FastRecovery
How to Restore Files from Seagate External Hard Drive (7 Ways)
Whether you want to restore backup from Seagate external hard drive or just files, this article will help you to make it. Keep reading to get 7 feasible ways for Seagate external hard drive data recovery!
By Ivy / Updated on April 30, 2026
Seagate external hard drive is one of the most popular storage devices & backup drives due to its fast speed, reliable quality, huge capacity & convenient, so many users use it to store favorite photos, music, movies, documents, and even games as well as backup your files on the computer.
However, due to different reasons, you may delete files mistakenly or format the entire disk, resulting in data loss.
Don't want to lose them, right? This article comes to help and we will introduce you to several methods. Restoring backup from Seagate external hard drive is one of the best practices if you backup files on it in advance.
What can cause Seagate data loss?
You could experience a data loss issue if your Seagate external hard drive stops functioning or the files on it disappear. Typically, the following factors lead to the majority of data loss cases:
✍Logical failure: format, deletion, system corruption, and virus assault.
✍Physical Damage: Power surges, water damage, and overheating are typical physical issues. More seriously, your disk is damaged, making data recovery more challenging and time-consuming.
✍Mechanical Failure: The most common file corruption, relatively slow functioning, hard drive not mounting, etc .It usually occurs when stress or wear causes HDD's moving parts to stop functioning, preventing users from accessing data.
No matter what data loss situation you encounter, you still have a chance to recover files from Seagate external hard drive as long as they are not overwritten.
How to Restore Files from Seagate external hard drive
As mentioned earlier, there are many ways to restore files from Seagate external hard drive. So which one should you use?
- Some require you to backup files on Seagate external hard drive in advance using Seagate Toolkit, Backup and Restore, or other backup software. If you have, try this.
- While others require you to use CMD, which is complex for most users.
- Fortunately, there are still data recovery software or services to help you. This is the easiest and least labor-intensive way. 👉 Way 3 (still under warranty) or Way 4
Way 1. Restore Backup from Seagate external hard drive using Seagate Toolkit
Seagate Toolkit is one of the official backup software from Seagate that can easily protect users' data and give you a chance to restore files from Seagate external hard drive in Windows 10 or later.
Step 1. Connect your Seagate external hard drive and be sure it’s recognized. Launch Seagate Toolkit. Go to Activities and click Restore.
Step 2. Select the recommended backup plan to restore your data. If it is not working, you can try to scan and find other backup plans.
Step 3. Then, you will see your backup files. Select it and click NEXT.
Step 4. By default, it will restore the backup to the original location. You can also select a new location to receive the backup image. Finally, click RESTORE to restore backup from Seagate external hard drive.
Way 2. Retrieve Backup from Seagate external hard drive with Backup and Restore
Some users may also use Windows built-in backup software - Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to backup files in Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, etc. Follow the steps below if it’s your backup software.
Step 1. Connect your Seagate external hard drive. Then, open Control Panel > System and Security and click Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
Step 2. Under the Restore section, click Restore my files.
Step 3. According to your demand, choose Browse for files or Browse for folders. Select the target files, and click Next.
Step 4. Choose where to restore your files - original location or new location. Then, click Restore to retrieve files from Seagate external hard drive.
Way 3. Ask Seagate Rescue Service for Help
If you are using a Seagate backup plus drive and are still under warranty, it will offer you a free data recovery plan in case of data loss on this drive. You can check this benefit under your warranty card.
Now, send your Seagate external hard drive to them and ask them to recover photos, music, videos, etc. They will return your data through online cloud storage or a new external drive.
🔥Way 4. Recover files from Seagate external hard drive with FastRecovery
Also, if you want an easy and fast way to recover files from Seagate external hard drive, try all-inclusive data recovery software like FastRecovery instead of Seagate Rescue Service. It might take much more time and time (if you are out of warranty).
- Has a high speed and recovery rate.
- Recover deleted or lost data, such as documents, pictures, music, videos, etc., without losing quality, up to 1000+ formats.
- Search and filter individual files or folders quickly, saving your time and effort.
- Preview them before recovery.
- Recover specific files or folders, NOT all.
- Work on all versions of Windows operating systems: Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows Server.
Now, Free download and install FastRecovery on your computer.
FastRecoveryBest data recovery software for Windows PCs & servers
To restore files from Seagate external hard drive, please connect it in advance. Then, follow the next steps below carefully.
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Don't download and install FastRecovery to the Seagate external drive where you store deleted files, which may cause data overwriting.
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Any newly added data or disk formatting can overwrite data. Please avoid these operations after deletion.
Step 1. Open this Windows data recovery software. Then, click Deleted Files Recovery.
Step 2. Hover the mouse over the Seagate external hard drive and click Scan to scan.
Step 3. Then it will scan your Seagate external hard drive with Quick Scan and display all the found files. You can select files by Type (default) or Path, and combine them with options to sort, filter, search, and preview files.
