables you to recover deleted partitions, restore formatted partitions, repair raw partitions, and repair boot partitions easily and safely.

Here are the key features of PassFab 4EasyPartition:

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PassFab 4EasyPartition

  • Comprehensive Recovery Options: The software is designed to handle various issues, from deleted partitions to corrupted or improperly formatted partitions.
  • Safe and Secure: PassFab 4EasyPartition ensures that your data remains safe during recovery, minimizing the risk of further damage or data loss.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Even if you're not technically inclined, the intuitive interface makes it easy to navigate and use the software effectively.
  • Advanced Features: It includes capabilities such as:

    • Recovery of Deleted Partitions: Quickly recovers partitions that have been accidentally deleted.
    • Restoration of Formatted Partitions: Helps restore data from partitions that have been formatted.
    • Repair of Raw Partitions: Addresses issues in raw partitions, making them accessible again.
    • Boot Repair: This fixes problems that prevent your system from booting correctly.
  • Efficient Processing: PassFab 4EasyPartition is optimized for quick scanning and recovery, reducing the downtime associated with partition repairs.

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This software restores functionality and ensures that your data is not compromised. For anyone facing a damaged hard drive partition, PassFab 4EasyPartition provides a reliable and effective solution to recover your data and get your system running smoothly again without the fear of data loss.

Steps for Repair Partition(s)

Follow these steps to effectively use partition recovery software to repair your damaged hard drive partition without data loss.

Google Play

*An OTG cable is required

  • Install and launch PassFab 4EasyPartition. If you need to repair a partition on an external hard drive, please connect it to your computer. Then, select "Partition Recovery" in the left navigation bar, then "Repair Partition(s)" to proceed.

    Image of the first step of using PassFab 4EasyPartition
  • Select the disk where the partition you want to repair is located, and click "Repair now" to continue.

    Image of the second step of using PassFab 4EasyPartition
  • Click Finish when the partition is successfully repaired.

    Image of the third step of using PassFab 4EasyPartition

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, effectively repairing a damaged hard drive partition requires a thorough understanding of the underlying causes, a strategic approach using appropriate tools, and meticulous execution of recovery processes. Tools like CHKDSK provide basic fixes, while more comprehensive solutions like PassFab 4EasyPartition offer robust capabilities in recovering and repairing partitions with minimal data loss.

This guide outlines several scenarios where partitions might fail and provides step-by-step instructions for addressing these issues using built-in utilities and specialized partition recovery software. Whether the damage is due to physical defects, corruption from software errors, or unintentional user actions, the methods described here are designed to mitigate damage and recover data effectively.

Google Play

*An OTG cable is required

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