Hard Drive Help

[Aft3rmath]

I'm hoping someone here is slightly more experienced in hard drives than me.  At work we use Western Digital 1TB External Hard Drives to move data from computer to computer.  (I know, I know the internet would be a better option but its a long story)  Last week when I plugged it in and tried to access it, windows explorer froze and had to be restarted.  It came up in Disk Management as an unpartitioned hard drive and also showed up in windows explorer.  I tried running checkdisk, reinstalling drivers, and using WD's software to fix it but all I got was a message saying "Too many bad sectors".  I've tried to recover the data with Remo Recover but I got nothing.  Anyone have any ideas as to how I can pull as much data as possible off of it?  Ive got a month's worth of work and 220 GB worth of music that I'd love to get back.  Thanks!

[ClamSlammer]

I'm hoping someone here is slightly more experienced in hard drives than me.  At work we use Western Digital 1TB External Hard Drives to move data from computer to computer.  (I know, I know the internet would be a better option but its a long story)  Last week when I plugged it in and tried to access it, windows explorer froze and had to be restarted.  It came up in Disk Management as an unpartitioned hard drive and also showed up in windows explorer.  I tried running checkdisk, reinstalling drivers, and using WD's software to fix it but all I got was a message saying "Too many bad sectors".  I've tried to recover the data with Remo Recover but I got nothing.  Anyone have any ideas as to how I can pull as much data as possible off of it?  Ive got a month's worth of work and 220 GB worth of music that I'd love to get back.  Thanks!

I'd think that unfortunately getting at the data will likely void the warranty.  You could try to slave it in as a new drive via SATA, but that would mean cracking it open.

Before that maybe check out data recovery tools like this: http://www.easeus.com/partition-recovery/

[Anton Chigurh]

You tried another PC, usb port?

Is it with or without an external power supply?

[Aft3rmath]

It doesn't need an external power supply.  And I tried multiple ports and PCs.

[Flible]

I'm thinking that your only option at this point is professional recovery experts. They're quite pricy but if anyone can save the information from being sucked into oblivion, it's them :>.

I'm sorry, if it's recognized as an unpartitioned drive it's generally game over. One could check what a different PC sees to exclude that the PC is at fault.

[Xernicus]

I'd recommend using TestDisk to try recovering the partition table. That's really the only way that you can get files back yourself.
Mind you, if this data is important enough to you that it would warrant going to a data recovery service- the more you tinker with the disk, the lower the probability of 100% recovery.

If you need some help, I can offer some- but I'm super exhausted atm so I'm not feeling like writing out a tutorial.

[*Kiba*]

ya i had this problem before on a hard drive and the only real way to fix it is to  take it to a pro and have them get the dated back but like flible  said it not going to be cheap and if there anything that may be embarrassing on it i would just cut it up as a lose and  set it on fire lol hahaha sorry just had to do it 

[redy.]

There are a couple of tricks:

 

1.) Connect the Hardrive to a linux box:

I recovered data a couple of times that way. You can get a linux for a USB driver. Plug in and boot from USB.

Get the USB harddrive hooked up to your computer and connect to it over the linux.

Here a link how to get ubuntu on a stick and boot your box: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows

 

2.) Freeze the HardDrive:

As stupid as it sounds. worked twice for me in the past.

Get a freezer bag: (so the harddrive doesnt get wet)

put it with the harddrive in it into the freezer. (I would give it 4 hours to a half day)

Get it out of the freezer, out of the bag and connect it.

If that works, get the data down quick. (Have enough drive space on a different disk available to move data fast)

Here more info about Harddrive freezing: http://lifehacker.com/5515337/save-a-failed-hard-drive-in-your-freezer-redux

 

good luck

[Xernicus]

I'm curious as to what progress you've gotten in this past week.

Since the drive is being detected in the BIOS, i would strongly advise against putting the HDD in the freezer. That tends to alleviate 'stiction' problems with heads, spin-up probs due to bad bearings, etc- and will destroy the disk once it thaws.

[Aft3rmath]

I haven't had a chance to mess with it again yet.  I'll try TestDisk this evening though.  I can live without the data so I don't plan on paying to have the data recovered.