An external USB3 WD Passport no longer "accessible"

gigagiggles · 11 Jan 2013

Windows 7x64 home premium sp1

I can no longer access an external HD. The other two are still accessible through a USB3 hub.

Adminstrative tools/computer management/disk storage recognizes the drive as empty when it should be two-thirds full. Last backed-up some time ago.

I lost "access" after the following "event":

A downloaded .mp4 did not result in an video icon while browsing with XNView as file manager. As part of work-flow, I tried to move the .mp4 file from the C drive to the external drive. XNView stopped responding. I tried again later with explorer.exe with no success.

How can I regain "access", if possible?

Windows Security Updates applied Tuesday, Drives optimally defragmented by Auslogics Wednesday, lost "access" Thursday.

Can and will a "live" Linux OS overcome this obstacle?

braddersz · 12 Jan 2013

When transfering the MP4 file to the USB3 HD, I'm right in saying, It never completed and crashed? ( not responding )

If so, THe usb HD may well be corrupt.

jumanji · 13 Jan 2013

Hi gigagiggles,

Please upload a screenshot of your Disk Management with the external drive plugged in.

Mark Phelps · 13 Jan 2013

gigagiggles said:

Can and will a "live" Linux OS overcome this obstacle?

Most likely -- NOT. If the external drive is formatted NTFS, and the filesystem is corrupted, Linux is likely to refuse to mount it -- to prevent any more damage to the filesystem. There are postings all the time on the Ubuntu forum about folks simply disconnecting their external drive, instead of "safely removing" them, and the first thing they notice is that they can't access the drive anymore.

Also, while running CHKDSK might "fix" the drive, it has also been know to remove access to some of the filesystem while repairing it. To be safe, you would want to use some kind of data recovery app (one that does not use the existing index) to copy the files you need saved elsewhere, before running chkdsk.

gigagiggles · 13 Jan 2013

I haven't done anything yet. I've initially despaired and grieved. Now I'm calming my nerves to go the PartedMagic route. That route is expected to take at least a week from start to finish non-stop.

jumanji · 13 Jan 2013

OK, your external hard disk shows as RAW. It need not take one week to recover.

Just follow the recovery process under the heading "Recovery with Partition Wizard: SanDisk Cruzer Blade 16GB" in the thread Recover a flash drive turned RAW – Partition Wizard and TestDisk.

Good luck.