WD My Book Not initialized / Unallocated

[DeadlyKnight]

It was too good to be true. My transfers from my external hard drive keeps failing. It keeps showing an error which you can find on the print screen I have attached. Those files shouldn't be corrupted or anything. They haven't been touched or opened since their original transfer months ago.

Even the transfers that worked early this morning, they can't be copied anymore so this tells me there's an issue other than with the disk itself.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

Anyway go ahead with Getdataback Simple again and see whether you can see all the files intact before buying it.

(Ignore these observations if you had already bought Getdataback or using a pirated version - anything is possible. )

( I also think with MBR written back, Testdisk should see your drive. If it does one should only select Intel/PC partition ( Not EFI/GPT) with this specific 3TB external and then go to Geometry and change the Sector size from 512 to 4096 for it to read the data from the drive.

I had no choice to choose either NTFS or FAT.

Please tell me the steps in order to do this:

( I also think with MBR written back, Testdisk should see your drive. If it does one should only select Intel/PC partition ( Not EFI/GPT) with this specific 3TB external and then go to Geometry and change the Sector size from 512 to 4096 for it to read the data from the drive.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

UPDATE: Found out on my own. I didn't have TestDisk. Now I do. Here are the print screens. Sector size was already at 4096.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

Through Active Data Studio, we have a happy ending. Completed the transfer of the Windows folder. Now doing some few other folders. If GetBackData keeps giving me errors, I will try this software to get back my external hard drive.

EDIT: I forgot that Active Data Studio does detect my external hard drive but won't let me access it since it is labeled 'damaged'.

 

[jumanji]

You are going wrong with TestDisk. Now do not keep doing too many things at the same time. Especially TestDisk. Keep it for the final assault if you can't recover data with whatever else you are trying.( My recommendation is only GetDataback Simple. You are trying other things at your own risk.)

(Don't play with TestDisk if you don't know what you are doing. It can prove dangerous. You have already done all wrong steps, inspite of the general hints given "If it does one should only select Intel/PC partition ( Not EFI/GPT) with this specific 3TB external and then go to Geometry and change the Sector size from 512 to 4096 for it to read the data from the drive." You selected Mac (instead of Intel/PC partition) and then Analyse instead of Geometry.Further down if you give a wrong command you will ruin all data and make your drive unrecoverable.)

 

[jk22]

I have converted back the external hard drive to MBR, successfully.

How did you converted external hard drive into MBR ?

 

[DeadlyKnight]

I have converted back the external hard drive to MBR, successfully.

How did you converted external hard drive into MBR ?

My external hard drives, even the new ones (5TB and 6TB) are native MBR from what I can see.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

You are going wrong with TestDisk. Now do not keep doing too many things at the same time. Especially TestDisk. Keep it for the final assault if you can't recover data with whatever else you are trying.( My recommendation is only GetDataback Simple. You are trying other things at your own risk.)

(Don't play with TestDisk if you don't know what you are doing. It can prove dangerous. You have already done all wrong steps, inspite of the general hints given "If it does one should only select Intel/PC partition ( Not EFI/GPT) with this specific 3TB external and then go to Geometry and change the Sector size from 512 to 4096 for it to read the data from the drive." You selected Mac (instead of Intel/PC partition) and then Analyse instead of Geometry.Further down if you give a wrong command you will ruin all data and make your drive unrecoverable.)

I did not choose Mac. I chose Intel/PC. My cursor is only on the Mac option. It is not the one I chose. Also, I have done the geometry step and it was already at 4096, like I specified. Please do not presume the steps I have taken when I wrote nothing as such . I just didn't screenshot everything. So no, 'I have not done all wrong steps, in spite of the general hints given' like you are stating sir.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

Another completed transfer. Only have to complete the transfer of my USER folder and subfolders. Still having errors with my external hard drive.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

This is my external hard drive info (scan).

 

[DeadlyKnight]

My computer now detects by its own, my external hard drive (F: ) but in no way can I access it without recovery software.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

UPDATE:

-So far, Active Data Studio is the big winner between those other three in terms of recovering data:
MiniTool Partition Wizard Free
Acronis
R-Studio
GetDataBack

-Internal disk transfers are done. I am currently wiping the disk.
-External hard drive scans are still going after more than 24 hours. I am giving another chance to GetDataBack (transfers from the damaged external HD to another external HD) while I'm waiting for Active Data Studio to complete its scans. At the speed it's going, if no write errors occur, it will take me at least a week before the process is done and I can wipe the external hard drive.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I am also using NoSleepHD v2.0 to make sure my external hard drive does not go to sleep at any given time. The software keeps writing empty files to the disk every 7 minutes. Very useful.

Thank you to all who helped. Will come back with updates.

 

[jk22]

Which option are you using on Active Data Studio for this ?

 

[DeadlyKnight]

Which option are you using on Active Data Studio for this ?

-Tab 'Data Security'
-Option 'Active@ KillDisk'

 

[DeadlyKnight]

UPDATE:

-My internal disk is at 61% on the erasing process. It is on its 22nd pass out of 35.
-My external disk is beyond recovery in terms of recovering the files. I could succeed but only by going 1 file at a time which will take me a long long time, and only with the GetDataBack software which I have to endure errors each time I wake up. Active Data Disk doesn't seem to be able to detect any files on that disk. Therefore, I cannot seem to be able to recover the files with that software. You can see data about that drive with the attached picture.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

My friend made me think that maybe it's the housing (casing) that might be creating all these issues. My drive is not encrypted so this issue is out the window.

Anyone had a former experience with that?

Thinking about buying this product:

[USB3.0 & 2-bay Clone & SATA 6Gbps] Inateck USB 3.0 to SATA Dual Bays USB 3.0 External Hard Drives Docking Station Support Offline Clone Function for 2.5 Inch & 3.5 Inch HDD SSD SATA (SATA I/ II/ III) Support 2x 6TB, Tool-free & Support UASP, Black:

 

[jumanji]

WD My book is hardware encrypted by the enclosure electronics. The decrypt key also is in the enclosure electronics. ( Sata to USB bridge). Even if you manage to recover the data by direct connection which perhaps is out of question since your HDD seems riddled with too many bad sectors -which you have further worsened by repeatedly trying too many software and taxing it - - that data will be the encrypted data. It will be useless.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

Update:

-GetDataBack finally works. I guess the errors came from Active Data Studio doing scans on the same external hard drive while trying to recover the data at the same time with GetDataBack. I am at 59% and everything works so far.
-Internal Drive is at 95% on the wiping process with Active @ KillDisk (Active Data Studio)

Everything is going great so far. Might be lucky and be done by Monday. After that, I will only need to delete the partitions and format everything so that I get them to default condition.

Anyone know how I should proceed with the external drive that still has unallocated space? Thanks again.

 

[jk22]

Update:

-GetDataBack finally works. I guess the errors came from Active Data Studio doing scans on the same external hard drive while trying to recover the data at the same time with GetDataBack. I am at 59% and everything works so far.
-Internal Drive is at 95% on the wiping process with Active @ KillDisk (Active Data Studio)

Everything is going great so far. Might be lucky and be done by Monday. After that, I will only need to delete the partitions and format everything so that I get them to default condition.

Anyone know how I should proceed with the external drive that still has unallocated space? Thanks again.

If you mean that unallocated space looks like RAW ? Than use LiveUSB and you can explorer all files/folders.

 

[DeadlyKnight]

Nope, I meant to put the external hard drive disk, after the transfers are done, to its original working state.