Seagate hard drive problem

[dustin]

There is data on this drive that needs to be recovered!

Seagate Momentus 40GB
Sn: 3KW441ND
Model: ST94811A

I have an external hard drive that has quit working. It is a USB connection. The drive shows up in disk manager but shows with no volume label (it won't let me add one and no file system)

Here is a screen shot. http://www.holidaylanes.net/harddrive.jpg
I get the same results on all the computers I plug this into.

I can hear the drive spinning. Let me know if there's anything i can do and if this data is recoverable. Thanks

All help is appreciated!!

[Vulcan]

I don't see a 40GB disk being shown in Disk Management in your screenshot, despite your comment - I see a 500GB disk (split into multiple partitions) and a DVD drive.

Where exactly do you see this 40GB disk, in that screenshot? I'm concerned you may be mis-interpreting the recovery partition on the 500GB disk, as being the 40GB disk, but that's just my guess...

Also, since you say that the data "needs to be recovered" (my emphasis), are you considering doing DIY, with all its risks - even some risks during diagnosis, let alone any recovery attempt (especially for those unfamiliar with the process), or is this data so valuable that you don't want to risk making the situation worse yourself?

[dustin]

I assumed the top partition was the drive, just not showing up as the full 40G hard drive, if that is not the case then i guess the drive is just not showing up at all? Is there anything I can do to try to make this drive show up? Will any software retreive the info on there if I cannot get it to show up in the disk manager or the My computer?

[Nick_CT]

You said the drive is a 'USB connection'. Have you tried taking the drive out of the USB enclosure and connecting it up directly to the computer via IDE/SATA?

[Vulcan]

I assumed the top partition was the drive, just not showing up as the full 40G hard drive

No. That partition is the 21.34GB recovery partition on the 500GB disk. That's what I thought you might be mis-interpreting as the 40GB drive

if that is not the case then i guess the drive is just not showing up at all?

That is my interpretation of the screenshot you've supplied, yes.

Is there anything I can do to try to make this drive show up? Will any software retreive the info on there if I cannot get it to show up in the disk manager or the My computer?

Windows-based recovery software is unlikely to be successful currently, since the drive isn't showing even in Disk Management.

There are many possible techniques which could be applied to try to diagnose the situation step-by-step (which needs to be done before any recovery attempt). However as I explained before, there can be risk even to diagnosis, especially for those unfamiliar with this type of process. Unfortunately you haven't answered my earlier question about your attitude to risk, and whether you accept that you might cause further (or, worst case, total) data loss, by attempting DIY. I don't want to encourage you to try things that are beyond your skill / experience / acceptable risk level, but it's impossible to accurately judge that remotely. You have to decide on whether you want to take risks.

For example, as I see Nick_CT has replied while I've been typing, removing the drive from that USB case for a direct IDE connection is one typical diagnosis step - but do you have an IDE port with the correct 44-pin connector (as used on 2.5" IDE drives like yours)? You would also need to take sensible anti-static (ESD) precautions, to avoid causing latent damage that way, and be careful how you handle the bare drive physically.

[fzabkar]

Is there a corresponding USB mass storage device in Device Manager?

How does Microsoft's UVCView utility see the external drive?
http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/USB_ID ... ew.x86.exe

[balemo]

Take the drive out of the usb enclosure and plug in as a normal drive.
98% of the time its the enclosure that fails not the drive.

[Vulcan]

@balemo,

Take the drive out of the usb enclosure and plug in as a normal drive.
98% of the time its the enclosure that fails not the drive.

My hit rate is different to your mention of 98% enclosure failures, but that's a matter of different experiences

Anyway, both Nick_CT and I already mentioned taking the drive out of the USB enclosure (see above), but note the problem I mentioned with doing that, when using a normal desktop PC. The OP has an IDE/PATA disk in that USB enclosure so, unlike SATA, it's not as simple as plugging-in the drive into a normal PC. Furthermore, while that could be done (either into a laptop 44-pin PATA connector, or via an adapter into a desktop PC's 40-pin PATA connector & a power source like a floppy disc power cable), there are some things that could happen, which would make things worse e.g. Windows chkdsk (actually autochk) could run on boot and, in that case, it must not be allowed to run.

For that reason (and several others), this type of diagnostic technique carries risks, as I mentioned before, requiring preparation to try to mitigate as many risks as possible, without introducing new ones.

[labtech]

Take the drive out of the usb enclosure and plug in as a normal drive.
98% of the time its the enclosure that fails not the drive.

Indeed this happens sometimes, but the percentage is way less than 98%.

More like 2%.