Question Dropped wd external. Device recognized but will not read partition or initialize due to fatal hardware error?

[Hdpz2]

Any software or repairs I could try to retrieve the data? My friends lifes work is on here?

Device will power on and the click after a while, namely when I select scan for harddrive device changes.

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

Short of sending it out for data recovery, I don't think there is anything you can do. A dropped mechanical drive is usually a dead mechanical drive.

 

[popatim]

If you absolutely cannot afford the expensive data recovery companies then you have nothing to lose by removing the top cover and checking the heads. Sometimes a head or two might be stuck to a platter or stuck in the 'Parked' zone and all you need to do it free them up. Once freed, power off the drive and replace the top cover. Power back up when you are actually ready to recover data. This does not mean you will get anything but you need to be ready in case you do get some.

Be warned that opening the drive lets dust in which can destroy the heads* so having something ready to copy the data to is very important.
Don't open the drive to look for the easy fix and then expect to ship it out to data recovery afterwards. Opening it just increases your recovery costs significantly or render it impossible.

*The gap between the head surface and the actual platter is smaller then dust so its like a car hitting a boulder at full speed.
you've been warned

Lastly, you need to examine your friends workflow and see why there are no backup copies of his 'life's work' and where adding in a backup or two to the process would be best suited. The more places the 'work; is then the safer from being lost it is.

 

[USAFRet]

My friends lifes work is on here?

Why was there not a backup of this data?

A dropped drive, now making clicking noises...that is a dead drive.
This is why the term "Click of Death" exists.

 

[Musky]

Look if the drive has a ATA connector. The only thing you can do is to test what is wrong but not under Windows or any automated OS ( they try to mount the drive or read it and the drive go crazy each time and destroy itself)
You need this tool: http://www.deepspar.com/downloads/RDT-v1.10.zip
You install the image disk on a usb key and boot your computer on this usb key. After that follow the instruction on the web or doc to see what to do. There is a big chance you discover what is the problem but most of the time it is hardware failure and you need more tools that cost the price of a car to fix it and of course you need years of experience in Hardware recovery (Hard drive recovery) to repair/replace the faulty head or board n ROM chip or maybe both. Then make a clone of your disk before you lose everything. The tool don't work with USB so if you don't have an ATA connection on it there is no option other than sent it to a recovery business using Deepspar hardware tools that cost a leg and 2.