Data Recovery for All Storage Devices: Recover Files from PC, USB, SD Card, HDD, SSD, Camera & More

Internal drives — whether traditional HDDs, modern SSDs, or high-speed NVMe drives — are the primary storage in every Windows computer. XRecovery is fully compatible with internal drives in desktops and laptops from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, MSI, Microsoft Surface, and all other Windows-based PC manufacturers.

Types of Internal Drives Supported

Common Data Loss Scenarios on Internal Drives

• Accidental deletion: Shift+Delete, Recycle Bin emptied, Disk Cleanup removing files
• Operating system crash: Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), boot failure, Windows won't start
• Formatting: Accidental format during Windows reinstall, wrong partition selected
• Partition loss: Partition table corruption, diskpart mistakes, failed disk conversion (MBR→GPT)
• SSD-specific issues: Controller failure, firmware bugs, sudden NAND degradation
• HDD-specific issues: Bad sectors, mechanical failure, clicking noises, SMART warnings

How to Recover Data from an Internal Drive

If Windows Still Boots Normally:

1Stop writing to the affected drive. Do not save new files, install software, or run Windows Update on the C: drive if data was lost there.

2Install XRecovery on a DIFFERENT drive — never on the same partition where data was lost. If you only have one drive, use a USB stick to run the portable version.

3Select the drive in XRecovery and run a Deep Scan for the most thorough results.

4Preview and recover files to an external drive or a different internal partition.

If Windows Won't Boot (System Crash):

1Remove the internal drive from the crashed computer and connect it to a working PC using a SATA-to-USB adapter or external enclosure.

2On the working PC, the drive will appear as an external storage device. Copy important files directly, or run XRecovery to scan for lost data.

3If removal isn't possible (soldered SSD in thin laptops), create a bootable USB drive (Windows PE or Linux Live) and boot from it to access your files.

External drives are among the most commonly used storage devices — and among the most vulnerable to data loss. Because they're frequently moved, connected, and disconnected, they face risks from improper ejection, physical drops, USB port issues, and power surges that internal drives rarely encounter. XRecovery is designed for full compatibility with external hard drives and portable SSDs from WD, Seagate, Samsung, LaCie, Toshiba, SanDisk, Crucial, ADATA, Buffalo, and all other major brands — as long as Windows recognizes the drive as a storage volume.

Common External Drive Data Loss Scenarios

How to Recover Data from an External Drive

1Check the physical connection: Try a different USB cable, different USB port (preferably directly on the motherboard, not a hub), and a different computer. Many "drive not recognized" issues are cable or port problems.

2Check Disk Management: Right-click Start → Disk Management. If the drive appears but without a drive letter, right-click and assign one. If it shows "RAW" or "Unallocated," proceed to recovery.

3Do NOT format the drive when Windows prompts "You need to format the disk." Formatting will permanently erase all recoverable data. Always recover files first.

4Scan with XRecovery: Select the external drive and run a Deep Scan for the best results on corrupted or formatted drives.

5Recover to a different drive: Save recovered files to your internal drive or another external drive — not to the one being scanned.

USB flash drives — also known as thumb drives, pen drives, jump drives, or USB sticks — are the most portable storage medium. They're inexpensive, ubiquitous, and unfortunately one of the most frequently corrupted device types. Because they're constantly plugged in and pulled out of different computers, USB drives are particularly vulnerable to file system corruption, virus infections, and physical wear on the USB connector.

XRecovery is designed for full compatibility with USB flash drives from SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston, PNY, Corsair, Patriot, Verbatim, Silicon Power, HP, Transcend, Lexar, and all other brands. If Windows recognizes it as a removable drive, we support it.

Why USB Drives Are Prone to Data Loss

• No Recycle Bin protection: Files deleted from USB drives typically bypass the Recycle Bin entirely on Windows
• Improper ejection: Removing the drive without "Safely Remove Hardware" corrupts the file system if writes are in progress
• Cross-computer usage: Using the same USB drive across multiple computers with different OS versions increases corruption risk
• Virus transmission: USB drives frequently carry malware between computers, which can hide or delete files
• Physical fragility: The USB connector is a common failure point — bent, broken, or worn connectors prevent detection
• Counterfeit drives: Fake high-capacity USB drives may appear to work but corrupt data when actual flash capacity is exceeded

Common USB Drive Data Loss Scenarios

How to Recover Data from a USB Flash Drive

1Stop using the USB drive immediately. Do not save new files. If prompted to format, click "Cancel."

2Check Disk Management: Right-click Start → Disk Management. Note the drive's status (Healthy, RAW, Unallocated, No Media).

If the USB drive shows 0 MB capacity or "No Media" in Disk Management, the flash controller may have failed. This requires professional chip-off recovery — DIY software cannot fix a dead controller.

3Run a Quick Scan first in XRecovery. If files are found, recover them immediately.

4If Quick Scan doesn't find everything, run a Deep Scan for sector-by-sector file signature search. This is essential for formatted or corrupted drives.

5Recover files to your PC's internal drive — not back to the USB drive.

Memory cards are the primary storage medium for digital cameras, smartphones, dashcams, drones, gaming consoles, and countless embedded devices. From full-size SD cards in professional DSLRs to tiny microSD cards in action cameras and phones, these compact flash storage devices are designed for portability — but they're also prone to corruption, accidental formatting, and physical damage.

