External HDD RAW

recycler · 11 Mar 2016

hi to the forum

yet another hdd problem.my ext hdd is showing in "My Computer" and also in Device Manager but i cannot access it.can i just say first that i posted this problem in Performance & Maintainance but i was re-directed to this forum.it was working ok upto 5/6 days ago and i did a backup to it which appeared to be fine until the end when i got this message:

since then i have been unable to access it and i keep getting the following messages:

i ran a chkdsk /f and i hope you can figure it out because i dont think it turned out very well:

Chkdsk Log.zip

can i add i would be obliged if you could keep any explainations simple as i am not tech savy and i am new to this side of computers.

many thanks in advance

recycler

jumanji · 12 Mar 2016

A brief History:

1. Your Samsung laptop was not shutting down and you had to force a shutdown always.

2. You ran sfc scan now and derekimo helped get the CBS.log. It was a longish log file.

3. Then you decided to do a repair install !!!! (Why????)

4. In preparation for a repair install, you tried to do a Windows backup on a borrowed IOmega 1 TB external drive. ( Why????) The backup failed and threw an error code 0x80780034. The resolution for this has to be worked on your laptop.

5. Instead you ran checkdisk on the external HDD and now the external HDD cannot be accessed.

Now what?

We cannot trouble shoot your external HDD problem on an impaired laptop. You have to set your laptop right first. (If you have access to another working PC we may do that - troubleshooting your external HDD)

Before you try to do anything with the laptop, I do agree you have to back up all important data on it. But that does not require a system backup -pray tell me who recommended it. It is enough if you can just copy all the important data on to the external drive. Now that you had made that external drive non-operational, as derekimo suggested buy a new external drive and just copy ( Copy and not Move) all the important data to it. Do this first.

How to set your laptop right?

Have you made the Recovery Disks for your laptop? If not read your laptop documentation and try to create the recovery disks now. If Factory Restore from the Recovery Partition fails, you can try to restore from the Recovery Disks.

Run sfc scan now thrice. Post a new thread in Performance and Maintenance - people normally do not see old threads - stating just the shut down problem along with the CBS.log after three sfc runs. Wait to see if some expert can guide you to correct the problem without recourse to a factory restore or reinstall.

If no specific solution is forthcoming, you should be able to do a factory restore from the Recovery Partition on your Samsung laptop. ( You should read the laptop documentation - User Manual - on how to do a Factory Restore from the Recovery Partition.)

If it fails , use the Recovery Disks to do the Factory Restore.

If both these fail, only then you should think of a Clean Install with the proper Windows ISO and activate it using the product Key on the sticker. Make sure you can read the key without any error.derekimo had already suggested what you should do. So I do not want to repeat. :)

recycler · 12 Mar 2016

hi jumanji
firstly thank you for such a prompt and detailed reply.regarding this hdd which was very generously loaned to me from a family member so i am naturally very distressed.apparently it is prone to "dying" from time to time.i have twice before recovered it by running CHKDSK/f.as regards repair install it was suggested after i mentioned about corrupted files (after force close down).the backup was also a suggestion before starting anything which is always good advice.BTW shut down has been fine for the past few weeks(fingers crossed).I have not made those recovery discs but will check it out and get on it right away.i have a Recovery Media Disc supplied but i guess that is a different animal.as regards a second PC i do have a (very slow)XP SP3??just wondering since my computer seems to be shutting down normally do i still need to do the three sfc/scannow and if so do i re-boot after each?i hope i have replied to all your points if not please remind me later.thank you so very much again for all your help and assistance.really professional.

EDIT: it may take me a while to sort out the information regarding recovery discs/partition so bear with me please.

kudos

recycler

jumanji · 12 Mar 2016

It doesn't hurt to run sfc scan. Yes, after each run reboot. After the final third run, read the CBS.log. If it shows any corrupted files that it could not repair or you are unable to make out anything out of the log , post it in the Performance and Maintenance sub-forum for advice and help.( I have no brains on it and/or I don't want to break whatever (brains) is left.

)

The recovery media supplied with the laptop is good enough, provided you had kept it safely and it is not damaged in anyway...But from the User Manual find out if you can Factory Restore from the Recovery partition.These are the options in case you are advised to reinstall/restore your system to sanity.

Since you say that IOmega drive had always been giving problems, better invest in another good external drive. Backup advised only means the data back up and not the system backup. Just copy all the important data you may not want to lose to the external drive.

Once your laptop is cleared of any problems by other experts, we shall get on with the IOmega drive and try to restore it or recover the data on it as the case may be. I definitely do not want to do it on an old XP machine.

recycler · 13 Mar 2016

hi jumanji
dont know what the xp comment is about but whatever we can get over that.important thing is i am working on Samsung recovery disc(s).this time diff is a killer.i will do whatever is necessary and post back to you (or others) and we will take it from there.my sincere thanks to YOU for all your brilliant advice.logging off now and will chat you later.thank you again.

kudos

recycler