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Dead External Hard Drive... anyone know a reliable data recovery service

peeler_feeler

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Dec 5, 2001
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It's my fault for not backing up the back up hard drive, but I now have a dead external hard drive, mostly used to store family pictures. It was a central repository for all pictures and other misc files. The drive makes a whirring noise and then a pop up message says I have to reformat the drive before using. Strange.

It's a Western Digital hard drive 1 TB. Does any IT or Techie terbite recommend a reliable recovery service that can attempt to restore the data and has a good success rate? I have searched online and there seem to be quite a few services, but I want to work with a company that is trustworthy and comes recommended.

Thanks in advance.
 

mandrill

Well-known member
Aug 23, 2001
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My external drive died a couple of days ago and my puter maintenance tech is going to try and transfer the contents to a new external. He said it would cost $150-$200.
 

rhuarc29

Well-known member
Apr 15, 2009
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I've never had a hard drive just go completely unrecoverable on me. Last year my system became very unstable, and I traced that back to the hard drive. I basically re-installed Windows on another drive, then re-connected the drive and transferred everything over. I recovered 99% of the files. Some needed to be repaired. The other 1% was a lost cause.

You don't have the same problem as me because you don't have Windows loaded on your external drive. I take it you've done error checking through Windows and attempted to repair the drive that way?
 

peeler_feeler

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You don't have the same problem as me because you don't have Windows loaded on your external drive. I take it you've done error checking through Windows and attempted to repair the drive that way?
No I have not done error checking through Windows. The drive, when plugged in via USB, opens up a dialog box about formatting before use. I have not done anything other than unplug the power and USB and left it alone until I figure out where to take it for repair. I don't want to play around with the drive and cause more damage.
 

mandrill

Well-known member
Aug 23, 2001
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ok $150 to $200 sounds more reasonable than $10,000
I'll keep this thread informed. My drive - I think - has developed some mech problems - i.e. loose connections or worn out components. I'll see what happens.
 

Twister

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Aug 24, 2002
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No I have not done error checking through Windows. The drive, when plugged in via USB, opens up a dialog box about formatting before use. I have not done anything other than unplug the power and USB and left it alone until I figure out where to take it for repair. I don't want to play around with the drive and cause more damage.
You can download seatools which is a diag for seagate but will check other hardrives. You can either install it on windows or burn it to a cd or usb and then scan your HD. It may give you an idea and attempt repairs if that's the issue. Its tough, because even external HD's fail and there is no security in keeping your files.
 

glamphotographer

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Nov 5, 2011
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Before you consult data recovery centres. Try this first. The hard drive inside the case may not be the problem. It can be the case itself or faulty cable that may be causing the problems. Sometimes the internal interface inside the case housing causes the hard drive to fail to connect. I have done this several times by cracking open the external hard drive case and using the bare hard drive as an internal hard drive and it worked. It turns out it was the faulty interface inside the case. There are videos on youtube that show you how to crack open the external hard drive case.
 

oldjones

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Aug 18, 2001
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A last ditch rescue that's worked for me twice is to put the drive in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for a few hours Leave the bag closed when you take it back to the 'puter and plug it in. Both times the drive revived. Third time, nope.

While it could be some physical deformation was readjusted by the cold, my bet is that overheated electronics had shut the thing down, and the cold brought them back into tolerance just long enough.
 

mandrill

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Aug 23, 2001
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Mine magically came back to life - at least for the time being.

My priceless collection of Sylvia Saint vintage porn lives another day!
 

WoodPeckr

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May 29, 2002
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A last ditch rescue that's worked for me twice is to put the drive in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for a few hours Leave the bag closed when you take it back to the 'puter and plug it in. Both times the drive revived. Third time, nope.
Mine magically came back to life - at least for the time being.
Drive is dying or maybe just a faulty connection.
In any event best to back up and save important stuff to another ex HDD or thumb-drive. I've been saving all important files to both lately so they are saved to at least 3 places to be safely backed up.
 

mandrill

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Aug 23, 2001
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Drive is dying or maybe just a faulty connection.
In any event best to back up and save important stuff to another ex HDD or thumb-drive. I've been saving all important files to both lately so they are saved to at least 3 places to be safely backed up.
Yes, it died again last night. I think a faulty connection because previously it came back to life when I tilted it upside down. I saved off all the important info that it was on it long before it's death.
 

Experienced1

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Nov 24, 2014
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Before you consult data recovery centres. Try this first. The hard drive inside the case may not be the problem. It can be the case itself or faulty cable that may be causing the problems. Sometimes the internal interface inside the case housing causes the hard drive to fail to connect. I have done this several times by cracking open the external hard drive case and using the bare hard drive as an internal hard drive and it worked. It turns out it was the faulty interface inside the case. There are videos on youtube that show you how to crack open the external hard drive case.



DO what she ^ mentioned and connect the hard drive through a sata cable to your motherboard

I had the exact same thing happened to me and after id did this it worked
 

SkyRider

Banned
Mar 31, 2009
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I heard somewhere that the external HD should always be plugged so that it is "warm". Cold starts are hard on the harddrive. Maybe old wives tale.
 

SkyRider

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cracking open the external hard drive case and using the bare hard drive as an internal hard drive
I did this once with a computer I found that had no internal hard drive. I (actually my friend) took an external HD and removed the case to install it as an internal HD. BTW: Remove your internal HD before you put the old computer on the curb.
 
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