Question external hard drive issue

[xilin_0]

HD Brand : WD
I apologize for the general topic, but I would like to clarify the issue I am experiencing. I have several external hard drives, and the one I am referring to was purchased 13 years ago. It has not been damaged by water or impact.

When I connect it to the USB 3 port on my laptop, only 1 out of 4 partitions is visible. The other three partitions only display the drive names, without showing any volume information. Subsequently, my computer begins to fill a green progress bar at the top and becomes unresponsive (hangs). After a while, a message appears stating, "Format before use." I click on "Cancel."

First time I connected it, I received a message (Yellow exclamation in device manager) indicating that "drivers for the USB devices were not installed completely." I updated the drivers, and they now appear to be functioning correctly. The LED on the drive is blinking, and I can hear a buzzing sound, along with some movement inside the hard drive when I place my hand on it(I believe sound does not mean defecting and it's a natural sound)

Could you please assist me in retrieving my data, if possible? How can I check for the underlying problem? To be honest, this hard drive was my first one, and it contains all my important data, including old photos. I cannot bear the thought of losing them. Additionally, I would like to mention that I do not have confidence in handing it over to a technician or expert.

NOTE:defect drive of external HD is "O" , "P" , "Q" and "K"
Note: I have to eject HD by pulling it from the laptop's port and can't perform safety remove .

thank you

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Note: I have to eject HD by pulling it from the laptop's port and can't perform safety remove .
That isn't a healthy practice to begin with.

the one I am referring to was purchased 13 years ago.
Can you mention the make and model of your external drive?

Additionally, I would like to mention that I do not have confidence in handing it over to a technician or expert.
Even if you used an app/software to try and retrieve your data, your mileage can and will vary as to what you will be able to retrieve. Best you hand it over to a data recovery specialist, people who have been doing it as a job.

 

[xilin_0]

Hi and thanks for your response
I edited my first post .

Additionally, I would like to mention that I do not have confidence in handing it over to a technician or expert.
Even if you used an app/software to try and retrieve your data, your mileage can and will vary as to what you will be able to retrieve. Best you hand it over to a data recovery specialist, people who have been doing it as a job.

That isn't a healthy practice to begin with

I have to turn off the laptop for next time and I ll not pull it manually till I turn it off.

the one I am referring to was purchased 13 years ago.
Can you mention the make and model of your external drive?

It's a Western Digital , it seems to be my passport ,

Additionally, I would like to mention that I do not have confidence in handing it over to a technician or expert.
Even if you used an app/software to try and retrieve your data, your mileage can and will vary as to what you will be able to retrieve. Best you hand it over to a data recovery specialist, people who have been doing it as a job.

I understand your point. If any software or ways please guide me .


thank you

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

If any software or ways please guide me

i've seen hundreds of users try using 3rd party software to recover data from dead/dying drives and it's usually not a thorough process even when it does succeed.
many times you will only have limited data recovery with the majority of files being partial & unreadable.

what sort of budget do you have available for software?
the majority are not cheap.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

contains all my important data, including old photos. I cannot bear the thought of losing them

drives die/fail constantly, it is a common thing for users to lose data everyday.

into the future;
make sure you have at least 2, better off 3, of any permanent storage options available.

1 for immediate storage, 1 for constant regular backup of this data,
a 3rd for backup of backup files.

i have usually used Acronis True Image for my constant scheduled backups over the years.

 

[xilin_0]

i've seen hundreds of users try using 3rd party software to recover data from dead/dying drives and it's usually not a thorough process even when it does succeed.
many times you will only have limited data recovery with the majority of files being partial & unreadable.

what sort of budget do you have available for software?
the majority are not cheap.

File system : NTFS
Thanks for your response ,
No problem . which one is the best option ?

1. Disk Drill
2. Stellar Windows Data Recovery
3. Wondershareit Data Recovery
4. Recuva
5. SpinRite(work on physical layer of magnetic media)
6. Eese US data recovery
7. Auslogics
8. R-Studio

or any software that causes the least and minimum damage while scanning and maximum performance and recovery date you're suggesting , No problem for buying .


thank you

 

[xilin_0]

NOTE : I am not expert , but as it is blinking LED , motor spining (as mush as I've understood) , no abnormal sounds , windows detects , 1 partition shown , I believe it could be software problem or I can retrieve back my most data . Just I woulnd't like servie center as I am not there while they are working on.

 

[USAFRet]

this hard drive was my first one, and it contains all my important data, including old photos. I cannot bear the thought of losing them.

Whether you recover your data from this drive or not, please take this as a strong heads up to start and maintain a good backup routine.

This is basic computer maintenance. Just like changing the oil in your car, or the furnace filter.

 

[xilin_0]

Whether you recover your data from this drive or not, please take this as a strong heads up to start and maintain a good backup routine.

