Problems with Portable USB Hard Drive

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1426 posts

Uber Geek

#485738 25-Jun-2011 12:57

go into your start menu and type "disk management" then push enter
under action (at the top) click rescan disks.
see if it appears, if its corrupted then it will appear as a black line at the bottom.

let me know what appears. if nothing appears, then ill suggest something else

PSLog

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#485805 25-Jun-2011 16:36

HI
Not exactly where I should be typing "disk management". I've tried it in the "Search programs and files" box but that doesn't come up with any options that look likely (cleanup and defragmenter).

Using Windows7

Rickles

2938 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#485808 25-Jun-2011 16:58

Click Start, click Run, type compmgmt.msc, and then click OK.

In left window click Disk Management. The Disk Management window appears. Your disks and volumes appear in a graphical view and list view.

R.

PSLog

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#485812 25-Jun-2011 17:04

OK. Done that and there is nothing displayed for any external drive.

Rickles

2938 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#485815 25-Jun-2011 17:17

Personally, I'd first try the disk in another case/enclosure (or use an external disk adapter - I made myself a little power and cable kit up years ago and it is a cyber-Godsend at times), and then GParted.

Bounty may have some further suggestions.

R.

b0untypure1

1426 posts

Uber Geek

#485885 25-Jun-2011 20:15

all external hard drives can be removed from their cases, to isolate the problem (whether its the drive itself, or the power cable/usb) remove the drive from its case, and remove the adaptor on the end of the drive. now you should have a power sata and data sata connection . connect it up to your desktop and see how it runs.

otherwise, i have tried this software 2/3 times and saved many peoples documents at my uni hall of residence for other students who get corrupted hard drives and want their essay or something off of it.

heres a link to that software....

http://www.easeus.com/datarecoverywizard/recover-raw-drive.htm

and guide ^

in addition, try going into command prompt (type "cmd" in your RUN program in ur start menu. cmd without ""

once in cmd, type diskpart
then type list disk
then see if your disk appears, if it doesnt then it must be a raw format or dead. if its a raw format the above suggestion in this reply will fix that.

lemme know how it goes

PSLog

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#485950 26-Jun-2011 07:55

Hi,
Did the diskpart list disk thing
Nothing showed up.
Have opened up the box and the (IBM branded but made by Hitachi) drive has a 40 pin connector through which it appears to get both data and power (did I say this was quite an old disk?!) so not a SATA disk.

Sounds like it might be a gone-burger.

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b0untypure1

1426 posts

Uber Geek

#485951 26-Jun-2011 08:02

did you try that easeus program i linked? if it doesn't show in diskpart, that is what you would use. then if it doesnt show in there (the easeus program) , its a gone burger....

b0untypure1

1426 posts

Uber Geek

#485952 26-Jun-2011 08:04

40 pin is IDE, you can still try plug it in via IDE to your motherboard

PSLog

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#485958 26-Jun-2011 08:31

did you try that easeus program i linked? if it doesn't show in diskpart, that is what you would use. then if it doesnt show in there (the easeus program) , its a gone burger....

Oh, sorry, no I haven't tried that yet: I assumed that it would have to see it to be able to work on the disk.

Does the IDE connection provide power too?

Looks like I have some more work to do.

Thanks for your help, Bounty

Rickles

2938 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#485975 26-Jun-2011 10:15

PSLog, where in NZ are you?

If Wellington I'd be happy to take a look for you.

R.

PSLog

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#485988 26-Jun-2011 11:16

Thanks for the offer Rickles, but I'm in Rotorua.

Rickles

2938 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#485991 26-Jun-2011 11:21

If all else fails I'd plump for GParted ... Windows doesn't need to 'see' it for this app to work its magic.

Answering your other question, the IDE connection is data (the grey ribbon) and power is provided separtely by those black and red wirse you see coming off the loom.

R.

PSLog

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#486018 26-Jun-2011 12:38

OK. I was wrong: it's not 40 pin. It has 43 pins used - the single one divides banks of 12 pairs and 9 pairs. these pins are all connected by a single plug. There is a further set of 2 pairs, separated from the others but these are not connected. There is not separate set of pins for power. There is no "loom": the drive just slides into a socket mounted directly on the PCB.

My gut feeling is that if the drive just sits there, hunting, while connected through a USB cable, there is no way that any software is going to be able to access it - but, I'll give it a go sometime in the next couple of days and report back.

b0untypure1

1426 posts

Uber Geek

#486067 26-Jun-2011 14:38

best of luck man

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