MetaChat - AUUUGH! External USB hard drive with EVERYTHING on it failed me!

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25 October 2008

AUUUGH! External USB hard drive with EVERYTHING on it failed me! →[More:]I've never had an external drive fail on me before. BIOS doesn't recognize it, Windows tries to recognize it--it makes that little "doop-BE" sound when you connect a new device and then that little "BE-doop" sound about 10 seconds later, and it does this ad infinitum until I turn the power to the drive off--but it just don't work, on multiple computers. Symptoms are the same in Windows XP Pro and Vista Home Premium.

Are there any kind of utilities that can diagnose USB hard drives, or am I doomed to taking the thing to a data recovery service? Any bunnies that can advise me?

Sad thing is, there's only about 10 megabytes that I HAVE to have, the other 250 gigabytes is just ~~porn~~ crap.

No, I don't really have 250 gigs of porn. I know YOU do, but I don't.

post by: WolfDaddy at: 15:09 | 10 comments

i can't help, but i am horrified on your behalf.
i think porn gigs use to be something different.

posted by ethylene 25 October | 15:28

I'm horrified on your behalf as well. I'm really not so good with technical support, but moral support I can do. Hugs! Whuffles! Hot chocolate!

posted by Stewriffic 25 October | 16:56

O noes! Sorry I no can help I strictly Mac girl.

posted by gomichild 25 October | 18:12

If you don't want to go to a data recovery service, you could try to take the enclosure apart and get the bare hard drive out, and try installing that into your computer as a second drive. It's possible that just the enclosure electronics have failed.

posted by DarkForest 25 October | 19:55

Assuming it's a 3.5" hard drive that is. Not sure how to install a 2.5" drive in a PC. Don't be mad at me if it blows up in your face.

posted by DarkForest 25 October | 19:59

I thought of that, DarkForest, but I don't have a spare power connector in my new rig. I had to sacrifice the blue LED power switch light so I would have a second connector for my damn video card. But, Angie's List has pointed me to a geeky type computer hospital that's open tomorrow and is close by so I will see what they say and go from there.

NOT going to keep any more spreadsheets and boilerplate leases on this drive though. Sigh.

posted by WolfDaddy 25 October | 20:25

Oh, I'm a dunce and forgot to thank everyone for kind words and whuffles! I'm sorry, my brain is mush right now :-)

posted by WolfDaddy 25 October | 20:43

you need one of these? you can probably get one at radio shack.

posted by DarkForest 25 October | 23:19

AAUGH!
FLASHBACKS.
I'm sorry man. That sucks.

posted by CitrusFreak12 26 October | 16:42

have you tried booting with a Ubuntu LiveCD? it might recognize the drive where WinXP fails.

posted by heeeraldo 28 October | 01:49

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