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External Hard Drive Really Need help here

  • 24-10-2007 3:48pm
    #1
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭


    hi

    In some serious bother here. I formatted my hard drive and installed fresh copy of windows. I backed up "my whole life" photographs, home videos, music etc. on my external hard drive Western Digital MyBook. Now I can't access the hard drive. I may have deleted all the partitions on my laptop before I installed Windows. But I thought this wouldn't matter as everything is in the external hard drive. Now I've attached the external hdd onto another computer and it's the same. Please don't tell me that the contents are not accessible now? I really need advice here please as I have no other backup and all my stuff is on here. Eagerly awaiting reply. thanks


Comments

  • #2
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    i can't understand why its now unaccessable on different computers. Was working perfectly before I formatted the hard drive


  • #3
    zod
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,025 ✭✭✭zod


    can u see a drive letter presented ? an empty drive , or does it give an error message when you try to access.


  • #4
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    zod wrote: »
    can u see a drive letter presented ? an empty drive , or does it give an error message when you try to access.

    there is no letter presented. If I go to device manager i can see it alright under drives. Before I formatted my laptop it would automatically open when I plugged in the usb. thanks for replying zod


  • #5
    Malice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,065 ✭✭✭✭Malice


    Can you see it listed under USB devices? Maybe it just needs it's driver installed?


  • #6
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    malice_ wrote: »
    Can you see it listed under USB devices? Maybe it just needs it's driver installed?

    yes it is listed. usb mass storage device. the driver seems to be ok. what is bodering me is that it's not accessible either in two other pcs.


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  • #7
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    when into administrative tools > computer management. It lists disk 0 which is my internal hdd which it says is healthy and disk 1 my ext. hdd which says its unallocated whatever that means


  • #8
    ollielaroo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 101 ✭✭ollielaroo


    AntiRip

    I've been in your situation before (a few times) and it feels pretty awful. The main thing is - try not to worry - that does not help. you need a cool head, at least untill you get some resolution.

    I'm a bit confused by your intro above - what exactly did you do?

    You said you backed up everything on the external Western Digital drive.
    Not getting smart with you but did you actually see the data being copied/moved to the external drive? did you verify that the actual data on the external drive got there, ie. plug into a PC/laptop and see your files?


  • #9
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    ollielaroo wrote: »
    AntiRip

    I've been in your situation before (a few times) and it feels pretty awful. The main thing is - try not to worry - that does not help. you need a cool head, at least untill you get some resolution.

    I'm a bit confused by your intro above - what exactly did you do?

    You said you backed up everything on the external Western Digital drive.
    Not getting smart with you but did you actually see the data being copied/moved to the external drive? did you verify that the actual data on the external drive got there, ie. plug into a PC/laptop and see your files?

    What I did, which I do maybe once or twice a year because as you know a pc/laptop gets slow overtime with all the programs installed on it, was formatted my laptop and installed fresh copy of windows. I've always stored everything on my ext. hdd so theres no question everything was on it because I work from it everyday. I have all my movies, tvshows, music, software, video and photos on it. So after I installed windows and plugged in my ext hdd and the drive letter isn't coming up. I've been told in another forum that the partition table has been wiped out and I need to go to a shop to recovery the data from it. Hopes this clears it up for you. ;)


  • #10
    ollielaroo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 101 ✭✭ollielaroo


    Yeah but I still don't get it..

    'unallocated' means there is no partition yes but I just can't see how that happened. Did you have the external hdd plugged into the laptop while you installed windows? If so,might you have selected your external drive instead of the hdd in the laptop when you beginning the windows install?

    It's just that I hate to see someone paying out big money for data recovery when there are other options out there.


  • #11
    irlrobins
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,541 ✭✭✭irlrobins


    The thing I can think of is that as part of the Windows install you delete all partitions on your hard drives, including the external one.


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  • #12
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    ollielaroo wrote: »
    Yeah but I still don't get it..

