Urgent!! Help needed to recover lost data

rsvr85 said:

Susan - Is the 500GB external HDD now being recognised in testdisk?

No I dont think so - I have 2 x 500 gb HDD on laptop.

It doesn't appear to be able to locate it which is a shame. Do you think its worth running testdisk again or should it find it immediately?

gregrocker said:

I think these give you a good start. You have the option to attempt recovering data using a program, or have a shop there plug the external into a laptop drive cable to access the data directly.

Externals are normally laptop hard drives so in your case, with an external, I think you need the cable to plug it in directly to a motherboard, rather than an enclosure which sets it up to be an external USB drive.

Hopefully there will be even more software suggestions (freeware?) and maybe some UK shop or do-it-yourself suggestions.

Yes i've certainly had lots of help, thanks to you for pointing me in the right direction, and so I remain optimistic and will keep trying any suggestions I get.:)

Susan, another thought after re-reading your original thread: Do you have the windows.old folder in the root of your successful clean install of Windows 7? It has your files.

I have been studying that 500gb Fujitsu Handydrive. It is indeed a 2.5 hard drive for laptops in an enclosure with USB cable. The enclosure can be opened and it can be installed into your laptop for accessing that data directly. Or a 2.5 converter cable can be attached and then plugged into the mobo on any p.c.

Do you have someone who can do this for you? Perhaps a relative who is tech-handy enough, or a shop you recruit by calling and asking ahead?

I also notice the drive has a 3 year warranty. I would personally be calling them until I had my data retrieved. When I called off-brand Verbatim's external drive tech support recently, I got good service and a promise for data retrieval or replacement with any further problems.

I misunderstood Dwarf's comment earlier about enclosure possibly being at fault. Since he has been through this before, I'll bet he can steer you even more directly into getting that drive plugged in properly so the data can be accessed.

Dwarf said:

Hi Susan,

I've had a quick read through this thread, and I still think that it's the HDD enclosure that is faulty (I had that happen to me once - mine would disappear intermittently and at random). A new enclosure should solve the problem.

What is the make and model number of the enclosure?
Have you tried a different USB/Firewire (depending on interface) cable?
Whereabouts in the UK are you?

Hi Susan

Whereabouts in the UK are you?

Maybe we can find a member near you that can help.

Be security minded about this.

rsvr85 said:

Susan - testdisk should have detected the drive immediately whcih suggests to me that there's a hardware fault.

Dwarf & gregrocker have set you on the right path. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

yes it seems that way - i really appreciate help you have given anyway

I have uploaded a photo of the fixing screws which needs a very small tool to open it. Can anyone tell me what sort of tool I need and where I might get one?

my husband has a set of torx screwdrivers but none that small. It is unusual in that it has a spiggot in the middle