I need some drastic help to possible save my marriage.
My wifes computer's hard drive has just died.
It wants to be initialized but cannot when i try to in winodws.
I get Incorrect function.
SO the drive is visible and if i can intilize i should be able to get of the family pictures she has on it.
Can anyone help me out.
Season of good will and all that other stuff.
Thanks

You could just put it in another computer with working operating system and you should be able to browse the files on HDD.

Try MHDD. Post here whether it sees the drive. If it does, include the make and model, and size, reported by MHDD in your message.

initializing it will not make the data visible

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You don't have to backup all of your files, just the ones you want to keep.

I did try in another computer and that is how i know it cannot be initialized.
i realize that if i initialize it that i wont be able to see the drive, BUT i should be able to use some other program to recover after that.
Is the MHDD drive hard to use?
should i set the pc up with just that hard drive in?
the problem seems i can only see when it is hooked up by USb and not directly connected.
Thanks

if you're using some other program for recovery then you don't need to initialize it

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You don't have to backup all of your files, just the ones you want to keep.

may be my issue is bigger than i think. because i tried a couple and they do not see the drive

USB adapter and HDD are different devices. I think you never see HDD, only USB adapter.

Now that you have the drive out of the computer, stop messing with it and tell us what kind of drive it is please.

the drive is a Maxtor 3.5 series N256 30gig Fireball 3 ata/133 HDD