Top 10 Best Hard Drive Repair Software

The hard drive in a computer is one of the most crucial components. It stores all the information and data that transforms this device from a collection of interesting electronics into a versatile tool. This transformation is made possible by the machine's ability to retain all this data and information. A faulty hard drive can lead to decreased performance, loss of data, or data corruption.

Top 10 Best Hard Drive Repair Software (Quick Navigation)

Regardless of the cause, you need a solution to save your disk and retrieve all essential data as soon as possible. Your best bet is to invest in some reliable software to fix the hard drive. This article will introduce you to the ten best hard drive repair tools out there. Let's get started!

• CHKDSK
• CleanGenius Tool
• WinDirStat
• Glary Utilities
• HDD Regenerator
• SpinRite
• GParted
• MalvaStyle USB Repair
• Clonezilla
• Disk Warrior

We tested these HDD repair tools across several parameters, including OS compatibility, performance, supported file systems and storage devices, and pricing. Here's a breakdown of the results:

Possible causes of hard disk errors include: 1. Hardware failure: Over time, hard disks can experience mechanical failures due to wear and tear, such as issues with the read/write heads, motor, or spinning platters. 2. Power fluctuations: Sudden power outages or voltage surges can interrupt the disk's operation, leading to corruption of data or file system. 3. Human error: Accidentally deleting files, formatting the wrong drive, or improperly shutting down the computer can cause errors. 4. Software issues: Malware or viruses can damage the file system, leading to errors. Additionally, bugs in operating systems or software can also contribute to hard disk issues. 5. Overheating: Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can affect the performance and lifespan of the hard disk, potentially causing errors. 6. Defragmentation: If a hard disk becomes excessively fragmented, it can slow down the system and lead to potential errors. 7. Physical damage: Drops, knocks, or exposure to water or magnets can physically damage the hard disk, resulting in errors or complete failure. 8. Bad sectors: Over time, hard disks can develop bad sectors, which are areas that cannot store or retrieve data properly. 9. Age: Like any electronic device, hard disks have a limited lifespan, and as they age, the likelihood of errors increases. 10. Manufacturing defects: Some hard disks may have inherent manufacturing defects that can cause errors from the start.

While there can be many causes for hard drive failure, some of the more common culprits include:

Overheating: This can also damage the components of a hard drive. Disks expand as temperatures rise, and contract when they cool. This can deform their magnetic surfaces, creating tiny cracks that pose a serious threat to data.

Manufacturing Defects: A possible reason for hard drive failure can be a manufacturing defect. It could be that there was an issue with the hard drive during the manufacturing process.

Corrupted files: Your files can also become corrupted, causing problems for your hard drive. Infected or damaged files can cause errors with your hard drive.

Hard Drive Data Recovery Takes Priority Over Repair

If you're planning to fix your hard drive through software or a professional, you'll want to recover your data first. Most repair tools will erase your important stuff, so you should retrieve what you can before fixing the hard drive, just in case some files are too important to lose.

But since it's an HDD failure, you'll need a professional recovery tool, and in this case, the Data Recovery Wizard tool is your best bet. Data Recovery Wizard is a reliable and secure data recovery program that can restore lost files, photos, videos, documents, and other types of data due to deletion, malfunction, or data corruption.

Main Features

• It is compatible with all versions of Windows and macOS.
• It allows you to perform a deep scan of your hard drive to find lost files.
• Data recovery is just a simple click away.
• It supports various file formats, enabling the recovery of multiple types of files.

You can use the Data Recovery Wizard tool to recover hard drive data by following these steps:

Step 1: Select the disk where you lost data and click “Scan”.

Step 2: After the scan is completed, use “Filter” or “Search” to look for the lost files.

Step 3. Select all the files you want to restore and click “Recover.” Next, browse and choose a different secure location to save them.

Top 10 Best Free Hard Disk Repair Software

Wondering what the best free hard drive repair software is? You'll find the answer in this section. Hard drives can develop errors due to overheating, corrupted files, and other ransomware attacks. Here are some of the best options available on the market:

1. CHKDSK

CHKDSK checks the file system on the volume and the metadata associated with the file system for logical and physical corruption. If you run CHKDSK with no options, CHKDSK only reports the current state of the disk and does not fix any problems.