    'unallocated' means there is no partition yes but I just can't see how that happened. Did you have the external hdd plugged into the laptop while you installed windows? If so,might you have selected your external drive instead of the hdd in the laptop when you beginning the windows install?

    It's just that I hate to see someone paying out big money for data recovery when there are other options out there.

    you know, maybe this happened i don't know. the ext hdd may have been plugged in. Can I use Partition Commander or Partition Magic to recover the data myself? How do I make the ext. hdd operable again?


  • #13
    ollielaroo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 101 ✭✭ollielaroo


    I don't think either of those programs are what you need. Would you consider yourself generally good with computers? Yes.... good.

    It sounds as though you have somehow deleted the partition table on your ext hdd. It may also be benificial if you can remember whether or not in the process you also formatted that ext hdd.

    My advice would be to get another ext hdd (at least the same size/capacity of your ext hdd or more) and try to recover your data from your ext hdd onto another hdd using R-Studio recovery software - it's not that hard to use.
    <snip>
    You can tell this program to Scan your troubled ext hdd - which could take overnight. When it has finished scanning you can Retrieve all files to your new spare hdd - which could also take many hours.

    Like I said I've been in your situation before, I managed to get back most of my data.


  • #14
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    ollielaroo wrote: »
    I don't think either of those programs are what you need. Would you consider yourself generally good with computers? Yes.... good.

    It sounds as though you have somehow deleted the partition table on your ext hdd. It may also be benificial if you can remember whether or not in the process you also formatted that ext hdd.

    My advice would be to get another ext hdd (at least the same size/capacity of your ext hdd or more) and try to recover your data from your ext hdd onto another hdd using R-Studio recovery software - it's not that hard to use.
    <snip>

    You can tell this program to Scan your troubled ext hdd - which could take overnight. When it has finished scanning you can Retrieve all files to your new spare hdd - which could also take many hours.

    Like I said I've been in your situation before, I managed to get back most of my data.

    thanks m8. will give it a go and report back 2moro. ;)


  • #15
    The Denouncer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 435 ✭✭The Denouncer


    If that doesn't work check out my thread it will aid you.


  • #16
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    The Denouncer wrote: »
    If that doesn't work check out my thread it will aid you.

    OMFG!! This worked!!!! I have EVERYTHING back. What a brilliant brilliant little program.

    ollielaroo : I tried R-Studio v3.62 overnight and although it brought up everything on it (even stuff I've deleted way back) it had red marks on the folders and when I retrieved the folders, it was just empty folders.

    But I'm delighted this worked. You can imagine the amount of data there is on 250GB! :)

    Thanks guys.


  • #17
    Mr Mojo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 98 ✭✭Mr Mojo


    AntiRip wrote: »
    OMFG!! This worked!!!! I have EVERYTHING back. What a brilliant brilliant little program.

    Would a mod please add this to the Essential Free Software sticky?

    It could save someone a lot of time & anguish.

    Cheers!



    edit: The Denouncer - good work fella.


  • #18
    AntiRip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭AntiRip


    Mr Mojo wrote: »
    Would a mod please add this to the Essential Free Software sticky?

    It could save someone a lot of time & anguish.

    Cheers!



    edit: The Denouncer - good work fella.

    Very true. This little program saved me big time!

    TestDisk Download


  • #19
    DominoDub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,572 ✭✭✭DominoDub


    AntiRip wrote: »
    Very true. This little program saved me big time!

    TestDisk Download

    Hi Folks,

    Dam Maxtor Touch II 300GB drive is now in limbo ..("The file or directory is corrupted or unreadable") have just downloaded TestDisk and can see the drive content via TestDisk(Thank God! 2 years of CD to MP3 rips etc on the drive 200GB)

    Have done a small test copy of a file back to my PC itlooks OK.
    Will get a new external drive tomorrow and hope to copy my collection onto the new drive.)

    Question : Can I get my original drive back working as a backup one with TestDisk ?


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