External WD My Passport WD5000 LMVW Fault

[Nix]

Hi I have joined this Amazing Forum in the hope of some much needed help. I purchased this Usb external HDD around four years ago. All of our family photos have been placed onto it and I have no backup (a lesson learned) And I am not able to access it now. When I plug the device in you can here the drive spinning then a clicking noise starts happening and continues until the device is unplugged sounds like the read arm trying to find its position. The drive is listed MY computer and when trying to access it the system does not respond. I have tried to run wd data lifeguard but the system states 'not responding' when launch the app' but loads up when the device is removed. I have tried to run the program datalifeguard in DOS and again was not successful as when booting the laptop up with the HDD connected the device stays at the bios page until the HDD is disconnected. When on the HDD selection screen I plug the HDD back in but is not listed as it has not been plugged in from initial start up. I have run Ubuntu and the HDD is detected but will not mount.
Any help on this would be massively appreciated as these pictures are important for the family.I am willing to try anything.
Please see attachments I have taken out of case to show details.
I have tried two different cables and workstations
Many thanks

Attachments

[mr_spokk]

Clicking noice on those drives means that heads are gone.
Contact member: memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=5866
Or direct: http://www.pcimage.co.uk/

Regards/ Bosse

[pcimage]

Nothing you can do yourself/DIY.

Please stop powering it up, the clicking noise is the drive killing itself further.

[Nix]

Thanks for the replys what's the chances of recovering the photos?

[pcimage]

Depends on the level of damage, but 9/10 times (or more) they are recoverable.

[Nix]

Thanks for the reply I will have to get this off to a professional.

[labtech]

Common problem for clicks, where the internal mechanics, are failed on this model.
Needs clean room work and quality equipment. Fairly high chance of success on those, but depends on whether it was dropped or any physical shocks and whether any disk scratching occurred.