Linkstation crash - now can't see the Samusng HDD by USB ?

[browny181]

Any help or advice greatly appreciated. I've had a Buffalo Linkstation NAS Drive (HS-DHGL) for last 18 months. Started crashing a week ago - Would start up then after about 15 mins the data would be unobtainable, the unit would issue error beeps and would have to be left for some time before the process could start again. Having researched problems with this unit on the net, it appears similar issues are very common, and its often the hardware inside the support unit rather than the hard drive that fails. I think the beeps the unit was pushing out referred to a possible fan failure, but I could be wrong.
Buffalo do offer to replace the whole unit in the event of such a failure - but you lose all your data. This drive was a family network backup drive, and contains everything from the last 5-6 years, photos, videos, music etc.
I made the decision to try and remove the internal 320GB HDD, and following a video on YouTube, was successful without any problems. The HDD transpired to be a Samsung HD321KJ SATA HDD. I purchased a SATA HDD USB Docking Station, thinking I'd hopefully be able to simply push the drive into the docking station, plug the USB into my laptop, and I'd hopefully be able to see all my data and drag it off to a new backup drive.
I've done this, the drive certainly powers up and spins, but I can't see it's contents through Windows Explorer.
When plugged in the laptop notices new hardware and tells me its installed and ready to use. In Device Manager, its listed under Disk Drives as a Samsung HD321KJ, as well as the internal HDD in my Vaio, but it isn't listed in any of the available drives in 'My Computer'.
I've no experience with SATA drives, having previously only dealt with IDE ones.
I'm confident but obviously not entirely sure that the data is still there on the drive - but I just can't see it.
Any ideas of how I might be able to get at it without having to send it off in the first instance to expensive data recovery...?
For info the jumpers don't have any connectors on at all and are all free.
Any help or ideas gratefully received... many thanks, Andy

[dobrevjetser]

Probably its not FAT or NTFS on that drive. Likely EXTx or UFS.
First make an image to another drive before you proceed.

Dobre

[pcimage]

Agreed.

It doesn't have to be expensive AT THIS STAGE, while the drive is still working.

[browny181]

Many thanks for your replies.
Is there a way Windows can see files from that kind of format using this docking station ?
Or will I just have to send the drive off for recovery ?

Kind regards

Andy

[dobrevjetser]

No, windows cannot see it 'just like that'.
You need a recovery program that can handle these file formats, if you drive has no physical problems (like bad sectors).
Therefore, BEFORE you do anything, image this drive to another one, or you could end up with nothing.

Dobre

[dick]

Hiya,
If you get yourself a Linux boot cd such as Linux Live or Ubuntu you could boot from the cd (not from the main bootable windows drive) and then see if you can see the partition and filing system. But you will have to take care as it is possible the drive is failing so that is why you are advised to have a by sector image of the original drive ASAP.

[DR-Kiev]

Buffalo Linkstation use xFS File System.

If HDD is ok, use UFS Explorer or R-Studio, open your drive and copy data from it. If first "mounted partition" is dead, use offset 14024808 sectors (start of XFSB), open it by UFS or R-studio too , and copy your data .

[hddguy]

Would need to be UFS explorer only for XFS. But physical damages, bad sectors or other condition that caused the initial fault and will likely continue to compromise the disk, should be identified first or else the recovery may not be so successful...