Solved (uncommon?) problem with external hard drive

[suez]

Hello,

I am having problem which I cannot seem to find any information about anywhere,

I have an external hard drive attached to my computer. The drive is removed from a previous laptop, which stopped working. It has four sectors on it: OEM reserved, Boot, Local disk, and one more partition (which I made when using it in the old laptop).

Now, when I attach this drive as an external: I can enter the boot sector, and I can enter the other partition (through windows explorer). These partitions work just fine, and I have been able to recover data from the extra partition I created, (OEM doesn't show but it's not supposed to), however, the Local Disk one I cannot access at all (this is where the OS is/was stored when I used the laptop and has files I wish to recover).

If I try to right click and access properties, it just gets stuck and stops my computer working - everything dramatically slows down, and programs cease to function. So, I think this section on the drive alone is broken, I cannot explore it or do anything with it really. File recovery programs can't interact with it at all, and I cannot access disk management while the drive is attached.

Essentially, I just want to find some way to recover the files off of this partition/repair the drive, whatever will help. I have heard of things such as opening the drive or replacing the PCB, would this be an idea worth exploring?

Thank you very much for any advice you can offer,

 

[Imrankhan]

Use these tools to check your drive. SeaTools | Seagate
Ultimate Boot CD - Overview
Toshiba Support
Downloads | HGST Storage
Samsung

 

[suez]

Thank you for reply, but I don't know how I would use these - as I say, when the drive is connected, it stops the computer function, so I can't really run software or tests etc on it.

The drive simply being attached leads to adverse effects.

 

[Imrankhan]

Use option two in the link below. You won't have any problem.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/313457-seatools-dos-windows-how-use.html

Details needed to use Ultimate Bootcd.
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=13

 

[msalton1]

You may also want to run chkdsk. use the /f and /r switches (chkdsk /f /r)

And as far as opening the HD, that would be counter-productive.

 

[suez]

You may also want to run chkdsk. use the /f and /r switches (chkdsk /f /r)

And as far as opening the HD, that would be counter-productive.

I can't run chkdsk, because when the disk is attached I cant do anything. It just stalls completely.

 

[Imrankhan]

Have you tried this...

Use option two in the link below. You won't have any problem.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/313457-seatools-dos-windows-how-use.html

Details needed to use Ultimate Bootcd.
Ultimate Boot CD ? View forum - UBCD V5 Tutorials & How-Tos

 

[suez]

Thank you very much - I've attempted that, followed all the steps, but it just stalls at 'FreeDOS' on a black screen with a blinking cursor. It won't boot the SeaTools program at all.

 

[Imrankhan]

GUI(Graphic User Interface). He is just mentioning Warning message. Does it appear. When it shows FreeDOS, wait for it to load the Warning message.
If it doesn't load,
Maybe problem with Bootable USB Creation.
FreeDOS should load flawlessly, If properly created bootable device is selected.

 

[suez]

I'm really not sure. The USB stick works fine usually. Could it possibly need to be formatted in a certain way? I.e FAT vs. NTFS?

 

[jumanji]

Hi suez,

Check whether you can access that particular partition in the external drive with Live Linux. If you can, then you can copy all data in it to another external drive/pendrive of adequate capacity.

I would recommend you go the Lucid Puppy way. Easy to download and easy to create a bootable Lucid Puppy pendrive from which you can boot into Lucid Puppy.

Download Lucid Puppy (Ubuntu Compatible Build) version 5.2.8 ISO (132.6 MB) Download latest Puppy Linux release

Create your bootable pen drive using Rufus v 1.4.10 (616KB) Backup all data on your pen drive before using Rufus since all that will be lost when Rufus formats it.

With your pendrive connected, run Rufus, check your correct pen drive is selected.
In "Create a bootable disk using" select ISO Image with the dropdown arrow. (Leave everything else to dlefault.)
Cick on the Disk icon next to it and select the Lucid Puppy ISO.

Click on Start and allow Rufus to complete writing the ISO to the pendrive.

Close Rufus.

Now connect your problem external drive and another external drive on which you want to copy the recovered files and then reboot your computer.

Use the one-time boot menu and boot from the USB pendrive.

Wait for Lucid Puppy to load and you will be in the Lucid Puppy desktop.

On how to use Lucid Puppy see http://www.sevenforums.com/software/198909-lucid-puppy-way-recover-files-non-bootable-computer.html ( Read only what is under the topic Recovering files from the non-bootable Internal Drive: - In your case it will be your inaccessible partition on your external drive

Please note that all partitions will appear as drives and you should be able to recognise them by their size.

If you can successfully recover all data, then you may try to repair your drive with File Check in MiniTools Partition Wizard or format that drive.

