Hi all,
I have a WD WD5000AAKS in my PC (it's my data storage HD; my OS -Vista- is on another one). Recently it started to give problems, more and more frequently, when I try to access data on it: windows stops working, untill an error message appears telling me that explorer is not working and needs to be restarted (or untill I kill and restart it manually with the task manager, of course).
Sometimes (now almost always....) windows does not boot anymore: it just shows me the flowing green bar forever (sorry, I don't know how to call it in english...). Same if I boot in safe mode (both HD are always detected when I reboot the machine, though). Everything works perfectly fine if I disconnect this HD, instead.

I installed the WD lifeguard diagnostic, and both the quick test and the extended test failed!! Sometimes, when I open this tool, this HD is not even visible.
Reading other posts in this forum, I have learnt that the most I try to access the HD, the worst it can get, and I'm afraid even to reboot the computer, because I might not be able to access the HD anymore!

The data in there are extremely precious to me. Any suggestion? any software recovery tool recommanded or should I send the HD directly to the WD recovery lab in Amsterdam?? Could it be just a degradation of the cable??

Many thanks in advance.

You have PM

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Turn the computer off and take the hard drive out. It is true that the more you use it the worse it gets.

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