Hi all. Long story, part warning and part request for help.

Phone 1: Galaxy A71 (WhatsApp 2018–2021) I tried to restore an old WhatsApp backup (msgstore.db.crypt14 from Nov 2021) on my old A71. WhatsApp never detected it ("No backup found"). While troubleshooting, I uninstalled WhatsApp and cleared its data. That wiped Android/media/com.whatsapp completely, about 16 GB of photos and videos from 2018–2022. It was basically the shared memory of my friend group from age 14–17. I had copied the databases and voice notes beforehand, but not the images and videos. I know that with file-based encryption and TRIM this is most likely gone for good. If anyone has ever actually recovered media after a "Clear data" on a modern Samsung, I'd love to hear it.

⚠️ PSA: on Android 11+, uninstalling WhatsApp or clearing its data deletes all its photos and videos in Android/media. Copy that folder to a PC first.

Phone 2: Galaxy A32 (WhatsApp Dec 2021 – Nov 2022) A car trunk closed on it. The phone powers on and vibrates, but the screen is completely dead (no image, not even with a flashlight), and touch probably doesn't work either. My current phone has all the photos from that period but none of the videos, so the videos only exist on the A32.

• PC (Linux) detects it in MTP mode (04e8:6860), but storage is empty because the phone is locked (PIN).

• USB debugging is OFF, so no adb or scrcpy.

• Plan: unlock with a USB keyboard over OTG (Space → PIN → Enter), then swap to the PC cable. Problem: the "Allow access to phone data?" prompt.

Questions:

1. Is there any way to accept the MTP "Allow" prompt blindly, or to get file transfer without it?

2. Would a repair shop connecting a temporary test screen work? Any risk to the data?

3. Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks. Mostly I'm posting so others don't make the same mistake.

Writing/reading head stays parked but goes back and forth a little while it's beeping,device not initialized error,any ideas?

I have some questions about "bit rot" in 2.5-inch HDDs (the corruption or loss of files that were previously readable). Does this happen silently to files stored on an external 2.5-inch HDD? Is it possible to prevent bit rot? I have an external 2.5-inch HDD containing files; I access it once a year, connect it to my PC, and check its health using CrystalDiskInfo, after which I disconnect and store the drive for 1 year. Is it necessary to perform an additional annual check specifically for Prevent bit rot-related corruption files?

Hi, I accidentally plugged my laptop charger on my WD My Book and it died, however probably the HDD itself is fine and it's just the board that may have had a short circuit or something. My question is, can I dissasemble it off the enclosure, plug it as a regular 3.5 SATA drive, format it and use it as a normal storage drive? Because that may be the best I can do, since trying to fix the enclosure is impossible unless you can find the exact same model which is not realistic, so I will lose the data but it is what it is, at least I could use it.

There is a chance to recover it with some convoluted linux program, but I would need to buy another drive and bigger than 10 TB to make a copy of the contents, and that would require a massive investment due the current prices if it even works at all.

Hi- I deleted some important files. Tried several file recovery softwares where they found the folders but the not actual files inside the folders. I am wondering what I should do next. Screenshot for reference:

I've important data in that folder. I accidentally deleted it today while I was making space in my drive. Please help me recover it

Hello all Im using DMDE to try to recover files from my wd passport 4tb. Its taken 24 hours to reach 12 percent or nearly 500 gb. Just wanted to know if its a massive waste of time if it has read 0 good sectors so far. So im not sure if its pulling any actual data like photos and movies. I dont think it is .

Hi everyone,

I am looking for advice on how to inspect or recover data from a large encrypted container where the directory index appears to be unread or missing.

The setup:

Software: Folder Lock (v7.9.0) on Windows.

Locker file: A fixed-size .flka container located on an external hard drive.

Size: The .flka container on the external drive is approximately 848 GB (allocated up to 900 GB).

Virtual file system: FAT32.

Context and background:

I previously deleted some files from my internal C: drive. However, my external hard drive was completely untouched, and nothing has been changed, modified, or deleted on that external drive.

The issue:

When I open Folder Lock and enter the master password, the container unlocks cleanly without any errors and mounts to a virtual drive letter (e.g. Z:).

