WD Elements Data Recovery Issues

[Master-Slave]

I'm currently in the process of trying to recover data from a 1TB WD Elements SE USB 2.0 Portable HDD with about 500,000+ files on it (mainly mp3s); however, the problem is that both EasyRecovery and R-Studio, while able to successfully recover data, are painfully slow - about 250MB/hour - and each indicates almost 180 days to fully scan the drive!

Although the drive is a relatively new backup drive, I'm sure this must be some kind of hardware/firmware issue on the drive itself (genius, I know)...but what might possibly cause this??? Has anyone ever experienced a similar issue with an otherwise "recoverable" HDD?

Any thoughts and/or advice from the more experienced gurus here would be most greatly appreciated!

[Tomset]

SlowResponding
Erase Relo-list and disable error handling.
eg PC3000-UDMA

[Master-Slave]

Thanks for your reply, Tomset...okay, so this is a firmware issue? If so, would a new PCB (swap) work?

[thatdellguy]

Step back and think about this for a second. Tomset told you this might be a firmware issue. Now the firmware mentioned is located on the platters. This is some pretty basic stuff. The software you mention is better suited for scanning an image of the failed drive and not the failed drive itself. Your likely to kill the heads before you ever get close to 180 days. Who recovers music?

[fzabkar]

@Master-Slave, you say that your drive is "portable". Do you mean that it integrates the USB hardware on the drive's own PCB?

[thatdellguy]

@Master-Slave, you say that your drive is "portable". Do you mean that it integrates the USB hardware on the drive's own PCB?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=1TB+WD+Elements+SE+USB+2.0

[fzabkar]

@Master-Slave, you say that your drive is "portable". Do you mean that it integrates the USB hardware on the drive's own PCB?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=1TB+WD+Elements+SE+USB+2.0

Elements models come in My Book (3.5") and Passport (2.5") versions. Both are "portable".

[thatdellguy]

Elements SE

[Master-Slave]

Thanks to all for your replies - I do appreciate them...

Step back and think about this for a second. Tomset told you this might be a firmware issue. Now the firmware mentioned is located on the platters. This is some pretty basic stuff. The software you mention is better suited for scanning an image of the failed drive and not the failed drive itself. Your likely to kill the heads before you ever get close to 180 days. Who recovers music?

Duly noted. Thanks.

Hi there.
If it's indeed the slow issue it can be solved at a very reasonable price by a pro.

This is encouraging!

This is how you fix the slow issue on wd drives manualy, if your firmware tool doesn't have an automatic fix for it :

http://malthus.zapto.org/viewtopic.php?f=86&t=848

You would still have to pocket out some money to buy a firmware tool that works with wd, like WDR or WMarvel, and this assuming that the problem is indeed just the slow issue and not dying heads...

Good info. Thanks.

@Master-Slave, you say that your drive is "portable". Do you mean that it integrates the USB hardware on the drive's own PCB?

Yes, unfortunately.


In the end, the drive was inadvertently re-formatted while not responding to/recognized by any of my Windows computers - except one. Given all the responses, I'm in over my head on this one (and I've restored HDDs in the past). Due to the re-format, I've almost assuredly lost a bit of data; still, I'd like to have the drive restored to its fullest extent.

Again, any and all data-recovery guru recommendations are welcome!

[Frozwire]

If it is a WD Elements then I think you should be able to remove the drive out of the case and connect it directly thru a SATA port (as what Spildit has suggested above) rather than doing the recovery via an external USB.

[DataPlanet]

This is WD Element the direct USB connector in the PCB it can not detect on any utility... unless you now the proper Formula... I recover many of the WD USB portable drives...

If you need data recovery services the minimum charges is $ 250.

If you want Formula it come with few hardware thing and a PDF document cost $500.

Skype:ontrack86

[fzabkar]

There are ways to do this job using freeware tools and a little bit of hardware, but you would need to convert the drive to SATA mode. You could either do this by hacking into the SATA Tx/Rx signal pairs on the existing PCB, or by transferring the contents of the "ROM" at U12, if it exists, to a compatible SATA PCB.

