Question Dropped laptop, how to recover HDD contents?

[temptemp10]

I dropped my laptop (Windows 10) and cracked the screen and motherboard. The hard drive looks fine. I took out it of the laptop and connected it to my desktop (Windows 7) with a SATA to USB connector. Windows Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) says that the drive is uninitialized. Western Digital's diagnostics test says the drive passed a quick SMART test. What is the next step I should take?

 

[Grobe]

Have to answer to this because people doesn'r realize how small the parts inside actually is, compared to the rotation speed of the disk.

So I tries to translate into something else - compare to this:

You got a super-duper space ship that is somehow capable of fly close to the speed of light.

BUT - instead of going out in open space, you decide to fly around the globe at a height of just a few feets.

Then the great spaceship touches the ground. How to recover that space ship after this incident?

Conclusion? The drive is probably broken.

As a last call, you can try to use Gparted to make a new partition. But I would never trust that drive again, even if you make it work.

 

[temptemp10]

Have to answer to this because people doesn'r realize how small the parts inside actually is, compared to the rotation speed of the disk.

So I tries to translate into something else - compare to this:

You got a super-duper space ship that is somehow capable of fly close to the speed of light.

BUT - instead of going out in open space, you decide to fly around the globe at a height of just a few feets.

Then the great spaceship touches the ground. How to recover that space ship after this incident?

Conclusion? The drive is probably broken.

As a last call, you can try to use Gparted to make a new partition. But I would never trust that drive again, even if you make it work.

I don't plan on ever using the drive again but I'd like to get the data out if possible. For what it's worth, TestDisk is able to see partitions but I don't really know how to use TestDisk...

 

[Grobe]

Ah - data recovery.

Well - there does exist windows software out there that claim to be able to recover from corrupted file systems. Be sure to use something that DOES NOT WRITE data to your disk, as that will probably corrupt the file system even more.

If you can use Linux - then read this:
https://www.linux.com/learn/get-your-data-back-linux-based-data-recovery-tools

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Is the disk encrypted (eg. BitLocker)? If so there is no chance of recovery without the recovery key.

 

[temptemp10]

Is the disk encrypted (eg. BitLocker)? If so there is no chance of recovery without the recovery key.

Not encrypted.

 

[mdd1963]

then it should show as a connected drive in 'This PC'/My Computer, and be capable of being explored, opened, with various user files safely migrated off of the drive...

 

[jsmithepa]

says that the drive is uninitialized.

This says the bump got things out of alignment. I dunno if you should try any user-available software fix (have to buy app?) or leave it to the Pros.