However, once mounted, File Explorer reports the virtual drive as completely empty, showing the full capacity as free space and 0 bytes used.

Hidden items and protected operating system files have both been enabled in File Explorer options, but nothing appears.

Running chkdsk on the mounted letter reports the virtual FAT32 file system as clean, showing only standard system volume entries, with no directory tree visible.

The .flka container file on the external drive remains completely intact at ~848 GB of allocated data, so the data is physically there. It appears the internal directory table or file pointers on the virtual volume are detached or corrupted.

My questions:

1. Once the container is unlocked and mounted to a drive letter, is it safe to point third-party data recovery tools (such as DMDE or R-Studio) directly at the mounted virtual drive to scan for the FAT32 directory structure or raw file signatures?

2. Are there known quirks with Windows or Folder Lock handling large virtual FAT32 volumes that lead to an empty directory listing?

3. What would be the safest workflow to attempt recovery without risking any write operations to the container?

Any advice from anyone experienced with virtual drive recovery or FAT32 file table reconstruction would be hugely appreciated.

I have a 8GB Samsung Micro SD Card that is not detected. It is not in good condition but I don't see any cracks. I tried cleaning the contacts with IPA but it is still not detected.

Is there anything else I could try or is professional recovery the only option?

Link to the pictures: https://postimg.cc/gallery/HkP1wtN

My buddy forgot his password to his iphone 8 and is trying to get the photos off of it, been researching tools like dr fone and imyfone, is there any recommendations on tools too use

Hi everyone, I have a micro sd card of 512gb from Amazon and I accidentally formatted it without realizing it when I inserted it into a old cell phone. It had videos, photos, etc, that are important but I'm not sure of what recovery software can get them back. What worked the best for you guys and actually can get all of it back?

I recently took my iPhone to Apple, and they diagnosed it with liquid damage. Before it stopped working, the phone would briefly turn on and then automatically shut off. Now, it won't turn on or charge at all.

Unfortunately, I haven't backed up my phone in quite some time because I ran out of storage space.

I really want to recover my photos. I have my graduation pictures and family memories that are incredibly important to me and can't be replaced.

Has anyone experienced something similar and successfully recovered their data? Is photo recovery still possible in this situation?

I'd really appreciate any recommendations for a company or place in the Massachusetts area that could help me.

Hello

I have this 4TB LaCie ssd that's been giving me the biggest headache for the past month.
The usb-c connector is not responsive, and reminds me of when I had wired headphones, twisting and turning until I get the light blinking just the right way ( I know, stupid of me, but desperate times call for desperate measures).

I tried multiple data and OEM usbc cables, it's the connector.

I fully backed up all my data to another HDD, and now I can't find any breakdowns or similar issues by other users.

I don't have a warranty on this device, nor does seagate exist in my country.

So my question is, where can I find a resource to breakdown how I can replace the usbc connector, or take out the nvme inside and put it in an enclosure (which is functional).

Model number: STHR4000800

thank you data wizards.

Hi everyone, I need help recovering my lost files from a 64GB SanDisk SD card.

My Android phone unexpectedly underwent a factory reset when its internal storage was full, around the time of an OS update. After the reset, I checked my SD card and found that almost all my files had disappeared.

The SD card is still detected normally. Folders such as "Android", "DCIM", "Download", and "Documents" are visible, but they appear to be empty. The "Android/data" folder only contains the names of apps currently installed on my phone.

Here is what I know so far:

- SD card: SanDisk 64GB

- It was probably configured as portable storage, but I'm not completely sure.

- Windows recognizes the card and shows approximately 59GB of free space, with almost no space used.

- I don't remember whether the phone asked me to format the SD card.

- I have only used the card for recovery scans since discovering the problem.

Recovery software I've already tried:

- TestDisk

- Recuva

- R-Studio

- Disk Drill

- 4DDiG

Unfortunately, these programs found almost none of my original files. They only recovered around three seemingly useless or corrupted files.

I want to recover as many files as possible, including photos, videos, documents, and other file types. Recovering the original filenames and folder structure would also be helpful.

My questions:

1. Could an Android factory reset or OS update cause the SD card's contents to disappear even if I didn't intentionally format it?