I have given priority to the data recovery attempt.

 

[suez]

Hi suez,

Check whether you can access that particular partition in the external drive with Live Linux. If you can, then you can copy all data in it to another external drive/pendrive of adequate capacity.

I would recommend you go the Lucid Puppy way. Easy to download and easy to create a bootable Lucid Puppy pendrive from which you can boot into Lucid Puppy.

Download Lucid Puppy (Ubuntu Compatible Build) version 5.2.8 ISO (132.6 MB) Download latest Puppy Linux release

Create your bootable pen drive using Rufus v 1.4.10 (616KB) Backup all data on your pen drive before using Rufus since all that will be lost when Rufus formats it.

With your pendrive connected, run Rufus, check your correct pen drive is selected.
In "Create a bootable disk using" select ISO Image with the dropdown arrow. (Leave everything else to dlefault.)
Cick on the Disk icon next to it and select the Lucid Puppy ISO.

Click on Start and allow Rufus to complete writing the ISO to the pendrive.

Close Rufus.

Now connect your problem external drive and another external drive on which you want to copy the recovered files and then reboot your computer.

Use the one-time boot menu and boot from the USB pendrive.

Wait for Lucid Puppy to load and you will be in the Lucid Puppy desktop.

On how to use Lucid Puppy see http://www.sevenforums.com/software/198909-lucid-puppy-way-recover-files-non-bootable-computer.html ( Read only what is under the topic Recovering files from the non-bootable Internal Drive: - In your case it will be your inaccessible partition on your external drive

Please note that all partitions will appear as drives and you should be able to recognise them by their size.

If you can successfully recover all data, then you may try to repair your drive with File Check in MiniTools Partition Wizard or format that drive.

I have given priority to the data recovery attempt.

Thanks for the suggestion - but I don't have enough USB ports to try this. Is it possible to try recovering from one partition to another, on the same drive? If not, I would have to find another computer to attempt, but it may be worth trying this first.

 

[jumanji]

Don't you have atleast three USB ports free on your PC? - one for the Lucid Puppy pendrive, one for the problem external drive and one for the external drive on which you copy? If not, you can instead of writing the Lucid Puppy ISO onto a pendrive, burn the ISO to a CD and boot Linux from the CD.

Your problem external drive HDD was removed from another laptop because obviously there was some problem with that HDD. No point in saving your data to other partitions on that drive.

I do not recommend saving your data onto the system drive in your desktop. If you have a second data only internal drive on your desktop, then you can save the data into it.

 

[suez]

Don't you have atleast three USB ports

I only have two USB ports, and no CD drive unfortunately.

Your problem external drive HDD was removed from another laptop because obviously there was some problem with that HDD. No point in saving your data to other partitions on that drive.

The other partition on the drive is absolutely fine and functioning properly - I can add/remove/manipulate files on it without issues.

 

[jumanji]

On what PC are you connecting the external drive ?

Your system Spec says PC/desktop. OS: none

Are you having a PC/Desktop with no OS?

 

[suez]

Hi - please ignore the system specs, that was just a placeholder since it wouldn't let me register with blank. The same issue has occurred on multiple computers, so the problem is really just the drive itself.

I have actually now managed to recover data using a much, much simpler method! MiniTool Power Data Recovery has been able to read the drive, though I had tried this in the past and it hadn't worked, so I'm a little bit confused - but very pleased! The drive still has the same problems but somehow this software has managed to bypass what otherwise makes the partition unreadable. I can't actually access it to manipulate the files on it but MiniTool has been able to recover from it. I had tried things like Recuva, which couldn't scan it, so, again I'm not sure how but this worked.

Now I have all the data I need from the drive - but I cannot delete it, and there is sensitive content. How should I go about destroying it, when I cannot even delete, format or anything?

 

[suez]

Hello,
I still need some help with this, if anyone can.

I have been able to recover the data I needed but I have no means of erasing the drive.

 

[jumanji]

Are you able to see the drive with MiniTools Partition Wizard?

If seen, try to delete all the partitions with it and then wipe it.

 

[suez]

Thank you, but I have already tried this many times. The drive shows in Partition Wizard. I can manipulate (format/delete/erase/shrink etc) the other partitions without a problem. The problem partition, nothing can be done to it. It justs sticks at 0%. It cannot even be deleted.

 

[matts6887]

Hello,
I still need some help with this, if anyone can.

I have been able to recover the data I needed but I have no means of erasing the drive.

if you want to erase the problem drive; and windows can still see the drive; have you tried to do a complete format of the drive? doing that should erase/delete all contents on the drive and format the drive for use again as long as the drive is usable and in working order.