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external HDD not shown

SeriousToni

By SeriousToni
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SeriousToni

SeriousToni

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My computer took hours while logging out from Windows 7. So I switched it off manually. The problem is, that it somehow worked on my external HDD while doing this. Now it won't show in explorer anymore.

 

In my hardware manager it says "everything is okay" but when I open up Disk Management it asks me to initialize my disk. When clicking OK it says that there was an input / output error and closes.

 

I tried to acces it with Acronis Disc Director 11 and even with a Knoppix Live DVD, but it won't show the HDD.

 

I even cannot format it.

 

Is there a way to get my data / HDD back working?

 

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"Einen giftigen Trank aus Kräutern und Wurzeln für die närrischen Städter wollen wir brauen." - Text aus einem verlassenen Heidenlager

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demagogue

demagogue

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I've had issues with my computer not recognizing my external HDD before, or a message like "Press OK to Format this Drive", but to fix it I just had to unplug it and re-plug it back in, and it'd work as normal again. Your issue sounds more serious than that.

 

I don't know. If it's a hardware issue, AFAIK that sounds like the kind of thing where you go to a hardware shop to physically pull your data off and copy them over to a new drive, and now it's a paperweight. Or maybe they can re-format it themselves so it's at least useable. But hopefully I'm wrong about that and somebody else has good advice for you to get it working again. I have no experience with this, so please don't take my word for anything.

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

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Sotha

Sotha

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Certainly bad sign if you can't access the drive with any way. It is probably dead. Some programs might be able to see HDD SMART data, which would tell what aspect of the drive failed.

 

There are data extracting services which can grab data from a dead drive, but their prices are usually exorbitant.

 

Learn and start making regular backups! Regular SMART data monitoring could give away the approaching end of the drive, but dropping or otherwise mauling the drive can still insta-kill your drive. Backups, backups, backups.

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

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SeriousToni

SeriousToni

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I have most data on another drive but it's not all recently updated. So no BIG lost at least (if it really can't be saved). But also the hdd doesn't work (I can't format it) :(

 

Do you have a software tip (even if it's not freeware)?

"Einen giftigen Trank aus Kräutern und Wurzeln für die närrischen Städter wollen wir brauen." - Text aus einem verlassenen Heidenlager

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Sotha

Sotha

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Linux distros should have a command "smartctl."

It comes with smartmontools package

 

"mount" command lets you know the drive names. hda or sda or something

Then "sudo smartctl --all /dev/sda"

will give numerical data about various aspects of the drive.

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

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lost_soul

lost_soul

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Does the drive sound healthy? (does it spin up properly, or do you hear the continuous click of doom?)

 

Was it subjected to any physical trama at all? It goes without saying that if there is a serious internal problem and you keep messing with it though, you increase the chances of data being unrecoverable.

 

If it were me and it had important data, I would do the following.

 

*boot a linux OS

*become root

*issue "fdisk -l" to see a list of all hard drives attached to the system and partitions they contain. Even if the partition table got nuked, it still tells you the size of the drive so you can figure out which drive it is.

*use dd to make a backup of the drive. "dd if=/dev/drivename of=image.img bs=1M"

*use a program like photorec on the (hopefully) created image to see if you can recover files. Photorec recovers lots more than just photos.

 

Then I would try to reformat it like so.

*make VERY SURE you know which drive you are dealing with, then shred it or use ATA secure erase and try to recreate a partition table and go from there.

 

If the existing partition table got corrupt or damaged in a way that causes disk management to refuse to reformat it, whiping it should fix this. I had an old drive I was given, where Windows installations would complain that the disk was damaged and would not be formatted. Then I ran ATA secure erase on the drive and it worked fine after that. Still using it now, in fact. It has no swapped out sectors... one less pece of hardware in the trash.

 

Use S.M.A.R.T too as suggested above.

Edited by lost_soul

--- War does not decide who is right, war decides who is left.

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lost_soul

lost_soul

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So very true. I've read about some of those USB-to-SATA logic boards crapping out. Those sorts of things should be reliable, but then a lot of external HDs have less than optimal cooling so..

 

I've ripped plenty of external HD enclosures apart and used them internally. Nothing was wrong with them, I just decided I would erather have another internal drive than external. :)

 

Also I think S.M.A.R.T. does not function over USB

Edited by lost_soul

--- War does not decide who is right, war decides who is left.

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SeriousToni

SeriousToni

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Oh dear ^^ I guess I need to break it open because it has no screws and only this "kensington lock". I'll try this SMART stuff first if I can get it. The documentation for this scares me lol

"Einen giftigen Trank aus Kräutern und Wurzeln für die närrischen Städter wollen wir brauen." - Text aus einem verlassenen Heidenlager

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Obsttorte

Obsttorte

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In this forum they referred to this tool in cases of similar issues. It's in german:

 

http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?t=110869

 

Good Luck.

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SeriousToni

SeriousToni

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Hm I tried to connect it today again as I started my computer to try out the fixes you suggested. And now it's not even turning on <_<

I guess that was it and I'll try to send it back to Amazon :rolleyes:

"Einen giftigen Trank aus Kräutern und Wurzeln für die närrischen Städter wollen wir brauen." - Text aus einem verlassenen Heidenlager

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Bikerdude

Bikerdude

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whats the make and model of the hdd enclosure, I'll see if I can see how to get it apart.

Btw how old is it..? is it still under warranty?

I guess that was it and I'll try to send it back to Amazon

I guess that answers my question with regards to if its under warranty..?

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demagogue

demagogue

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Sorry to hear that Toni.

I was just telling another friend, no matter how advanced technology gets, Murphy's Law is still in effect.

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

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lost_soul

lost_soul

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Yeah, a lot of times disassembling these things voids the warrenty. I've seen enclosures where you have to pry them apart, but I'm a fan of the Iomega Prestige drives, where all you do is unscrew 2 screws on the back, slide out the caddy and remove the drive.

 

The idea of sending all your personal data to some random Joe sucks though. It makes a good case for encrypting the drive, writing the key on a piece of masking tape, and taping it to the HD. Ever have trouble? Rip the tape off and send away.

--- War does not decide who is right, war decides who is left.

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