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MAXTOR External USB Sucks! 2
- Thread starter gwinn7
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Thanks Gary,
Hopefully the data recovery service is not my only option.
What I'm most curious about is would recovery software even work if the computer doesn't even detect the drive, and could the problem be with the usb connection and not with the hard drive itself?
If anyone understands how these drives work and has any incite I'd greatly appreciate an explanation/suggestion.
Thanks!
Brian
Hopefully the data recovery service is not my only option.
What I'm most curious about is would recovery software even work if the computer doesn't even detect the drive, and could the problem be with the usb connection and not with the hard drive itself?
If anyone understands how these drives work and has any incite I'd greatly appreciate an explanation/suggestion.
Thanks!
Brian
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- #23
Inside the USB housing is a standard IDE (or SATA?) hard drive. If you pull the drive from the case and plug it into a PC, it might detect.
If it doesn't, the problem is likely with the onboard logic card that comes attached to the bottom of the drive.
In which case, it would depend on the data recovery service if they are skilled enough to deal with that type of problem.
Although I am not certain, but I suspect that some "data recovery services" simply attach your drive and use the software to recover your data. Others, the really good ones, can deal with the actual electronics of the drive. But I am only making an assumption.
Here is a company I used once...
Gary
gwinn7
If it doesn't, the problem is likely with the onboard logic card that comes attached to the bottom of the drive.
In which case, it would depend on the data recovery service if they are skilled enough to deal with that type of problem.
Although I am not certain, but I suspect that some "data recovery services" simply attach your drive and use the software to recover your data. Others, the really good ones, can deal with the actual electronics of the drive. But I am only making an assumption.
Here is a company I used once...
Gary
gwinn7
Thanks Gary,
Here's a link to the drive:
Are you saying that there is a standard drive within this one? I didn't realize that. I'm familiar with USB enclosures in which you manually insert a standard hard drive but didn't know that this external drive is basically the same thing. The only difference between the two being that my device is manufactured with the hard drive already inside of the enclosure. Interesting.
If that is what you are saying, I should probably contact Maxtor support before voiding the warranty and ruining my chance of getting any help by breaking the seal on the case and manually connecting the drive to my pc.
Thanks a lot,
Brian
Here's a link to the drive:
Are you saying that there is a standard drive within this one? I didn't realize that. I'm familiar with USB enclosures in which you manually insert a standard hard drive but didn't know that this external drive is basically the same thing. The only difference between the two being that my device is manufactured with the hard drive already inside of the enclosure. Interesting.
If that is what you are saying, I should probably contact Maxtor support before voiding the warranty and ruining my chance of getting any help by breaking the seal on the case and manually connecting the drive to my pc.
Thanks a lot,
Brian
- Thread starter
- #25
Welcome, I am glad to be of help.
Voiding your warranty is strictly your call. I can only relate my experience. When I opened the USB housing I found only, what appeared to be, a standard internal IDE hard drive.
Yes, I agree. Contact Maxtor and ask them to advise you.
Gary
Voiding your warranty is strictly your call. I can only relate my experience. When I opened the USB housing I found only, what appeared to be, a standard internal IDE hard drive.
Yes, I agree. Contact Maxtor and ask them to advise you.
Gary
Thanks Gary,
You had said:
"Inside the USB housing is a standard IDE (or SATA?) hard drive. If you pull the drive from the case and plug it into a PC, it might detect. If it doesn't, the problem is likely with the onboard logic card that comes attached to the bottom of the drive."
and
"When I opened the USB housing I found only, what appeared to be, a standard internal IDE hard drive."
When you opened the housing did you try to connect the drive to your pc and I'm assuming that the standard drive had a connector for the IDE ribbon and a port for the power?
Would you please elaborate a little bit on the "onboard logic card" attached to the bottom of the drive? I've never seen a standard IDE drive with one of these.
Thanks again,
Brian
You had said:
"Inside the USB housing is a standard IDE (or SATA?) hard drive. If you pull the drive from the case and plug it into a PC, it might detect. If it doesn't, the problem is likely with the onboard logic card that comes attached to the bottom of the drive."
and
"When I opened the USB housing I found only, what appeared to be, a standard internal IDE hard drive."
When you opened the housing did you try to connect the drive to your pc and I'm assuming that the standard drive had a connector for the IDE ribbon and a port for the power?
Would you please elaborate a little bit on the "onboard logic card" attached to the bottom of the drive? I've never seen a standard IDE drive with one of these.
Thanks again,
Brian
- Thread starter
- #27
No, I did not connect it to a PC.
Now, I am physically looking at that drive...
Yes, it is a standard IDE 48pin and molex 4pin power connector.
The model is 82100A4.
All IDE hardrives have a little bit of electronics attached to the bottom of the drive. It is a microchip circuit board to interface the computer IDE bus with the hard drive mechanics.
Gary
Now, I am physically looking at that drive...
Yes, it is a standard IDE 48pin and molex 4pin power connector.
The model is 82100A4.
All IDE hardrives have a little bit of electronics attached to the bottom of the drive. It is a microchip circuit board to interface the computer IDE bus with the hard drive mechanics.
