First Step: Stop Using the External SSD Immediately
When you delete a file or perform a quick format on an external SSD, the operating system marks those storage blocks as free space. The actual file data remains on the drive until new writes overwrite it.
To maximize your recovery chances, stop using the drive immediately. Avoid saving new files, running disk maintenance tools, or modifying existing documents. Disconnect the external SSD safely until you are ready to scan.
How External SSD Recovery Works Across File Systems
External solid-state drives are typically formatted in exFAT, NTFS, or APFS. RecoverHelper opens the drive in strict read-only mode so scanning can never alter your original data.
- Quick Scan: Scans the NTFS Master File Table (MFT) on NTFS volumes to restore files with their original names, directory hierarchy, and timestamps.
- Deep Scan: The default mode that combines Quick Scan with signature carving across the entire drive to locate files forgotten by the file system.
- Carving Only: Pure signature scanning for non-NTFS volumes like exFAT, FAT32, or Mac APFS, reconstructing files directly by header and footer patterns.
Step-by-Step Guide to Recover Deleted Files from External SSD
Follow these steps to scan your drive and safely restore your lost files:
- Connect your external SSD to your Windows PC or Mac.
- Launch RecoverHelper, choose your external SSD volume, and start the scan.
- Track live progress, throughput, and ETA while using the built-in preview to check discovered files.
- Select your files and choose a recovery folder on a separate drive. RecoverHelper blocks same-drive output to prevent accidental overwrites.
Supported File Formats and Pricing
RecoverHelper includes built-in bad-sector tolerance, skipping unreadable areas to retrieve as many intact files as possible.
Free for JPG & PNG right away; pair the free mobile app once to unlock every other format — also free. Nothing to buy.
- Photos & Images: Recover JPG and PNG photos instantly at full quality. Pairing unlocks camera RAW (CR2, NEF, ARW, DNG, ORF, RAF, PEF, TIFF) and HEIC images.
- Videos & Audio: Restore lost MP4, MOV, M4V, MKV, AVI, and WebM videos, as well as MP3, WAV, FLAC, and OGG audio tracks.
- Documents & Archives: Retrieve PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, and RTF files, along with ZIP, RAR, 7Z, and SQLite archives.