External Harddrive problems!

[Debbie]

Hi,

I have an external HDD storage device called Buffalo Mini-Station.

I recently connected it to my computer and although I can see it as a directory, a message appears telling me that i needed to format it to see files!!!!

I have loads of stuff on it and I don't want to format.

I have searched online and have tried a program called "Testdisk"

However, I am lost as to how to use it! I have attached pending results so far.

Can anyone please help!!!

Debbie

 

[Megahertz07]

Don't try to fix it or you may loose all data.
Ask Jumanji for help. He is the disk guru.
http://www.sevenforums.com/member.php?u=163641

 

[Debbie]

Hi Megahertz

Thanks for your fast reply.
How do I contact Jumanji?

 

[RolandJS]

Do you happen to know exactly what manufacturer/make and model the hard-drive is?

 

[Debbie]

Hi Roland,

Yes its a Buffalo Mini-station 160GB Model HD-PS160U2

 

[Debbie]

Attached is a screenshot of Disk Management info.

 

[Megahertz07]

To contact Jumanji click on the link and send him a message.
You should take a snapshot with snipping tool of the entire page of disk manager. Expand the columns so we can read them.
Post it as an attachment (go advanced tab)

Have a look at this similar post
Disk structure is corrupt and unreadable

 

[jumanji]

Windows Disk Management: Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image
Snipping Tool: How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista
Upload to Seven Forums: Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

 

[Debbie]

View attachment Disk Management.pdf

View attachment TESTDISK1.pdf

View attachment Testdisk after quicksearch.pdf

Hi jumanji,

Attached is the disk management info together with analysis result from testdisk

 

[jumanji]

On the face of it it looks like the filesystem in your Buffalo drive seems to have gone corrupt.

But I am not going to give you any instructions unless you post proper screenshots as outlined in the previous posts. Repeated here.

1.Use Windows Snipping Tools to take the screenshots in jpg. Read this: How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista

2. Upload the jpg images to Seven Forums. Read this: Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

3. If asked to post the screenshots of Windows Disk Management, adhere to the Guidelines here so that we can see all the information. Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

See the following screenshots: The JPG images show up in the post directly. No need to open pdf which is a pain.





We may most probably use TestDisk and you will be asked to post every screen or the screen I ask for and unless it is in the above format and clearly readable it is not going to help.

Now answer these questions.

1. How many partitions did you have in the 149.05 GB drive?

2. Is that capacity 149.05 GB correct?

Caution: Do not use TestDisk blindly on your own, unless you know what you are doing or rather what it will do for that particular command. .

 

[Debbie]

 

[Debbie]

Hi Jumanji,

Sorry about the attachments earlier.

 

[Debbie]

Hi,

I'm not sure about partitions. I did not actively create any.
The advertised capacity was 160gb

 

[Debbie]

I also used EASEUS and could see all my files in the search.

 

[Debbie]

 

[jumanji]

OK, I shall give the instructions tomorrow. It is already late for me today considering I was awake till 2AM today..

 

[Debbie]

Thank you so much Jumanji...I look forward to hearing from you

 

[jumanji]

Plug in only your faulty drive ( Make sure you have no other external HDD/Flash drive/ Card Reader/USB hub/Printer with USB ports is plugged in)

Run TestDisk.
1. [No Log] - Enter
2. Highlight/Select your 160GB Disk ( Select Disk and not drive with drive letter) [Proceed] Enter
3. Highlight/Select [Intel] Intel/PC partition Enter
4. Highlight/Select [Advanced] File System Utils Enter

Post the screenshot of the 5th screen that appears. Further Instructions will depend upon what appears in it. Close TestDisk and wait for it.

 

[Debbie]

 

[jumanji]

My trial drive Seagate GoFlex 750GB seems to have breathed its last. The screenshots at post#10 which I took yesterday night was the last of it. I had left it connected to my PC after taking the screenshots. Today it is not there. Now I have to buy another drive exclusively for my experiments.

Anyway, coming to your drive, [Boot] is highlighted. Press Enter and then post that screenshot. We will know the status of your boot records.