Gary
This is for Brian619, who was asking about the software recovery solution and if the software could see the drive, even if Windows couldn't. The answer is yes it can. I downloaded (and subsequently bought) a program called Recover My Files. The address is I am sure there are probably better ones out there, but I am also positive there are worst ones. What mattered to me was retrieving the information, which the software did. Plus the fact that I was willing to spend $50-$75 for this software, before resorting to the much more expensive professional data recovery solutions. For the sake of not extending this post well past several paragraphs, I wont go into the details of the drive losing its partition twice, but suffice to say the software saw the information there both times. Luckily, the 2nd time it lost its partition, I had just copied all the info. back to the drive and was only letting it run (without accessing any of the files) in a "test status". Hopefully this help you some.
Mike
Mike
Thanks Gary and Mike!
Gary - Thanks for the suggestion. I downloaded Recover My Files. I was shocked and got really excited when you said that the software could detect drives that Windows was not able to. I installed the software and in reading through the Help and Knowledgebase I read that this unfortunately isn't the case. It CAN in fact detect data from a storage device where the drive letter isn't recognized (Very Cool), but Windows MUST at least be able to see the physical drive in order to scan for data. In the console the only physical drive available for selection is the C: drive.
"Recover My Files can recover data from various types of file storage media including; Hard Drives; Floppy disks; Zip Disks; Digital camera cards; USB Drives; or any other storage device where the Drive Letter [e.g. C; D; E; etc] can be seen or the physical drive recognized."
If I missed a step or if you have more ideas related to Recover My Files or other recovery software I'd appreciate it.
Another idea:
When I connect this drive to power it makes a one-second-long buzzing or whining sounds about every second.
Assuming that the internal hard drive is failing, Do you think that the buzzing sound that I hear could actually be the "clicking" of the hard drive but it sounds like buzzing because of the electrical components in the housing?
This would be bad news
Good news would be that it isn't the hard drive that is failing. Rather, some electrical component of the housing is hosed and it is prohibiting Windows from recognizing the drive. I don't care about the housing - I just want my data.
Thanks!
Brian
Gary - Thanks for the suggestion. I downloaded Recover My Files. I was shocked and got really excited when you said that the software could detect drives that Windows was not able to. I installed the software and in reading through the Help and Knowledgebase I read that this unfortunately isn't the case. It CAN in fact detect data from a storage device where the drive letter isn't recognized (Very Cool), but Windows MUST at least be able to see the physical drive in order to scan for data. In the console the only physical drive available for selection is the C: drive.
"Recover My Files can recover data from various types of file storage media including; Hard Drives; Floppy disks; Zip Disks; Digital camera cards; USB Drives; or any other storage device where the Drive Letter [e.g. C; D; E; etc] can be seen or the physical drive recognized."
If I missed a step or if you have more ideas related to Recover My Files or other recovery software I'd appreciate it.
Another idea:
When I connect this drive to power it makes a one-second-long buzzing or whining sounds about every second.
Assuming that the internal hard drive is failing, Do you think that the buzzing sound that I hear could actually be the "clicking" of the hard drive but it sounds like buzzing because of the electrical components in the housing?
This would be bad news
Good news would be that it isn't the hard drive that is failing. Rather, some electrical component of the housing is hosed and it is prohibiting Windows from recognizing the drive. I don't care about the housing - I just want my data.
Thanks!
Brian
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- #30
Brian,
A failing hard drive that clicks is going to be very distinctive and hard to miss. If you are only hearing "buzzing", then its probably another type of problem.
I would suggest to you that you do not have much time to mess with the drive. If the head is crashed onto the platters (cause of buzzing???), there is a potential of really causing more harm to the drive.
If that data is that important, I would strongly consider contacting Maxtor asap, and if necessary, do the data recovery service option before messing with the drive any further. Take it or leave it, just my opinion. I just hope you can recover the data.
Gary
gwinn7
A failing hard drive that clicks is going to be very distinctive and hard to miss. If you are only hearing "buzzing", then its probably another type of problem.
I would suggest to you that you do not have much time to mess with the drive. If the head is crashed onto the platters (cause of buzzing???), there is a potential of really causing more harm to the drive.
If that data is that important, I would strongly consider contacting Maxtor asap, and if necessary, do the data recovery service option before messing with the drive any further. Take it or leave it, just my opinion. I just hope you can recover the data.
Gary
gwinn7
Brian,
My apologies..it was late last night when I wrote that reply. I was incorrect in saying that the software can see the drive, even if Windows can't. In my mind, I was thinking "if Windows can't see the drive", but meaning the drive letter itself, not the physical drive. Windows has to be able to at least see a physical drive there, even if the drive letter is missing. Have you gone into Computer Management and used Disk Management to make sure Windows can't actually see the drive? If the drive appears there, then the software will work.
Mike
My apologies..it was late last night when I wrote that reply. I was incorrect in saying that the software can see the drive, even if Windows can't. In my mind, I was thinking "if Windows can't see the drive", but meaning the drive letter itself, not the physical drive. Windows has to be able to at least see a physical drive there, even if the drive letter is missing. Have you gone into Computer Management and used Disk Management to make sure Windows can't actually see the drive? If the drive appears there, then the software will work.
Mike
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