Issue with Seagate 500GB External HD

[gowtham7000]

Hi All,

I have a Seagate 500GB External HD and it is not in usable state. When I connect it to my system, My Computer slows down. This drive doesn't display used & free space. When I open it, system keeps loading and loading, finally it says "Format the disk before you use it". Same error if the HD is tried in different machines. When I format it just by right click, format is not successful due to "I/O device error". I tried device management, chkdsk and some recovery softwares. The HD is somehow turned into RAW format. I don't care about the data anymore. I just want to use this HD as I have wasted a lot of time trying to fix it. I would really appreciate if anyone could give me a solution for this.

Thanks

 

[RaDiKaL_]

First try to connect the external HDD directly to your PC via sata, take the HDD out of it's case, there should be a sata connector to use. If it still doesn't work, try formatting it with Seagate Tools or with some low-level formatting software.

 

[gowtham7000]

First try to connect the external HDD directly to your PC via sata, take the HDD out of it's case, there should be a sata connector to use. If it still doesn't work, try formatting it with Seagate Tools or with some low-level formatting software.

Could u temme how to remove the HD from its case. I don't see any screws or detachable parts.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there, gowtham7000!

As @RaDiKaL_ mentioned, you should take the HDD out of the external enclosure and connect it directly to your computer. In order to do that, you will need a SATA-to-USB cable or dock, I believe Google will help you out finding those.
I believe these instructions on how to disassemble an external will help you as well:
http://www.tested.com/tech/pcs/5479-how-to-take-apart-and-recover-faulty-external-hard-drive/

After you've done this, you will have to connect the drive and format it. You can do this either by re-formatting with Disk management or as already mentioned writing zeros using your manufacturer's diagnostic utility,

Hope this helps. Good luck!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[RaDiKaL_]

SuperSoph to the rescue, that link should explain it all.

 

[gowtham7000]

hey SuperSoph & Radikal,

I have removed the hard disk from its case and tried connecting directly to the computer using SATA cable and power from PSU. When I tried to access the hard disk through MyComputer or DeviceManagement, it throws 'Hardware failure' error. So I was not able to format it. Is my external hard disk dead? 😛

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

hey SuperSoph & Radikal,

I have removed the hard disk from its case and tried connecting directly to the computer using SATA cable and power from PSU. When I tried to access the hard disk through MyComputer or DeviceManagement, it throws 'Hardware failure' error. So I was not able to format it. Is my external hard disk dead? 😛

Hi again, gowtham7000!

Unfortunately, it seems like your external HDD has a hardware encryption, which will explain why you are not able to access it once out of the enclosure. 🙁 It's almost impossible to access the data. However, you should contact your manufacturer for assistance or directly take the HDD to a professional data recovery company.
Most probably getting a new one would save you a lot of trouble, headache and resources for a data recovery.
A tip: Always check if there's a hardware encryption on your external before you buy it, though the truth is most of the externals produced nowadays have that. To be sure you can build one yourself by getting an internal HDD + external enclosure. This way, if anything goes wrong next time, you know that you can take it out and plug it directly to the PC without facing the encryption.
However, if you save important personal information on an external, the hardware + software encryption will ensure you that your data is safe and sound.

Sorry we couldn't be more helpful. Good luck!
SuperSoph_WD