External hard drive not accessible - how do I recover files

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  1. Posts : 12
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #1

    External hard drive not accessible - how do I recover files


    Hello, I am having issues with my external hard drive. I cannot access the drive from computer or device manager. I do see the icon for the drive listed but any left or right-click freezes explorer. The drive is a 1TB Iomega USB drive. I have tried to run chkdsk on it but it will not run. I do not have access to another computer at this time to see if the drive works elsewhere.

    2 things : I have gotten a popup on startup that I need to reformat the drive to be able to use it AND I have also seen the cyclic redudancy check error box. After searching for answers I believe the problem may have been caused by 1 or more instances of power loss to drive while connected to my desktop pc.

    Any help retrieving my files & photos would be greatly appreciated!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 408
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
       #2

    Hello BoyThisHurts!

    Do you mean the drive has been multiple times unsafely disconnected, due to sudden power off of the system? This is a very serious problem. :/

    Do you have data on the drive you want back or is it just the drive you want to fix? Can you post a screenshot of your Disk Management? How is the drive formatted?

    I would suggest you to change the cable with a new one and when you get the opportunity, try the drive on another PC. Most probably, though, the drive would be having hardware damage. :/

    CK_WD
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #3

    IOmega 1 TB external drive. You do not have access to another computer. Chkdsk will not run. That indicates that most probably your drive has turned RAW.

    How many partitions did you have on that external drive?

    As indicated by CKWD post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management with only your 1 TB external drive connected.(Please remove any all other external storage devices/Card Readers/USB Hubs/docks.)
    Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums
    Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

    Also download, install and run MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition 9.1 Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free

    Post a screenshot - the very first screen when you launch the application.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 12
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #4

    CK_WD...
    yes that is what I mean. I do have files on the drive I wish I could get off such as photos, some mp3s and misc. documents. I have other copies of some of those files on CDs but not a large percentage of them. Not real concerned about the drive itself it is about 8 years old...I can get a new drive.

    Tried to run Disk Management with the drive connected but after 6 or 7 minutes it was still searching. I was able to view device manager. The hard drive shows up there and in computer.
    External hard drive not accessible - how do I recover files-device-manager-shot.jpg


    jumanji...
    I did not partition the drive so it is in original state. As I said I could not get Disk Management to work as it was endlessly searching. I did download and run MiniTool Partition Wizard. After a LONG delay it did finish and returned a BAD DISK result for my external HD
    External hard drive not accessible - how do I recover files-minitool-shot.jpg

    Is there any course of action at this point to retrieve any of the data on this drive? Thanks very much for the help...you guys are awesome!
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #5

    hmmmm........If Partition Wizard shows the drive as Bad Disk, I tend to lose hopes.

    My main dilemma now is whether we should try all means to recover data as it is with the HDD inside the enclosure or we should take out the HDD, hook it up as an internal drive in a desktop and try.

    Let us wait to see what CKWD has in mind.

    I shall give it a thought overnight and come back tomorrow morning after about 12 hours from now.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #6

    Device Manager shows many drives. Which is the Iomega 1TB drive? Please remove all other USB external drives and pendrives and post a screenshot of Device Manager with only the Iomega 1TB external connected. Also a screenshot of My Computer. Is your PC a desktop? I see it so in the specs.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 12
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Okay thank you. All the Generic drives listed are card readers, there are 4 of them on the front of my tower above the DVD drive. They show up as drives F:, G:, H: & I: on computer. I do not have any other external drives hooked up. And yes it is a desktop pc with CPU tower.

    I am pretty certain that my internal primary hard drive is at the bottom of the device manager list & the external HD is the one listed right above that.

    I imagine there is not much hope for the drive itself, it can be replaced. But if I can get any of the files off of it by whatever means necessary I would consider that a win. Thank you.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 12
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Oh forgot to mention that I dug out my son's old laptop computer today and tried hooking the drive up to it with no success. Also tried a USB cable from my printer with no change. Clicking on properties of that drive in device manager said the device is working properly. And tried to update the device drivers since they were from 2006 but it searched endlessly without finding anything so I cancelled the search.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #9

    Why are you awake so early in the morning? I thought I could take some more time till you see the daylight to put out my overnight thought process .

    Ok, there is perhaps a Seagate Barracuda 1TB drive inside the Iomega external.

    Now piecing together all the info you had provided, I am of the opinion that your Iomega external is already on its way out. It is six years old. Initially you got the message to format it and also CRC errors - bad sectors. Now I think even those messages are gone and Windows Disk Management is just grinding and groaning - more bad sectors than before.

    Now how serious are you in recovering any data in it?

    You have to in any case buy another external drive to replace the Iomega. Buy a 1.5TB/2TB external.( No to 3TB: No Western Digital external drives other than Elements but again no "larger than 2TB")
    You may then clone your Iomega external to the new external using ddrescue. When ddrescue completes, all data in good sectors should be visible. ddrescue could also have recovered some data in the bad sectors. That would depend on how good the bad sectors are.

    Stop using the drive now so that no more bad sectors are created and you do not accelerate it to its end before you try ddrescue.

    Best method/tool for cloning a failing HDD for Data Recovery?
    Last edited by jumanji; 26 Sep 2015 at 09:47.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 12
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Okay. Have not hooked drive back up since testing on the laptop so will leave it sit until I procure another drive.
      My Computer


 
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