Data on previous HDD is not accesbile .

[aringan]

I changed my laptops drive and I put a new SSD ! then I plugged the previous one to my laptop using USB to use my previous files and folders locating in the HDD. after I connect it no drives are showing up in "My Computer". I opened Disk Management and I get an error "Initialize Disk" which I attached the picture. no matter which option I choose (MBR or GPT) it won't recognize the HDD. and is listed as an unknown Disk, Not initialized, Unallocated.

I have some important data on that Drive ! please help me !

 

[crawfish]

I hope you didn't try to initialize your original disk... Anyway, I would remove the SSD, restore the first drive to its original role, and go from there. See if you can access the SSD over USB. If you can't, then there's your problem.

 

[aringan]

I hope you didn't try to initialize your original disk... Anyway, I would remove the SSD, restore the first drive to its original role, and go from there. See if you can access the SSD over USB. If you can't, then there's your problem.

thanks for your respond ! why it's not recognizing my hdd in the first place . and what makes the difference if I remove the SSD and plug the original one !

 

[andrew129260]

See if a ubuntu live cd or minitool partition wizard cd can see the drive and get data off of it.

Their are lots of options here:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/287439-emergency-kit-save-your-files-dead-os.html

 

[jumanji]

First try MiniTools Partition Wizard Home Edition 8.1.1 Free download Magic Partition Manager Software, partition magic alternative, free partition magic, partition magic Windows 7 and server partition software - Partition Wizard Online and run Partition Recovery Wizard and check whether any partitions and data are shown.

http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...-not-initialized-unallocated.html#post2386144

Here is a cut and paste from Microsoft answers http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...rd-drive/b3591e8a-a4c7-42b9-8b59-a22f3ecff547

"The problem is that the hard drive partition of the external drive is corrupt. You need to use the mini-tool partition wizard and it will scan the disk and recover the data. The reason no drive letter is being assigned is because the drive had an operating system on it that is now corrupt, and the partition is not being recognized by windows 8 so it does not assign a drive letter to it. Follow the instructions found here http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-devices/288692-disk-1-unknown-not-initialized-unallocated.html

and you can recover the data and the drive will work. After many hours of searching, this solved my problem."

Please report if that solved your problem too. If not we shall look into other ways.

 

[FerchogtX]

Mhhh maybe this is a silly thing but, is your external HDD enclosure giving enough power to the hard drive? maybe trying to recconect as internal as crawfish suggested may tell if your USB enclosure is faulty or not...

 

[jumanji]

He has already put it in an external enclosure.

So our first effort should always be to deal with it as it is. Only if such efforts fail, then will come the ultimate - removing it from the external enclosure and hooking it up as an internal drive.

So in the order of priority

1. Partition Recovery Wizard in PW

2. Live Linux

3. directly as an internal drive.

 

[crawfish]

I hope you didn't try to initialize your original disk... Anyway, I would remove the SSD, restore the first drive to its original role, and go from there. See if you can access the SSD over USB. If you can't, then there's your problem.

thanks for your respond ! why it's not recognizing my hdd in the first place . and what makes the difference if I remove the SSD and plug the original one !

I have no idea why the HDD is not being recognized. You said you have important data on the HDD, implying you don't have a backup, which means the first thing is to safeguard that data. If the HDD was working before, it should still be working when restored to its original role. If it is, then whew! your data is safe. You should also be able to plug in your SSD over USB to see if it works or not. If not, then USB is the problem. If your HDD still isn't recognized after being restored to its original role, then you have a more serious problem.

 

[Britton30]

I hope you didn't try to initialize your original disk... Anyway, I would remove the SSD, restore the first drive to its original role, and go from there. See if you can access the SSD over USB. If you can't, then there's your problem.

thanks for your respond ! why it's not recognizing my hdd in the first place . and what makes the difference if I remove the SSD and plug the original one !

To test if the USB is bad.
You said you put in a new SSD, did you install a Windows on it?

 

[jumanji]

^The OP had put in a screenshot of the external disk in his first post. So it is assumed that the OS is already installed and the USB port is working.

Again taking out the system drive ,putting it in an external enclosure and then Windows 7 or 8 throwing out this error message seems to be a common problem.

The Microsoft thread I had referenced in my post #5 deals with such a problem.In that, atleast one user as quoted in my post#5 has pointed to the Seven Forums Thread and the referenced it saying using PW as stated therein resolved his problem. Incidentally that referred to my post on PW in that thread.

 

[Britton30]

I never assume anything, gets me in trouble. OP has Win 8 in specs yet is at a w7 forum.

 

[aringan]

I hope you didn't try to initialize your original disk... Anyway, I would remove the SSD, restore the first drive to its original role, and go from there. See if you can access the SSD over USB. If you can't, then there's your problem.

thanks for your respond ! why it's not recognizing my hdd in the first place . and what makes the difference if I remove the SSD and plug the original one !

I have no idea why the HDD is not being recognized. You said you have important data on the HDD, implying you don't have a backup, which means the first thing is to safeguard that data. If the HDD was working before, it should still be working when restored to its original role. If it is, then whew! your data is safe. You should also be able to plug in your SSD over USB to see if it works or not. If not, then USB is the problem. If your HDD still isn't recognized after being restored to its original role, then you have a more serious problem.

Again, thank you so much. I did replace the drive and put it internally. then as I didn't have any OS to boot up "AS I had installed a brand new OS on SSD" I used the win 8.1 media and using the cmd I ran the xcopy command to copy everything from the that drive to another portable USB !

so yeah USB ports are working fine ! and I guess the reasons is what is mentioned in the post #5 by Jumanji
I had a windows on it's C drive (HDD) which was corrupted ! I guess I have to format it again !

Thank you very much to all you guys !

 

[aringan]

^The OP had put in a screenshot of the external disk in his first post. So it is assumed that the OS is already installed and the USB port is working.

Again taking out the system drive ,putting it in an external enclosure and then Windows 7 or 8 throwing out this error message seems to be a common problem.

The Microsoft thread I had referenced in my post #5 deals with such a problem.In that, atleast one user as quoted in my post#5 has pointed to the Seven Forums Thread and the referenced it saying using PW as stated therein resolved his problem. Incidentally that referred to my post on PW in that thread.

Thanks !

 

[FerchogtX]

He has already put it in an external enclosure.

So our first effort should always be to deal with it as it is. Only if such efforts fail, then will come the ultimate - removing it from the external enclosure and hooking it up as an internal drive.

So in the order of priority

1. Partition Recovery Wizard in PW

2. Live Linux

3. directly as an internal drive.

Seems reasonable. It's quite weird how can this happen... is the transfer to a USB powered connection the reason behind a partition corruption?
Anyway, I'm definetely bookmarking this solution just in case this happens to me one day

 

[jumanji]

The OP is knowledgeable and took to the route of running cmd from Windows media and use Xcopy command to copy all the files. Kudos. The solution is noted as another option. Thanks to the OP for sharing that info.

But for ordinary users who don't have such skills, or unable to invest in another external drive to copy all the files or don't have the Windows media, resurrecting the drive with PW would still be the first option.

( We missed a chance to get to know whether that solution indeed worked. Though one user had reported that it worked, I was interested in getting a first-hand report.)