External HDD failure - Urgent Help needed!

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BLaZor2

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I seem to have bad luck lately with external HDD's.

Just today, my 500GB Western Digital started to make humming noises much like a sine wave. Hum and go soft, hum then go soft.

I knew I was in deep **** when I tried to access the drive and windows explorer froze.

I've yet to try the drive on another computer but I have *REALLY* important documents and projects that need to be recovered. I'm familiar with Test Disk so I'll give that a shot later.

Also, I loaded up Computer Management to see the partitioning. It just says "Disk 2" "Not Initialized". Tried Initializing it and it gave an error, "incorrect function"

Please help. :(
 
hmmm. seems its toast. either that or the USB controller is. Can you not take it out and put it in the PC?

Also try download Hiren's boot CD or Parted Magic CD and boot into them and try test/access the drive.

Final resort, step aside for HTC okey.
 
Could just be a power issue. As mentioned, try and put it directly in the machine. Sometimes USB just doesn't have the required grunt. I hate relying on USB power for "large" external devices like this.
 
I'm thinking it has something to do with the power surges in the area. I remember last time the same thing happened this drive and it went kaput.

I'm afraid I've never tried taking apart an external before. Don't have a clue where to start. :(

With Hiren's Boot CD, can you copy the data from one HDD to another?

HTC?
 
3.5 HDD.

I'm currently watching a video on how to remove the enclosure. Fingers crossed this will work!
 
Disconnect from power source.
Loosen all screws.
Open cover(s).
Loosen internal screws.
Unplug HDD....

/what type of enclosure?
 
**** **** **** !!11

I plugged the drive into my pc and it was recognised at the BIOS bootup.
Now it says none and I'm worried to death it drive is gone forever!

This can't be happening again! :(

I booted up windows and it loaded up, it showed "F drive" but no geometry.
 
dude, Windows is expecting a fully working drive with readable partition tables etc, it obviously has issues.

Boot into recovery software like mentioned in the beginning and use the tools to scan/check the disk.
 
BLaZor2 said:
**** **** **** !!11

I plugged the drive into my pc and it was recognised at the BIOS bootup.
Now it says none and I'm worried to death it drive is gone forever!

This can't be happening again! :(

I booted up windows and it loaded up, it showed "F drive" but no geometry.
Click to expand...

Is the disk dynamic or basic?
 
Check the disk in disk management. Right click my computer, manage, disk management. Check there.

Oh, and perhaps clarify the current state of the disk? Not sure if its picked up by the BIOS/windows as mentioned by your previous post, or is it intermittent?
 
That's what I mean. It's not detected at startup and not even in disk management now.
It was detected but then explorer froze! I should have run testdisk while I had the chance. :(
 
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