Some Suggestions Please

leon · #1 30-07-2011, 02:08 PM

Hi Guys, dose anyone have any ideas of how to get data from a dead External Drive.

It just died, I turn off the computer with all things working OK, turn it on the next day and it wont even load up like usual.

Bugger, now what, so I try a few more times, still wont go, I notice that the Externals green light is on, but no movement or flickering, so I pull out the USB and power, and away the computer goes, all is well again.

I turn it off again and plug in the External Drive, Na, doesn't want to know about it and wont load, pull it out and were are again fine.

So it is obvious the the External is not well, any thoughts would be appreciated, thank you.

Leon

bobson (Bob) · #2 30-07-2011, 04:45 PM

Leon,

Since its external USB drive you can plug it in while computer is ON. It could be something in your BIOS (Basic Input Output System) that prevents it to load properly like boot sequence. But windows still can read it if you plug it in anytime you want since its USB drive.

If even then windows cant read it or gives you error make sure you unplug any USB device you have on your laptop/computer and try again to plug in only your external USB drive.

If still no luck then your external hard drive might be corrupted or dead.

There are many software you can use to try to save data from corrupted external or internal hard drives including thumb drives.

You can also try to plug it in someone else computer and see how it goes.

Read this, you will also find some suggestions of software you can use in the worst scenario:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...o/tips/4294038

cheers

Visionoz (Bill) · #3 30-07-2011, 05:56 PM

Leon

If it's a branded external USB harddrive eg; WD or Seagate or Maxtor - then you're practically up the s%%t creek mate - because usually they use some special boot manager firmware to allow the PC to partion and recognise it as a drive - and if it's just a harddisk that you put into a USB external caddy then it's probably the controller electronics of that caddy that's usually stuffed up and that situation is definitely salvagable

If you're still in WA and can send by post to me I'll fix it free for you - PM me if you're interested and I'll let you know which PO Box to send to

HTH
Cheers
Bill

Marke (Mark) · #4 30-07-2011, 06:56 PM

Worst comes to worst just buy a cheap ext case and pull the drive out of the old one and swap it over - most times when these things go it is only the case power and the drive its self is fine.

Ray? · #5 30-07-2011, 07:12 PM

One thing you might try is installing Ubuntu on your PC (I'm assuming that you have a PC), or a laptop if you have such. What can happen is that the Master Boot Record of the drive, that Windows needs to read, gets corrupted and then can't access the drive at all.

Ubuntu (Linux) doesn't need that and can access drives that Windows can't. I've had to do this myself when a drive has become corrupted for some reason and I've been able to recover the files easily. The only problem is that installing Ubuntu isn't as easy as the Linux pundits suggest, even though it's supposed to be the most user friendly Linux distribution ever.

If you have a laptop, or a PC that isn't used much, if ever, install it in that instead and play around.

Cheers

Ray

leon · #6 30-07-2011, 08:41 PM

Thanks guys very helpful, and Bill it is a Maxtor unit, so as you say i might be up that creek so to speak.

Leon

Visionoz (Bill) · #7 31-07-2011, 12:10 AM

Leon

Such branded ones do carry manufacturers' warranty - go to Maxtor's website (they are actually now owned by Seagate in Singapore) here: http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/sup...rns_assistance
and see if your unit still has warranty or not - worth a try because you pay only aro $30 for the postage and they pay the return postage to you in real quick time

On this page the first icon (lefthand side - orange colored button) "Check Warranty Status and Return a Single Drive" is what you click on first to see if you're still under warranty - some of these have 1year or others up to 3 years

Be prepared to do some paperwork if you can get the warranty because the webpages offer you to produce shipping labels etc - just read the instructions carefully as you go along

HTH
Cheers
Bill

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

Thanks guys very helpful, and Bill it is a Maxtor unit, so as you say i might be up that creek so to speak.

Leon

leon · #8 31-07-2011, 08:39 AM

Thanks Bill, but it is out of warranty, it is about 5 years old maybe even longer, thanks for your suggestions, probably not much point in sending it anywhere really.

It only holds all my images, but they (the Pictures) are also saved on another external just for this reason.

Leon

Mighty_oz (Marcus) · #9 31-07-2011, 10:43 AM

I had an external drive that did that suddenly stopped working

Got it ready for RMA and thought why not try it again. It worked for some reason and i got off it all that i wanted, then returned it.
Since it's out of warrenty u could take it out ? Put it in your comp might work ?
Also sometimes the drive mechanism can get stuck, so if u gently tap it firmly on a hard surface u may make it work again ? Worth a try as a last resort.
Anyways good luck with it.

Marcus.

leon · #10 31-07-2011, 02:41 PM

Well I tried it on another computer, still no go, pulled it out of its box and bashed it a couple of times still not working, so i suspect it is really dead, thanks for your help.

Leon

jenchris (Jennifer) · #11 31-07-2011, 03:10 PM

Last time I had a frozen drive, I did just that, I put it in a ziploc bag and froze it overnight
ran it up next day and imaged it before it died again

supernova1965 (Warren) · #12 31-07-2011, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

and bashed it a couple of times

Leon

CRINGE if it wasn't dead before the bashing it would most definately be after it

multiweb (Marc) · #13 31-07-2011, 04:58 PM

Hey Leon, stick it in the fridge for 1h or so then power it up. Best case scenario you'll get a 20min window to copy your files on another media before it dies for good.

leon · #14 31-07-2011, 09:38 PM

OK will try that Marc, and Warren I didn't bash it that hard, just a few persuasive taps so to speak.

Leon

BlackWidow (Mardy) · #15 31-07-2011, 09:59 PM

Hi Leon. This might be a total waste of time, but has worked for me in the past. I work in a computer electronics workshop and see many dead drives. In most cases it's not the drive but the electronics (board) that fails, and often it relates to the voltage side of things. I have often got them to work by using a cable that has two USB plugs on one end and the other plugs into the external drive. I then plug each USB plug into the computer. If the USB sockets are in pairs choose one socket from a diff pair. This often works. The other thing you can try is to plug the drive into a USB hub that is externally powered. This often helps provide stronger voltage an has worked on some drives in the past.

Good luck

Regards
Mardy

leon · #16 31-07-2011, 10:14 PM

Excellent suggestion Mardy thank you, well i have plenty of options open to me now.

Leon

tlgerdes (Trevor) · #17 01-08-2011, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray?

One thing you might try is installing Ubuntu on your PC
Ray

I think Leon would have better success performing brain surgery on his wife.

leon · #18 01-08-2011, 08:24 AM

Trevor, although the suggestions offered wont do any more damage as already exists, i have not done anything about it as yet.

Even if i did get it fired up, I have nothing to transfer the data to, and need to buy another external first.

You may have a suggestion for a good one.

Leon

Barrykgerdes · #19 01-08-2011, 09:04 AM

Hi Leon

If there is anything you want on the old disk let the minders of our morals think there is illegal pornography on it or "official secrets". I am sure they will be happy to re-construct the data if they think they can build a case out of it.

Barry

leon · #20 01-08-2011, 03:34 PM

Good one Barry..

Leon