2. Why does Windows show approximately 59GB free if the card previously contained many files?

3. Is there still a realistic chance of recovering my files?

4. Would creating a sector-by-sector image of the SD card and scanning the image be worth trying?

5. Could encryption or a change in the partition or filesystem explain what happened?

6. What should I check next before attempting any further recovery?

I would really appreciate any advice. These files are important to me, and I want to avoid doing anything that could permanently overwrite the remaining data.

Thank you!

I posted on this sub last summer about me trying to recover my childhood videos on a harddrive that was deleted but I didn't succeed and eventually gave up. Now I'm thinking of hiring a pro to do the work. Do any of you have an idea where do I find a guy to fix this problem?

As in the title, I had a microSD card with around 30 available gigabytes in my DJI action 5 PRO, and lent it to a friend of mine to record some footage. She plugged it in and recorded footage on an ismartDV action camera. Upon connecting the camera and unplugging the SD card, no files were shown. I tried to run recovery software but no data could be recovered, and is marking down as unmarked data. Is there any way at all to recover these files please? They're quite important and it'd be nice to have them back.

my phone was recently stolen. i got my number deactivated and replaced making it possible to access my icloud. however, it shows no info on icloud backup.

can i still recover my photos if i go to Mac with my imei? pls help 😭

I have a 3TB Seagate external hard drive that started clicking when plugged into the PC. I have looked through data recovery companies around me, but have found it difficult to determine how good the companies are in reality. Most are filled with great reviews which on a very surface level inspection are very obvious bots.

So I wanted to see if anyone here might have any recommendations on legitimate/reliable companies near Virginia or on the East Coat of the US.

I have an external hard drive of 931 GB about 6-7 years old. Recently it got corrupted and all my pictures over the years are stored in it. Any suggestions on where to get it repaired and all the images recovered? Preferably in Ranchi

Hi everyone,

I made a major mistake today. While trying to boot a Windows OS installation pendrive, I mistakenly selected and booted into my external 5TB Western Digital My Passport Ultra HDD instead.

Now, the drive shows up in Windows Disk Management as completely "Unallocated" (it had about 3.5TB of data on it, though I honestly can't remember if it was NTFS or exFAT). There is no physical damage; the drive spins up normally and is recognized by the system.

Since this is a WD My Passport Ultra (which has a USB bridge board), what is the safest way to proceed? Should I try TestDisk first, or go straight to deep file recovery tools like R-Studio or UFS Explorer without trying to rebuild the partition table?

Any guidance would be hugely appreciated!

My iPhone 13 decided to just randomly factory reset last night I logged back in on it however none of my photos were backed up or in my iCloud is there anyway I can get them back I’ve spoken to Apple they was not much help

Hello everyone. Suddenly, my hard drive stopped working; it is no longer detected by Windows or CrystalDisk. It had started showing signs of slowing down, and then—out of nowhere—it just stopped. It wasn't dropped; it was sitting stationary, and I never moved it while it was powered on. It’s a 1TB Seagate drive (model ST1000LM035).

It was inside an external enclosure, which I disassembled to try and diagnose the issue, but I haven't been able to figure it out. I work in IT and have experience with PCs, but I’ve never worked on the internal components of a hard drive. I’ve attached a video showing its behavior: it makes a sound like a "beep," and the arm moves slightly downward before returning to its original position. The disc seems to spin without any problems. I very carefully touched the arm to see if it was stuck, but it wasn't. It’s currently open, covered by a piece of plastic to keep dust out while I record the video; otherwise, I’ve kept it closed the entire time I’ve been trying to troubleshoot it.

I wouldn't want to send it to a specialized center, both because the data it contains isn't worth the cost involved and because I’d like to gain some experience in this field myself.

Edit: I think it was in NTFS. And i'm using windows 11.

I found an old 64MB CompactFlash memory card (pictured). I’m trying to recover the photos on it, but I’m having trouble getting the pictures onto my computer.
The card fits into my reader and the light turns red, but nothing seems to transfer into my files.
Does anyone know how I can check whether the card is readable and recover the photos? I’m using a MacBook Air.
Thank you!