- Sort: Sort files by name, date modified, type, etc., on the right panel.
- Filter: Specify the Type/Size (from Less than 512KB to 1GB above) to target your search.
- Search: Type the file name or extension in the search box to locate deleted files precisely.
- Preview: Preview files in a clear thumbnail, such as wav,ico, jpg, png, bmp, jpeg, tif, svg, gif, mp4, mp3, txt, xlsx, pdf, ini, docx, etc.
- The Type categories include all supported data types, including images, videos, documents, mails, web pages, compressed files, etc.
- Click the Deep Scan to find more data if Quick Scan fails. It will scan every sector of the disk and take longer.
Step 4. Select all the target files and click Recover.
Step 5. Select a new folder and click Select Folder to automatically recover files from Seagate external hard drive.Don’t save them to the original location, as it may cause data corruption.
Except for deleted files, it can handle other data loss scenarios well and recover files from formatted hard drive, fix RAW external hard drive without formatting, etc.
Way 5: Repair Disk Errors and Recover Files with CHKDSK Command
If your Seagate hard disk becomes abnormal, you can try to scan this disk and repair the error on it. Maybe you will be able to access your files afterward.
Step 1. Type cmd in the search box and select Run as administrator.
Step 2. Type chkdsk H: /f /r and press Enter. It will scan and fix all the found disk errors.
Note: If you suspect your disk has bad sectors, please add /x parameter to it. It will mark bad sectors on this disk and recover readable information.
Step 3. You may be asked to execute this command at the next startup, type y and press Enter. You can then restart your system to make it take effect.
Way 6: Show hidden files on Seagate external hard drive
Sometimes your files may be hidden instead of deleted if you can’t find them on your Seagate external hard drive. Try the following steps to show hidden files or folders in File Explorer.
Step 1. Make sure your Seagate external hard drive is connected and detected. Then, press Win + E to open File Explorer and find it.
Step 2. Check your Seagate external hard drive and click View > Options.
Step 3. Then, in the View tab, go to Hidden files and folders and tick Show hidden files, folders, and drives. Finally, click Apply > OK.
Way 7: Reinstall Disk Drivers to Make Your Drive Recognized
There is also a chance that your Seagate external hard drive is not recognized. You can choose to reinstall disk drivers and see if you are able to access your data.
Step 1. Go to This PC. Right-click it and select Manage > Device Manager.
Step 2. Expand Disk Drive, right-click your Seagate external hard drive, and select Uninstall Device.
Step 3. Wait until the process is complete, disconnect and reconnect your drive. Your system should read it now.
FAQs
Bonus tips for Seagate external hard drive data recovery
Restoring backup from Seagate external hard drive is the best method if you find any data loss in Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, etc. But if you don’t have available backup images, this method will become useless. You can only turn to data recovery software like FastRecovery. In addition, here are some tips on data recovery you can follow:
- Stop using this drive when it has failure signs. Because any operations (eg: add new data to the disk or format it) will decrease data recovery chance.
- Always remove external hard drive with the safe eject option.
- Turn to a data recovery service like Seagate Rescue Service, especially when your disk starts to make strange noises and fail to boot your system. Or it becomes inaccessible.
- Backup files from or to Seagate external hard drive regularly, depending on the data you want to protect. It allows you to restore files from backup as long as you find any data loss on it. Free backup software like AOMEI Backupper Standard is a good choice.
Does Seagate has auto backup software?
Seagate provides users with a backup software named Seagate Dashboard, which will backup all of your personal files as soon as they change or are added to Windows PC. Following are the brief steps:
- Open your Seagate external hard drive and double-click the installer to install and launch Seagate Dashboard.
- Then, click PC backup on the main page.
- Click Protect Now and Back up Now to backup your files on Seagate external hard drive.
How do I view backed up files on my Seagate external hard drive?
- Open your Seagate external hard drive and find the folder named Backup and with your PC name subsequently.
- Click on the C folder and go to Users > Username>Documents.
- Then, double-click this folder to view your backed up files.
How to recover files from Seagate external hard drive not detected
There are many reasons preventing your Seagate external hard drive from being detected. Before recovering files from it, you need to get the possible reasons below.
- Bad USB port
- Virus infection
- Data corruption
- Physical damage
Then, you can try a different USB port to exclude this possibility. In addition, you can also choose to reinstall drivers, show hidden drive, turn on the root hub, etc.
Wrapping up
Regardless of the reason you deleted the file, you can easily recover deleted or lost files in Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, etc. This post introduces how to restore backup from Seagate external hard drive as well as other 5 effective methods (without backup) to get your data back quickly.
Among them, FastRecovery is one of the most powerful data recovery software, which can recover deleted or lost files from Seagate external hard drive, up to 200+ file types. It is worth trying if you don’t have backup images.
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