Can't initialize external HD through SATA to USB

shawndsweeney

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Nov 13, 2017
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I had a 7+ year old computer die on me a few weeks ago. Fortunately, I moved all my data I needed to a new internal 3.5" 4 TB WD hard drive. I recall when I setup the HD That I could only use 1.8 GB (or something similar) of the space since my BIOS was old. I could have updated the BIOS but given how old the computer was, I just kept it as is.

Fast forward and I believe my HD with windows on it dies. No big deal as I now use a new laptop. I buy a Sabrent USB 3.0 TO SATA/IDE off of Amazon, plug it in and was hoping everything would just work! Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be that easy.

When I open up Disk Management, I can see the disk. But when I try to initialize it, I get this error. This HD isn't very old and wasn't the reason my old computer stopped working. It should work fine. I did some research and it seems however it was partitioned doesn't work with new systems? Someone suggested TestDisk to me, but when I run that, I can't even see the drive in there. Is there anyway I can view what's on the HD without buying a 7 year old computer?
 
Do you really intend to initialize the 4 TB hard drive? Doing so will erase your data.

What was the original OS on the old computer that died?

Was the 1.8 GB space you used on the 4 TB drive MBR?

Please check the following link but please DO NOT do anything per se. Just use the information provided as a resource to help you understand more about what may be involved.

I had the thought that a NAS enclosure would be a possibility but not so sure right now....




 


I just want to use it.. Figured i had to initialize it to view files on it?



I think windows 7



I believe so



Sorry, I don't see a link?



Thanks Bill Gates for the great system! :) Seems like buying an old working computer might be the easiest way??
 
Apologies. Not sure how I missed adding the link.

https://www.disk-partition.com/help/convert-gpt-mbr-disk.html

Instead of buying an old working computer find a family member or friend with an older system.

The important thing to remember is that anything you do could cause loss of data.

First identify the problem (which I believe to be a conversion issue) and then work out the process to recover accordingly.

Focus on getting the data safely recovered and accessible. Then you can address the 4TB HD and how you wish to configure it thereafter.
 
You may be able to salvage the 4 TB HDD and initialize it to the GPT-partitioning scheme by utilizing the Diskpart utility to "clean" the disk. I would guess you're not familiar with Diskpart; it's a most valuable utility included in Windows so as a PC user you should become familiar with it if you're not already.

Basically after accessing that utility and selecting the disk involved, i.e., your 4 TB HDD, the final command would simply be "clean" (no quotes). Do a Google search on using Diskpart to clean a drive.

After the drive has been cleaned, you can use Disk Management to initialize the disk to GPT and then partition/format it. Of course you do understand any & all data previously on the disk will be "gone with the wind". Capiche?
 


Unfortunately, that does me no good. This had all my pictures (most are backed up on an eternal, but not all) so I need access to the information. I could care less about using it after getting the data off of it.

I'm really confused why its so difficult to view a hard drive...... seems like something basic windows should be able to handle 🙁
 
That's too bad. You can try various so-called "data recovery" programs that are rampant on the net, but it's little more than a crapshoot and the odds are certainly not in your favor. If the data to be retrieved is sufficiently valuable to you, probably the only practical recourse is engaging a commercial data recovery entity. Quite expensive as you can imagine.

Needless to say, it's a hard lesson you've learned. Irreplaceable data - audio/visual files, crucial documents, family heirloom data of one sort or another, etc., ALWAYS demand multiple backups.
 


Thanks. And I do probably have 90% of it backed up on an external HD, the rest backed up in google photos (although not original high quality, but that really doesn't matter much really). I honestly thought, moving all my important data to a new HD (i know it can fail at anytime) and keeping my operating system on the original drive that .. when my computer died, I could just pull out this HD and fire it up with any computer. It makes zero sense why a hard drive that worked on one computer won't work on other computers but I'm not very smart and I"m sure Microsoft had good reasons for making things not compatible......
 
If there's one thing we've learned from our experience with PCs over the years it's that s*@% happens. I long ago expunged from my "computerese" the words "always" & "never". The best one can do is create multiple backups of one's system and/or data and trust he/she will be able to resurrect such if & when disaster strikes. All the rest is conversation.
 


I hear you!

I've tried various programs to access the information on the disk, but everything is showing it as 0MB of space, which I know isn't right. It is possible that:
1. My Sabrent USB 3.0 to SATA External Hard Drive isn't working right?
2. The drive is dead? (would be really odd that this drive died as well as the drive that my operating system is on at the same exact time)
3. I just need to find an old windows 7 computer to access it and it should be fine? (my friend had a windows 2000 laptop we fired up but he couldn't remember the password 🙁 )
 


Well, I'm going to try and hope for the best!

I still don't understand how this HD isn't accessible by any other computer? Assuming its not corrupted of course.