Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: File copying utility like rsync with error handling like ddrescue, for data recovery from a hard drive with bad sectors or hardware failure

Data recovery from failing hard drives with error handling like ddrescue.

Quick Answer: Use a file copying utility like rsync with custom error handling, such as ddrescue's approach, to recover specific files from a failing hard drive.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🛑 Root Causes of the Error
  2. 🚀 How to Resolve This Issue
  3. 🎯 Final Words

A hard drive with bad blocks or sectors is causing issues with file copying, resulting in slow speeds and frequent stalls. The average speed of 50 KB/sec with some reads dropping below 10 KB/sec indicates a serious hardware failure. The lack of error handling support in rsync makes it unsuitable for data recovery from failing hard drives.

The situation can be frustrating, as the drive's performance varies wildly, and files often get stuck for extended periods. The absence of audible signs of failure, such as loud noises, makes diagnosis more challenging. This guide aims to provide a solution for recovering specific files from a failing hard drive using alternative file copying utilities with error handling capabilities.

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • The primary cause of this issue is the physical failure of the hard drive's components, leading to bad sectors or blocks that cannot be read. This can result from mechanical issues such as a misaligned disk head, a failing motor, or other hardware problems.
  • Another possible reason for this issue is the degradation of the hard drive's firmware or the presence of errors in the file system, which can cause the drive to malfunction and produce slow speeds and frequent stalls.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Using rsync with error handling modifications

  1. Step 1: Modify rsync to use the --progress option to display progress information and estimate the total size of the transfer. This can help identify when the transfer is slowing down or getting stuck.
  2. Step 2: Use the --delete option to remove source files that are not present in the destination directory, which can help reduce the amount of data being transferred and improve performance.
  3. Step 3: Implement a timeout mechanism using the --timeout option to stop the transfer if it does not make progress within a certain time frame (e.g., 30 minutes).

Using ddrescue with custom scripts

  1. Step 1: Use ddrescue to copy the files from the failing hard drive, and modify the script to use the --verify option to check for errors during the transfer.
  2. Step 2: Create a custom script that monitors the progress of the transfer and stops it if an error occurs or if the transfer takes too long (e.g., 30 minutes).

🎯 Final Words

While rsync may not be suitable for data recovery from failing hard drives, modifying its options and using alternative utilities like ddrescue can help improve performance and increase the chances of successful file recovery. By implementing these methods, you can recover specific files from a failing hard drive and minimize downtime.

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