Compatibility: It works on any computer with a Windows operating system.

Advantages

• Comprehensive drive analysis
• Reports on hard disk status
• Supports all Windows versions

Disadvantages

• Doesn't solve the issue
• Not applicable to macOS

Editor's pick:

And since it costs you nothing and is a built-in feature of the Windows operating system, we recommend that you use it to fix your hard drive. Share the software on Facebook or Twitter to get more help.

I spontaneously decided to run chkdsk /f on my 1TB HDD, which is estimated to take over 5 hours, right before I left for the day. – Honey, when would be a good time for me to call? (@Sadface_Usui) December 31, 2020

2. CleanGenius Tool for Windows

If you want software to fix your hard disk, CleanGenius is a good option. It features a quick scan that checks your hard drive for issues and resolves them. By optimizing the operating system, it can boost your computer's speed and performance.

Compatibility: It has versions for Windows and macOS. You need 1 GB of RAM and 50 GB of disk space.

Advantages

• Detect and fix errors deeply within the operating system
• Optimize system performance
• Guarantee 100% data security

Disadvantages

• Slightly expensive
• Modifies macOS system preferences

Editor's suggestion:

Thanks to features such as speed optimization, an intuitive interface, and data protection, we recommend using it to fix your hard drive.

3. WinDirStat

Most users start searching for CD recovery software even before they understand the nature of the problem. Damaged sectors might contain irrelevant data, making restoration efforts pointless. WinDirStat can help you assess the data and its structure stored on your hard drive accurately.

Compatibility: It is compatible with all Windows PCs. 100 MB of RAM is required to run this tool.

Advantages

• Intuitive and user-friendly interface
• Free of charge
• Displays folder tree

The downside is that…

• Unable to recover files
• Unable to resolve the issue
• No viable bootable solution available

Editor's suggestion:

Since WinDirStat can't retrieve files, you must try using other available tools before resorting to this one.

4. Glary Utilities

Glary Utilities is one of the best hard disk repair software options for fixing ailing disks. It optimizes the operating system's performance by detecting errors through a deep scan. You can use this tool to recover files as well.

Compatibility: This tool is compatible with all Windows PCs. You need 30 MB of disk space to run it.

Advantages

• Intuitive and user-friendly interface
• Built-in security scanning tools
• Performance optimization

Disadvantages

• Licensing restrictions
• Lack of detailed tool guides

Editor's Pick:

This is because it can fix hard drive and recover necessary files, making it an all-in-one platform. Hence, we recommend using this software to solve hard drive issues.

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5. Hard Drive Regenerator

HDD Regenerator outperforms the built-in disk repair utilities in Windows, as it deals with damaged sectors that might hinder file access. When using HDD Regenerator on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, or 10, you can leverage Dmitriy Primochenko's original dwell-based technology to recover unreadable data. The dwell cycle generator is a recovery technique that enables this hard drive repair tool to detect and fix bad sectors on your HDD.

Compatibility: Windows XP

Advantages

• Extremely user-friendly
• Ability to export intelligent reports
• Portability due to the fact that it doesn't require installation

Disadvantage

• No getting-started guide
• It was installed incorrectly

Editor's Pick:

Judging by our evaluation, it performs its task excellently. You should use this application if you have bad sectors on your hard drive. Its user interface is somewhat limited, but it's not difficult to use.

6. SpinRite

You may be surprised to see SpinRite on this list, but we've included it because it's still the best of the hard drive repair tools around, especially for older computers. Its live version via FreeDOS lets you scan any machine even if the operating system is no longer available. It supports file systems including all Linux, Novell, and Windows DOS FAT.

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, and Linux

Advantages

• Proven functionality
• Scans hard drives quickly and efficiently
• Can run from a bootable USB or disk drive

Disadvantages

• Lacks some modern features
• Priced higher compared to other products

Editor's suggestion:

As far as performance is concerned, there's nothing to complain about. The tool can find and fix bad sectors just like a regenerator. The small and fast software can run from any bootable disk.