Thank You ! you mean routinely I copy stuff into another drives ?! is it logical ? Also cloud has its own problems including price , limitation , hacking possibility into user's account , ............
I fully get your point .

 

[USAFRet]

Thank You ! you mean routinely I copy stuff into another drives ?! is it logical ? Also cloud has its own problems including price , limitation , hacking possibility into user's account , ............
I fully get your point .

I use Macrium Reflect, to do full drive Images off to some other drive.
Automatic, hands off.

The basic concept is 3-2-1.
3 copies, on at least 2 different media, at least 1 offsite or otherwise unavailable.

 

[xilin_0]

Hi ,
I did live boot with Linuxmint , nothing shown but pop up messages, I attached some photos
HD sentinel couldn't run and respond (Not responding) , Gsmart also couldn't run,
One partition which was shown, now , is disappeared,
If you know any way please learn me , I really don’t feel good
How possible physical damage or format hard drive could recover , my external I'm sure that it hasn't been physically damaged.

 

[stonecarver]

At the very least and less evasive bare minimum of home testing of the issue external drive is plug the drive into another computer.

Thirteen years back you most likely were running XP or Windows 7.

Dusting off some old drive and plugging it into Windows 11 sometimes but not always gives you grief.

If it still boots up the same on another computer yes time for the experts to do recovery.

 

[xilin_0]

At the very least and less evasive bare minimum of home testing of the issue external drive is plug the drive into another computer.

Hi and thanks
I did Windows 10 and live boot LinuxMint , nothing shown

Thirteen years back you most likely were running XP or Windows 7.

Windows 7 ,

Dusting off some old drive and plugging it into Windows 11 sometimes but not always gives you grief.

Could you explain in simple words ?!

If it still boots up the same on another computer yes time for the experts to do recovery.

Hardware Recovery you mean? I can't try with existing premium software like stellar, R-Studio , Disk Drill ? Problem is that while I connect the HD to laptop's USB port it start to hang up (Not Responding) 🙁

 

[USAFRet]

Hardware Recovery you mean? I can't try with existing premium software like stellar, R-Studio , Disk Drill ? Problem is that while I connect the HD to laptop's USB port it start to hang up (Not Responding)

You can certainly try.

But if you've tried, and its failing....not much more can be done at the consumer level.
This includes any 'cloning'.

 

[xilin_0]

How do I personally find the exact problems? I'm also unable to check health or status of this external HD with at least one software!
Some well-known software may indicate a Bad sector or indicate problems! I am not able to that !
I'd like to clone disk
Do you have any suggestion of why my system hanging up ?(Not responding)

 

[xilin_0]

You can certainly try.

But if you've tried, and its failing....not much more can be done at the consumer level.
This includes any 'cloning'.

Could you compare my external HD's current situation with format or deletion or damaged ? Does my situation is worse than rest of them ?

 

[USAFRet]

How do I personally find the exact problems? I'm also unable to check health or status of this external HD with at least one software!
Some well-known software may indicate a Bad sector or indicate problems! I am not able to that !
I'd like to clone disk
Do you have any suggestion of why my system hanging up ?(Not responding)

The aforementioned tool, HDDSuperClone might be able to clone this to a different drive.
Maybe.
It handles things a little different than Windows tools.

But a failing drive may be simply....failed.

This why a comprehensive, ongoing backup routine is crucial.
If any of my drives were to fail completely right now...I could resurrect the data.

 

[USAFRet]

Could you compare my external HD's current situation with format or deletion or damaged ? Does my situation is worse than rest of them ?

It is a 13 year old drive, that is apparently unreadable, for unknown reasons.

 

[xilin_0]

consumer level

Sorry consumer level means expert recovery in technical center ?

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry consumer level means expert recovery in technical center ?

"consumer level" means the tools you've already tried.

 

[xilin_0]

This why a comprehensive, ongoing backup routine is crucial.

I promise I ll do asap I relax from this stressful situation

If any of my drives were to fail completely right now...I could resurrect the data.

In the past , I believe that something should be happened rather than unknown reasons for external HD to be failed ! Now , I have to change my mind .

HDDSuperClone

I try it .
.

 

[xilin_0]

It is a 13 year old drive, that is apparently unreadable, for unknown reasons.

Sorry for many queries , even with something called PC3000 or MRT/MTR ?

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry for many queries , even with something called PC3000 or MRT/MTR ?

You can try all the tools you wish.

Maybe one of them will work.

 

[xilin_0]

Do you have any suggestion it's hanging up while I connected it , how I prevent it which make me able to do some cloning test/Recovery test , checking healthy of disk with software ?

 

[USAFRet]

Do you have any suggestion it's hanging up while I connected it , how I prevent it which make me able to do some cloning test/Recovery test , checking healthy of disk with software ?

If it just locks up, it may be too far gone.

But maybe, CrystalDiskInfo, to get some info from it.