NTFS Data Recovery: Guide for Corrupted, Lost or RAW Partitions

Quick Answer:

NTFS data can be recovered on Windows 11/10 if it has not been overwritten. Depending on the situation, you can restore files from the Recycle Bin, backups, or use data recovery software for deleted, formatted, RAW, or lost partitions.

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NTFS is the default file system in Windows. Although it is stable and widely used, data loss can still happen due to accidental deletion, system failure, virus attacks, or partition corruption.

How NTFS Data Loss Happens

The common causes of NTFS data loss include:

1. Accidental File Deletion

Accidental deletion of important files on NTFS hard drives can occur during disk cleanup or when transferring files between storage devices.

2. Virus or Malware Infection

Malware can hide, delete, or corrupt files, especially on external drives and USB devices.

3. System Crash or Unexpected Shutdown

A sudden crash during file operations can lead to missing or corrupted files on NTFS drives.

4. Disk Formatting

Regardless of file system conversion or repair, formatting an NTFS drive removes all files on it.

5. Partition Loss or RAW Drive

A corrupted file system can cause a partition to appear as RAW and display 0 bytes. In some cases, the partition may even be lost, and the NTFS drive shows as unallocated.

6. OS Reinstallation

Reinstalling Windows from a USB drive without a backup will delete all files stored on the NTFS system drive.

Can You Recover Deleted Files from NTFS Partitions

In most cases, NTFS data recovery is possible if the drive is not physically damaged and the lost files have not been overwritten by new data.

Even formatted or deleted partitions may still be recoverable using specialized NTFS file recovery software.

To improve the success rate, stop using the NTFS hard drive immediately once you discover that files are lost to avoid data being overwritten.

In addition, never install data recovery software or restore files to the same NTFS hard disk.

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How to Recover NTFS Data on Windows 11/10

Method 1. Check the Recycle Bin

Applies to: Files not permanently removed using Shift + Delete

Files deleted from internal NTFS hard drives are first moved to the Recycle Bin unless permanently removed. Restoring from the Recycle Bin is the fastest recovery method.

Recovery steps:

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin.

Step 2. Right-click the files you want to recover and click Restore. They will be moved to their original locations on your NTFS hard drive.

Method 2. Restore Files from Backups

Applies to: When Windows or cloud backups are available

If backups exist, NTFS data can be restored directly from Windows Backup and Restore, File History, or cloud storage services. This method is the most reliable recovery approach.

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Method 3. Use Data Recovery Software

Applies to: Permanently deleted files, formatted NTFS drives, RAW or inaccessible partitions, and lost partitions

Data recovery software scans NTFS metadata and disk sectors to locate recoverable files that are no longer visible in the file system.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a professional tool designed for this purpose. It supports NTFS-formatted hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, and SD cards.

For first-time users, the free edition is available. It supports:

• Free scanning for lost, deleted, and inaccessible files
• File preview before recovery
• 1 GB of free data recovery

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Recovery steps:

Step 1. Select the NTFS partition and run a deep scan

Launch the data recovery software and scan the NTFS drive where your files were lost. This can be an internal hard drive, SSD, USB drive, or SD card.

The software will analyze NTFS metadata and disk sectors to locate deleted, lost, or inaccessible files.

Step 2. Find and preview files

After the scan is complete, use Path, Type, Filter, and Search to find the files you want to recover.

• Path: Lists files by original folder structure
• Type: Organizes files by file type and data format
• Filter: Filters files according to file type, size, category, and modification date
• Search: Searches for certain files by using file names

You can double-click to preview the recoverable files.

Step 3. Save files

Select the files you need, click Save, and recover them to a different storage location.

How to Recover Files from RAW or Lost NTFS Partition

For a RAW or lost NTFS partition, the recovery process is almost identical to recovering files from a healthy NTFS partition using MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

The main difference is how the partition appears in the software’s scanning interface:

• A healthy NTFS partition is displayed with the NTFS file system label.
• A RAW partition is usually displayed as Unidentified, together with its drive letter and storage capacity.
• A lost partition is typically displayed as Lost Partition along with its storage capacity.

Another difference is that some recovered files may lose their original file names after scanning. Since the file system metadata is damaged or missing, the software may not be able to reconstruct all file information completely.

Although this can make file identification more difficult, you can use the Preview feature to verify file contents before recovery.

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The full recovery steps:

1. Scan the unidentified or lost partition
2. Locate and preview files
3. Save wanted files

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After completing NTFS hard drive data recovery, you can repair the RAW or unallocated drive to make it usable again for storage.

How to Format a RAW Drive

Step 1. Open Disk Management. Right-click the RAW partition and select Format.

Step 2. Select NTFS as the file system, then confirm the operation to start formatting.

How to Partition an Unallocated Drive

Step 1. In Disk Management, right-click the unallocated space and select New Simple Volume.

Step 2. Follow the wizard to assign a drive letter and format the partition as NTFS.

NTFS Data Recovery FAQ

Conclusion

To sum up, successful NTFS data recovery largely depends on how quickly you act after discovering the data loss. Avoid writing new data to the affected drive and choose an appropriate recovery method based on your situation.

During daily use, it is recommended to back up files on your NTFS hard drives regularly.

If you have any questions about MiniTool products, please do not hesitate to contact the support team at [email protected].