Troubleshooting & FAQ

Your Zilkee comes in two parts that work together: the converter (the device in your box) connects your old drive to your computer, and the Zilkee Recovery Wizard (a free program you install) walks you through every step and finds your files.

Most problems are solved in a minute or two. Find your problem below.

First, make sure you have the Zilkee Recovery Wizard installed. It does the work for you, so you don't have to hunt through your computer on your own.

Windows: go to download.zilkee.com/wizard/win
Mac: go to download.zilkee.com/mac

Type the address for your computer into your web browser and press Enter. The program downloads on its own. Open the file to install it, then open the wizard and follow along.

The blue light won't come on

The blue light means the converter has power.

Unplug the power adapter, wait 10 seconds, then plug it back in firmly at both ends.
Make sure the power switch clicked all the way to ON.
Try a different wall outlet.

If the light still won't come on, the unit may be faulty. Email us at support@zilkee.com and we'll help.

My computer isn't finding the drive

Unplug the USB cable and plug it into a different USB port on your computer.
Plug the USB cable straight into the computer, not into a hub or another device.
Restart your computer with the converter still plugged in and powered on.
Make sure all the cables between the drive and the converter are pushed all the way in.
For large desktop (IDE) drives, check that the 4-pin power cable is connected. The drive won't turn on without it.

If the blue light is on but the drive still won't show up, the Zilkee Recovery Wizard can often still reach the drive. Open the wizard and let it check for you.

Windows shows a blue warning when I open the wizard

If you see a blue box that says "Windows protected your PC," this is normal and the program is safe. Click More info, then click Run anyway. The wizard is signed by Zilkee.

On a Mac, if the wizard won't open, right-click it and choose Open, then click Open again.

My files were deleted or the drive was formatted — can I still get them back?

Often, yes. This is what the Zilkee Recovery Wizard is built for.

Connect your drive, open the wizard, and tell it your files were deleted or the drive was formatted. The wizard runs a deeper scan to look for them. This can take a few hours. You can leave it running. Just don't unplug the drive while it's working.

When it finds your files, the wizard helps you save them to your computer.

Windows is asking me to format the drive — should I?

No. Never format the drive when Windows asks. Formatting can erase the very files you're trying to get back.

Close that message. Open the Zilkee Recovery Wizard instead and let it work on the drive safely.

The drive is making clicking or grinding sounds

Turn the drive off right away.

Clicking or grinding means the drive is physically damaged inside. Running it more can make recovery harder. This kind of damage needs a specialist with lab equipment. We recommend:

Yellow Brick Data Recovery
214 N Main St STE C, Buhler, KS 67522
Phone: (620) 615-6836
yellowbrickdatarecovery.com

They take drives by mail, so you can use them no matter where you live.

The drive is asking for a "recovery key" or says "BitLocker"

Your drive is locked with a password (this is called encryption). No device or program can open it without the original key.

The recovery key is usually saved in the drive owner's Microsoft account. Look for it at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. If it was a work computer, the company's IT team may have the key.

Without the key, the files can't be opened.

My drive is an external (portable) drive with its own USB cable

The drive inside that plastic case is usually a standard drive, but it has to be taken out of the case first. Most cases pop open with a flat tool like a credit card. Do not force it.

Some Seagate drives are glued shut. If yours won't open, email us at support@zilkee.com before you try harder.

Once the drive is out, connect it to the converter like any other drive.

My drive is a thin green stick (M.2 or NVMe)

The converter doesn't fit this type of drive. M.2 drives need a different Zilkee adapter, the Zilkee NVMe/M.2 SSD Recovery Enclosure. If you have one of these drives, email us at support@zilkee.com and we'll make sure you get the right adapter.

Can I recover files from a phone or tablet?

The converter you have works with computer hard drives only. It can't connect to a phone or tablet. But you still have good options, and for most people the answer is easier than they expect.

Start here: your photos are probably already backed up.

Most phones copy your photos and contacts to the cloud automatically, often without you ever turning it on. If your phone backed up, your files may be sitting safe online right now, even if the phone is lost, broken, or gone. This is free, and it's the first thing to check.

If you have an iPhone or iPad (iCloud):

On any computer or another Apple device, open a web browser and go to icloud.com.
Sign in with the Apple ID (the email and password used on the phone).
Click Photos to see your pictures, or Contacts, Notes, and so on.
To download a photo, open it and click the download icon (a cloud with a down arrow).

If you don't remember the Apple ID password, go to iforgot.apple.com to reset it. You'll need access to the email address or phone number on the account.

If you have an Android phone (Google):

On any computer, open a web browser and go to photos.google.com.
Sign in with the Google account (the Gmail address used on the phone).
Your photos and videos will be there. Click a photo, then the three dots in the corner, and choose Download.
For contacts, go to contacts.google.com with the same account.

If you don't remember the Google password, go to accounts.google.com and click Forgot password.

If the files were never backed up to the cloud, and the phone still turns on and unlocks, our Phone Recovery Converter can help. It's a separate product from the one you have. It connects a working phone to your computer and copies over the photos, videos, and contacts that are on the phone right now.

Here's what the Phone Recovery Converter can and can't do, so you know before you order:

It can copy photos, videos, contacts, and files that are currently on a phone that powers on and unlocks.
It can't recover files that were already deleted from the phone.
It can't work on a phone that won't turn on.
It can't open a locked phone or get past a passcode you don't have.

If that fits your situation, email us at support@zilkee.com and we'll get you the right adapter for your phone (iPhone or Android).

If your phone won't turn on at all, or you don't have the passcode, our products can't help, and we'll tell you that honestly rather than sell you something that won't work.

Still stuck?

If you are having problems using your Zilkee, email us at support@zilkee.com and we'll help you get your files back.