How to Recover Data from Encrypted Hard Drive
Last Updated on December 8, 2020 by Jason Ben
If considering a solution to restore or gain access to data encrypted on a Hard Drive. This detailed information should, therefore, help you to see why it is important to keep data private and confidential. This is what has compelled many to switch into encryption. The reason is that the only better way one can comfortably access encrypted hard drive is by unlocking it through a password.
The process of encrypting hard drive assures a high level of security and data protection. Well, as much as it is effective, it has also associated drawbacks. It should be understood that in case you forget the password, you may not be able to gain access to the stored information. And here are some of the questions that will hit your mind.
- Has your data gone forever?
- Can’t it be unlocked?
- Has your hard drive been rendered useless?
Well, the good thing is that all is not lost. You will still be able to unlock, access the data and regain the use of your hard drive once again.
Therefore, if you have a hard drive where you keep your videos, photos, and audio, and all of a sudden something weird occurs and it is no longer in good operation. You should be able to recover data from an encrypted hard drive.
How to Decrypt Hard Drive Partition
If you’ve got a certificate for encrypted hard drive partition, at least you should be able to gain access to your data with convenience. Therefore, the following are steps one need to follow in order to unlock an encrypted hard drive partition on Windows.
Step 1. Hit the start button and type certmgr.msc and press Enter.
Step 2. Open the Certificate Manager, and then click on the Personal folder which is located on the left pane.
Step 3. Choose the Action, proceed to all tasks, then import and follow through the Certificate Import Wizard.
Step 4. Go through the guidance from the onscreen and go ahead and decrypt your hard drive partition using the certificate. This will, therefore, enable you to access all the information which is stored on the hard drive and then have it transferred to the new storage.
In case you don’t have a password or certificate which you can use to unlock the hard drive in the Windows Operating System, you can as well utilize other methods.
Restore Data from an Encrypted Hard Drive with data recovery software
After encrypted the HDD, you should be at a position of opening and using the previously encrypted hard drive. In case you’re not able to access the saved data, you can seek help from data recovery software. Data Recovery is Professional software that will perfectly enable you to access the saved data on a locked hard drive which had previously been encrypted. It comes with both Mac and Windows version. Therefore, ensure you download the right version that will solve your encryption needs.
Data Recovery Wizard is highly effective as it will enable you to recover previously encrypted hard drive without necessarily looking for a certificate or Windows Operating System. You should go ahead and download it and thoroughly follow steps in order to restore data, for example, photos on your new storage device or any other safe location on your PC. Here is how to do it.
Steps Involved in Recovering Data in the Encrypted Hard Drive after a Successful Decryption.
Step 1. First of all, you need to launch the Data Recovery for the standard Windows software.
Step 2. From the interface, identify the Data you would wish to recover and hit the next button.
Step 3. Choose the location of the data, select the hard drive which you have already decrypted through afore-stated methods of unlocking.
Step 4. Hit the Scan button, to begin the process of scanning the chosen drive of important data such as Videos, photos, and Audio.
Step 5. Next, on Preview Window, Choose the recommended files in order to launch its preview.
Step 6. Mark the recommended files and hit on the Recover button.
Step 7. Specify the destination and click on the start saving in order to begin saving all your files. This, therefore, completes the process of Data Recovery from an Encrypted Hard Drive.
Some Crucial factors to Consider
- Avoid using the drive.
- Record the password, where you will easily retrieve it.
Conclusion
You realize recovering of data from a locked hard drive is not a complex task. You only require a password that will help you to decrypt software which you can use to recover the data. Nonetheless, if you forget your password, you should not worry because there are many ways on how to unlock the encrypted hard drive. Always make use of the most secure data recovery to unlock an encrypted hard drive, for example, DataKit Data Recovery software.
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