XRecovery is designed for full compatibility with memory cards from SanDisk, Transcend, Toshiba, Lexar, Integral, Silicon Power, PNY, Kingston, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Delkin, and all other major brands. We support all common card formats including SD, SDHC, SDXC, microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC, CompactFlash (CF), CFast, XQD, CFexpress, Memory Stick, and more.

Supported Card Formats

Common Memory Card Data Loss Scenarios

• Card asks to be formatted: "Card is not formatted. Do you want to format it now?" — file system corruption from improper ejection or camera error
• Accidental in-camera formatting: Formatting the card inside a camera or device before backing up photos
• Card not recognized: Dirty contacts, damaged card reader, partition table damage, or controller failure
• Files deleted from card: Accidental deletion on camera, phone, or computer
• "This card cannot be used" error: Often on Nintendo Switch, dashcams, or security cameras — may indicate filesystem incompatibility or corruption
• Write-protection issues: Physical lock switch accidentally engaged, or card entering read-only mode due to wear

How to Recover Data from a Memory Card

1Remove the card from the device immediately. Do NOT take any new photos or save files to the card. For microSD cards, slide the lock switch to the "Lock" position (if available) to prevent accidental writes during recovery.

2Insert the card into your computer using a reliable USB card reader (preferably a direct USB 3.0 reader, not a multi-slot hub). Built-in laptop card readers often have compatibility issues with certain cards.

3If prompted to format, click "Cancel." Never format a card before recovering data.

4Use XRecovery to perform a Deep Scan on the card. Memory cards typically use FAT32 or exFAT file systems, which respond well to signature-based recovery.

5Preview and recover found photos, videos, and other files to your computer's internal drive.

Digital cameras present a unique recovery challenge because the storage medium (memory cards) is used inside a proprietary device with its own file handling behavior. In-camera formatting, proprietary file systems, and specialized RAW image formats mean that camera data recovery requires both general recovery techniques and camera-specific knowledge.

XRecovery is fully compatible with memory cards from all major camera brands, including Samsung, HP, Sony, GoPro, Canon, Sigma, Nikon, Epson, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax, Leica, Hasselblad, DJI, and more. We support recovery of common camera file formats including JPEG, CR2, CR3, NEF, NRW, ARW, SR2, SRF, RAF, ORF, RW2, PEF, DNG, 3FR, MEF, MRW, X3F, ERF, KDC, DCR, and most video formats recorded by cameras (MOV, MP4, AVCHD, MXF).

Why Camera Data Recovery Is Different

Camera storage recovery differs from general memory card recovery in several important ways:

• Proprietary RAW formats: Each manufacturer uses a unique RAW format (Canon = CR2/CR3, Nikon = NEF, Sony = ARW, Fujifilm = RAF). Recovery software must recognize these specific file signatures.
• In-camera formatting behavior: Some cameras perform quick formats that only clear the file allocation table, while others may overwrite more data. Format types vary by manufacturer and model.
• Fragmented video files: High-bitrate video (4K, 8K) often spans multiple non-contiguous clusters. Specialized video recovery is needed for fragmented files.
• Dual-card configurations: Professional cameras (like Canon 5D Mark IV, Nikon D850) use dual card slots, complicating recovery if one card fails while the other has partial data.
• Embedded/internal storage: Some modern cameras (Sony, GoPro) have built-in internal storage in addition to the memory card slot.

How to Recover Data from Camera Storage

1Remove the memory card from the camera immediately. Do not take additional photos or videos — every new file written reduces the chance of successful recovery.

2Use a dedicated card reader, not the camera's USB cable. Connect the card directly to your computer via a USB 3.0 card reader for the fastest, most reliable connection.

3Select Deep Scan in XRecovery and choose the camera's memory card as the target. The deep scan will search for RAW image signatures (CR2, NEF, ARW, etc.) as well as standard formats.

4Preview RAW files before recovery to confirm they're intact and not corrupted. XRecovery's preview supports common RAW formats.

5Recover files to your computer's internal drive — never back to the same memory card.

RAID arrays, NAS (Network-Attached Storage) devices, and other specialized storage configurations present the most complex data recovery challenges. These systems combine multiple physical drives into logical volumes, adding layers of complexity — and layers of things that can go wrong. XRecovery provides support for RAID reconstruction, NAS drive recovery, and recovery from less common storage media when Windows can access the underlying drives.

Supported Specialized Storage Types

Critical Rules for RAID & NAS Recovery

How to Recover Data from RAID & NAS

1Document the configuration: Record the RAID level (0, 1, 5, 6, 10), stripe size, drive order, and controller type before disconnecting anything. For NAS devices, note the model and firmware version.

2If a single drive has failed in a redundant array (RAID 1, 5, 6, 10), connect the remaining healthy drives to a working computer individually and attempt standard recovery on each.

3For NAS devices with a single drive (like WD My Cloud single-bay), remove the drive from the NAS enclosure, connect it to a Windows PC via SATA or SATA-to-USB adapter, and run XRecovery. Note that many NAS devices use Linux file systems (ext4, Btrfs) — XRecovery supports these through its deep scan engine.

4For complex multi-drive failures, consult a professional data recovery service. DIY attempts on degraded multi-drive RAID arrays have a high risk of permanent data loss.