Halo Reach Data Pad Locations

This guide will walk you through how and where to find each data pad during the Halo Reach campaign.

Data Pads 1 - 17

Data Pad 1:

Mission: Winter Contingency
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Mission Start

As soon as you've got control at the start of the mission, hop out of the chopper and run down the hill. A cloaked elite will start running along the lower path, from left of the gate. If you can tag him before he reaches the gate, the elite will pause and look at you, giving you time to bring down his shields and finish him off. This isn't easy. Don't waste a shot or you'll have to reload. May be easier done in co-op.

Data Pad 2:

Mission: Winter Contingency
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Alpha

When you and your crew hop into the truck, drive northwest. After crossing a bridge, keep left to drive into an area in front of some buildings. Look for the data pad in the building on the right.

Data Pad 3:

Mission: ONI: Sword Base
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Alpha

After blasting through a couple of wraiths, you'll follow a path to a village area. Climb the stairs in the northeast building to the rooftop and perform a running jump to cross the broken bridge and land on the rock formation behind the building. The data pad is across the rocks a bit.

Data Pad 4:

Mission: ONI: Sword Base
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Bravo

You'll ride an elevator up to a hall, blast through some enemies and regroup with some fellow humans fighting on the ground floor. Look to the north side of the hall for a passage into a side room. The side room leads to a ramp that'll bring you to the second floor. You'll cross three bridges to the fourth floor before reaching the hall with the data pad, located under a staircase.

Data Pad 5:

Mission: Nightfall
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Mission Start

As soon as the mission starts, hug the right canyon wall and look for a path. On the ground, along the left wall, you'll find the data pad.

Data Pad 6:

Mission: Nightfall
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Alpha

This data pad is really close to Rally Point Bravo but it won't appear if you load that point. Instead, go to Alpha and run through the area with the indigenous creatures. Ahead is a large set of buildings with myriad enemies and some fellow human fighters. We suggest just running through the area and avoiding the fight. Hug the right wall and you'll find a path that goes through some water, circumventing the area. You'll have to crouch-jump over a dam to reach the river bed.
When you reach the river bed, look on the right for a rock that you can use to boost you up to a larger rock above. Follow the rock formations until you reach a ledge and make a running crouch-jump to the other side of the river bed. Turn right and follow the ledge. There's a bridge that spans the river bed below. Drop down to the bridge. You need another running crouch rump to land on the slanted wall on the opposite side of the river bed. There you'll find the data pad.

Data Pad 7:

Mission: Tip of the Spear
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Alpha

You'll reach a large complex filled with enemies. Go to the upper level of the western building and drop through the hole blasted in the roof. Drop down a couple of levels and look to the left for the data pad that's on a shelf behind some crates.

Data Pad 8:

Mission: Tip of the Spear
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Alpha

You'll get to this data pad just after the first one. After storming through an enemy building, you'll emerge on the other side with some vehicles. Tear through some units and follow the canyon to an open area with a broken roadway overpass. Jump onto the pillars of the ruined overpass to reach the stranded platform and you'll find the data pad on the ground.

Data Pad 9:

Mission: Long Night of Solace
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Mission Start

After storming the beach and entering a dark building, you'll go through a couple of doors before reaching a room with a large, glowing table. Look for stairs on the left that lead into a small control room area with the data pad on the floor.

Data Pad 10:

Mission: Long Night of Solace
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Mission Start

Just past the room where the first data pad is, you'll continue down a narrow hall before entering the large hangar area ahead. Climb the first set of stairs on the right and turn left. You need to make a jump to a platform with a metal structure. Jump onto the angled part of the metal structure and then crouch-jump onto the top of the rectangular metal panel one step higher. From there, turn around completely and jump to another platform. Run up the makeshift ramp to find the data pad.

Data Pad 11:

Mission: Exodus
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Alpha

After crossing a large open area with the jet pack, you'll land in a warzone with tons of enemies. Shoot through 'em to get to the unlit catwalks overhead. The data pad is on top of the catwalk.

Data Pad 12:

Mission: Exodus
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Alpha

After the point where you get the first data pad, you'll exit to a large courtyard between two buildings. Fight your way up the stairs but don't enter the next building. Instead, follow the walkway to the right. You need to jump over the railing and use the jet pack to fly over to a small ledge created by a series of beams. Hop your way up the small ledges, taking breaks with each successful jump to refill your jet pack. The data pad is found atop a couple of air conditioning vents.

Data Pad 13:

Mission: New Alexandria
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Mission Start

As soon as you get into the chopper, turn northwest toward the large, double-pointed building in the distance. Just past that building is a shorter triangular-roofed building. On the opposite side of the rooftop you'll find the data pad.

Data Pad 14:

Mission: New Alexandria
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Mission Start

As soon as the mission starts, get into the chopper, fly up a bit and pull a 180 turn to face the back of the building. Fly to the building directly behind the one with the chopper pad and start floating down the side of it. The data pad is on an impossibly small ledge along the side of the building. You'll need to position the chopper as much on top of the ledge as you can and exit. Sometimes Noble Six will hop out the wrong side of the chopper and die. You want to land on the ledge to grab the pad. You can press DOWN on the D-PAD to warp back to safety.

Data Pad 15:

Mission: The Package
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Alpha

After going down into an interior area, pay attention to the condition of the walls. When the area starts to look beat up, you're getting close. Your crew will gather near a door and wait for you to activate it. Instead, look left on the floor for the data pad.

Data Pad 16:

Mission: The Package
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Bravo

Go to the weapons area to the right of the lab entrance you're here to protect. There are jet packs along the wall, though they're not highlighted by glowing icons. Equip a jet pack and turn around, running for the nearest turret that you're supposed to enable. Jump over the turret and fly onto the rock formation behind it. Follow the rock formation to the ledge and use the jet pack to fly across the chasm, landing on a small ledge around the corner of the building, under a bridge.

Data Pad 17:

Mission: The Pillar of Autumn
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Alpha

From Rally Point Alpha, you'll head down a hill to fight a bunch of enemies in front of some buildings. You can stay left and just run by all of the enemies, entering the building via some stairs to the north. Head up the stairs and go through the building to an outdoor walkway on the east side. Follow the walkway across another battlefield, go up a ramp, and look for a large gap in the steel beam barrier on the right through which you can jump onto the eastern rooftop. Go around the south corner to find the data pad.

Data Pads 18 - 19

Data Pad 18:

Mission: The Pillar of Autumn
Difficulty: Any
Rally Point: Alpha

You'll pass through an outdoor shipyard before entering an interior hall. Look to the right for a window you can smash out, letting you crouch-jump through the window opening to an office with the data pad in the back corner.

Data Pad 19:

Mission: Lone Wolf
Difficulty: Legendary
Rally Point: Omega

From the start of the mission, run down the hill, past the right side of the first building, and go up a ramp in front of a large pipe. Follow the walkway left and, at the end, jump onto a narrow landing at the end of the pipe. Jump onto the lip of the pipe and look inside of it for the data pad.

[Jazz]

What's the in-game item?

[Pitdog]

For completing this you receive a rare achievement and in-game item. The difficulty does matter as the data pads will not appear if on the wrong difficulty.

[Link117]

does the difficulty matter?

[Jazz]

What's the reward for these