[SOLVED] hard disk with data needs initializing?

shmu26

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Feb 18, 2014
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I took the primary HDD out of an old Windows 7 desktop that died, and connected it internally by SATA to a computer that works.
Windows Disk Management says that the disk needs to be initialized.
This puzzles me, because it is supposed to have a functioning Win7 installation on it.
If I initialize it, will it delete the data?
MBR or GPT?
 
Solution
Solved. I connected the hard disk with a different SATA connector, and the disk functions as expected. It does not ask to be initialized and is readable.

shmu26

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Can you show us the Partitions window in DMDE?

Can you show us a SMART report with CrystalDiskInfo?
Thanks for the ideas. That will have to wait for the morning (it's getting late here) when I can power down my computer, reconnect the hard disk, and boot into Windows. I do have CrystalDisk installed, but I am not familiar with DMDE.
 

shmu26

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When I power on the machine, the BIOS says "Press <CTRL+P> to enter MEBX setup menu". I ignored the message and eventually it went away.
Windows took a very long time to load.
DMDE says the disk is not accessible.
CrystalDisk doesn't see the disk at all.
 
Last edited:

shmu26

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EaseUS Data Recovery claims that if I only initialize, without partitioning and formatting, my data will still be there, and the program can recover it.
What do y'all say about that?
 

RolandJS

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RolandJS:
Perhaps make a forensic sector-by-sector clone, and then try EaseUS initialize, format[?], data recovery on the clone.
Shamu26:
How do I clone it if the device is not detected? I mean, what program or command can I use to clone it?
RolandJS: You are so correct! I was thinking after you successfully got the drive detected, then make a clone. :) I should have remembered when I earlier posted the drive was not yet detected.
 
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