7. GParted

To avoid losing or damaging data, you can use the free graphic partition editor GParted. If you need to make space for a new operating system or backup partition, you might have to shrink an existing one. GParted also offers a bootable GNU/Linux distribution for x86-based PCs that you can download from its website and run from a USB flash drive.

Figure 2: The GParted software interface

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, and Linux

Advantages

• This is a free graphical partition editor
• That helps you shrink partitions to free up space
• Available as a bootable GNU/Linux distribution for x86-based personal computers

Disadvantages

• Takes too long to scan the hard drive
• Too difficult for beginners

Editor's suggestion:

With partitioning, you can have better control over everything. GParted lets you easily resize, clone, and move partitions on your hard drive without losing any data.

8. MalvaStyle USB Repair Tool

A program called MalvaStyle USB Disk Repair is available for free, which lets users fix various USB storage devices with a single click. In addition, MalvaStyle can check the health of hard drives for proactive maintenance.

Compatibility: Windows

Advantages

• Completely free for users
• Scans disk health status without any issues
• Fixes multiple USB devices with just one click

Disadvantages

Requires a lot of upfront information to get started Can be a bit slow in processing.

Editor's recommendation:

According to our assessment, avoiding a catastrophic mistake in choosing which drive to repair would require some prior information about how long they take to load, or whether they load at all, lest one be repaired incorrectly.

9. Clonezilla

Free disk-cloning software like Clonezilla is great for this; it makes it easy to create full backups of partitions or disks that you can then restore on other machines. Clonezilla also includes a simple boot-repair feature and supports many file systems.

Compatibility: Linux, Windows, and macOS

Advantages

• The software is open-source, allowing free use and modification.
• This application offers a wide range of imaging and cloning options.
• Its open-source nature enables easy customization.

Disadvantages

If you have a backup or clone, would restoring from that be a possible option for fixing the hard drive? This would only be applicable if you're an advanced user.

Editor's Pick:

CloneZilla is an excellent disk imaging and cloning tool, best suited for advanced users who are familiar with the program's operations. It also has a very user-friendly interface.

10. DiskWarrior

For macOS, DiskWarrior is one of the highest-rated disk repair utilities. With a single click, it scans damaged directories to recover salvageable files and folders, and then creates a new error-free directory for you. It can also fix tricky issues like “Invalid Node Structure” and “Key Order Error” that Disk Utility can't handle.

Compatibility: macOS

Advantages

• Monitor the health status of drives
• Detect and diagnose common file issues
• Recover lost and missing data

Disadvantage

• Slightly more expensive than other products
• Slower at repairing disks compared to other tools

Editor's suggestion:

Disk Warrior is an excellent hard drive repair tool, although it's a bit expensive and can slow down when dealing with complex issues. But with a single click, you can scan your hard drive and start the repair process!

How to Repair a Hard Drive's File System in Windows 10

If a good hard drive gets one or more bad sectors, the disk becomes corrupt. You can also try running the CHKDSK command to resolve this issue. CleanGenius is a simple, lightweight, and risk-free PC repair app that's an ideal alternative to the CHKDSK command. With just one click, this tool can help fix a corrupted file system.

Download CleanGenius and install it on your computer. Let's now proceed to scan and fix file system errors on the device.

Step 1: Click “File Show,” and proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Select the target device and check the box next to "Check for and repair file system errors." Click "Run" to start fixing the problematic device.

Step 3: When the process is complete, click “Here” to open and use your device.

The Secrets to Keeping Your Hard Drive Healthy

Follow these tips to keep your hard drive running smoothly:

• Routinely run the CHKDSK tool to check and fix hard drive issues.
• Regularly defragment your hard disk.
• Avoid using the power button to force shutdown.
• Quarantine infections promptly with antivirus software.
• Frequently back up important data to the HDD.

Conclusions

Different apps approach hard drive repair in various ways. Some focus on identifying and preventing issues before they get out of hand. It's not common to scan a disk for bad sectors and attempt to fix them. Thus, we recommend using the CleanGenius tool to effectively repair your hard drive. Remember to recover your data with a tool like the Data Recovery Wizard before proceeding with the repair.