You would then use an MHDD script to read MODs 02 and 32, edit each module according to the instructions in Spildit's Oracle thread, and then write the edited modules back to the drive using a second MHDD script. Alternatively, you could purchase a one-month licence for WDMarvel for $9 to read and write the modules.

The total cost could be less than US$10, depending on your tools and skill.

[northwind]

...or $1000 for a DR company to clear the mess you've made.

[Master-Slave]

Thanks to everyone for the great feedback - again, the wealth of information gleaned from here is all very much appreciated.

So, I spent the whole of yesterday contacting various DR firms (here in USA) - with less than encouraging prospects. The general consensus, given my detailed description of the problem (which, I know, is hardly a substitute for hands-on diagnostics) is that I am looking at the "possibility" of clean room repair. Call me a cynic but, in my mind, this translates to eventual "necessity" (based on a previous bad experience). I've been quoted anywhere from $400.00 (basic recovery) to upwards of $2,000.00 (clean-room recovery).

If you need data recovery services the minimum charges is $ 250.

Ay, and there's the rub..."minimum" charges!


As the drive would have to be shipped just to be diagnosed (subjecting the drive to possible further damage) - coupled with the necessity (err..."possibility") of clean room repair$ - I've decided to attempt recovery with fzabkar's suggestion in mind:

There are ways to do this job using freeware tools and a little bit of hardware, but you would need to convert the drive to SATA mode. You could either do this by hacking into the SATA Tx/Rx signal pairs on the existing PCB, or by transferring the contents of the "ROM" at U12, if it exists, to a compatible SATA PCB.

You would then use an MHDD script to read MODs 02 and 32, edit each module according to the instructions in Spildit's Oracle thread, and then write the edited modules back to the drive using a second MHDD script. Alternatively, you could purchase a one-month licence for WDMarvel for $9 to read and write the modules.

Spildit's Oracle thread is simply outstanding. I dunno, but my gut tells me that this problem is indeed related to the usb "bridge" on the pcb (as I have been able to recover folders/files in their entirety with no disk errors - albeit slowly - via the usb port). I think bypassing the usb port may resolve the extreme sluggishness. Further info about any freeware tools and the one-month WDMarvel license is welcomed.


As a matter of possible interest, here is a more detailed description of the circumstances which have ultimately led me up to this point:

1. I formatted the (brand new) drive NTFS and transferred 1tb of (mostly) .mp3 files to it using my Toshiba WinXP 32-bit laptop. Routine - no issues.

2. I took the drive with me to Europe where I used it uneventfully with my Toshiba Win7 64-bit laptop (about 20 hours). Again, no noticeable issues.

3. I brought the drive back to the USA (my Win7 laptop remained in Europe) and plugged it into the original (Toshiba 32-bit) laptop. Not recognized!!!

4. I then plugged it into another (Toshiba Win7 64-bit) laptop - where the drive hovered between being "not recognized" to being very 'slow/sluggish'.

5. In a moment of curiosity, when the drive finally recognized, I thought I would format it via "quick format" - which ended up taking almost one hour.

6.) After quick-formatting the drive, NONE of my computers would recognize it - EXCEPT the Toshiba laptop (Win7 64-bit) which I use only in Europe!

QUESTION: Why is it that the drive is recognized ONLY by this one computer (which shows formatted) when all of my computers ultilize Windows OS?

The total cost could be less than US$10, depending on your tools and skill.

And maybe add some bit of "luck" to the mix.

...or $1000 for a DR company to clear the mess you've made.

Duly noted. I cannot say I wasn't forewarned.

[DataPlanet]

Yes I agreed with you cheap solution always damaged the data recovery drive by user try... then user come to us to recover and we have only one solution is to scrap the unit and move on. and now a days this problem is increasing!

...or $1000 for a DR company to clear the mess you've made.