[SOLVED] WD ELEMENTS - Critical Error

[DocZeius]

Good day to all!!

Device:
WD ELEMENTS - WDBU6Y0020BBK

History:
I was making a backup of a work notebook. No previous problems, no warnings.
I can remember releasing safely the device but at one point the disk got pulled by a mistake by its cable and it ended up at 45º.
The disk didn't do any sound of damage or anything. It was a matter of one sec or less.
After that, it was connected to the usual PC.
When connected, it rang the usual USB notification, but when I checked it wasn't listed.
Checking on the device manager, and fearing it got an error like an old USB, I inspected it and it was there as a letter-less uninitiated disk.
Not knowing it could delete the files, I tried to initiate the disk only to give me an error about a "could not be done due to a critical hardware failure".

(This appears automatically as soon as I open Windows Disk Manager)

I feared the cable got cut or the input bay got de-soldered or broken somehow, but the cable was fine (after trying with another cable, and in another pc, and with yet another original WD cable).

The disk looks fine, no weird sound, its spinning, and the light is on. I wanna believe the files are fine but I have no way to access them
The volume and file data reveals 0kb/0kb


I desperately looked through the web only to find EASEUS and AOIMEI posts but regardless if they are good or not, they cannot detect them or do anything about it. Same with RECUVA, DISKDRILL, ONtrack demo.

On a closer look, it doesn't appear as a disk beyond the Windows Disk Manager.
It's listed as "other devices" 'Elements 25A2'. (from time to time, it appeared with the tag "DRIVER ERROR" which I doubt it has something to do).

(The legend "driver error" appeared a couple of times)

Any program I try, just doesn't list it. And without a letter assigned , MBR rebuild or a CHKDSK seems impossible. I read on the web the only thing windows is showing beyond the manager is the usb interface which makes me think, that even if the cables was the one tugging there's something with the connection between pc and the actual files.
But, PCB replacing supposedly will make me lose all the data according to the internet.

The only other program that managed to detect it was Partition Find and Mount, which I found through an old Mayor Geeks post about some similar situation, but with more luck for I can tell.
The program did find the WD ELEMENTS has disk but any scan, no matter how deep, finishes immediately with no partitions found or even lost, the result seems to be always the same 0kb.

WD utilities doesn't even recognize its own device.

*Professional file recovery might be impossible since I don't have any nearby and some files are from my work and we have confidentiality policies that can get me in trouble. (I don't need them just now, but they can't surface in the web since they are linked to me)
*I found one video in which detailed a damage to the tiny cables between the usb interface and the rest of the PCB, but I can't see anything like that. However, if that's the case, would that be risky for the data just a supposedly is a PCB change?

Any ideas for at least get the most important files out. I don't care about the disk itself but just the files?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Lutfij]

You could take a look into TestDisk but your mileage can and will vary. In fact I think you need to pay a visit to a data recovery specialist to retrieve critical data off the drive.

 

[Davidc94]

So my first thought was to try a chkdsk /f to see if you can fix it.

1. Open Disk Management (Right click on the start button at bottom left, select Disk Management)
2. Right click on the uninitialized volume
3. Select Properties
4. Go to the "Security" tab
5. Copy the "Object Name" string displayed at the top of the tab right above the "Group or user names:"
6. Open a UAC-elevated command prompt (click on start button type in cmd but DON'T press enter. right click on command prompt and run as administrator)
7. Type CHKDSK but DON'T press enter
8. Paste the string copied in step 5 by doing CTRL + V or right clicking at the top of the window and selecting edit -> paste
9. Remove the trailing slash ("\")
10. Add /f to the command. Finalized should look something like CHKDSK "\\?\Volume{eb38d03c-29ed-11e2-be65-806e6f6e6963}" /f

Let me know what happens.

 

[Bob.B]

Good day to all!!

Device:
WD ELEMENTS - WDBU6Y0020BBK

History:
I was making a backup of a work notebook. No previous problems, no warnings.
I can remember releasing safely the device but at one point the disk got pulled by a mistake by its cable and it ended up at 45º.
The disk didn't do any sound of damage or anything. It was a matter of one sec or less.
After that, it was connected to the usual PC.
When connected, it rang the usual USB notification, but when I checked it wasn't listed.
Checking on the device manager, and fearing it got an error like an old USB, I inspected it and it was there as a letter-less uninitiated disk.
Not knowing it could delete the files, I tried to initiate the disk only to give me an error about a "could not be done due to a critical hardware failure".

(This appears automatically as soon as I open Windows Disk Manager)

I feared the cable got cut or the input bay got de-soldered or broken somehow, but the cable was fine (after trying with another cable, and in another pc, and with yet another original WD cable).

The disk looks fine, no weird sound, its spinning, and the light is on. I wanna believe the files are fine but I have no way to access them
The volume and file data reveals 0kb/0kb


I desperately looked through the web only to find EASEUS and AOIMEI posts but regardless if they are good or not, they cannot detect them or do anything about it. Same with RECUVA, DISKDRILL, ONtrack demo.

On a closer look, it doesn't appear as a disk beyond the Windows Disk Manager.
It's listed as "other devices" 'Elements 25A2'. (from time to time, it appeared with the tag "DRIVER ERROR" which I doubt it has something to do).

(The legend "driver error" appeared a couple of times)

Any program I try, just doesn't list it. And without a letter assigned , MBR rebuild or a CHKDSK seems impossible. I read on the web the only thing windows is showing beyond the manager is the usb interface which makes me think, that even if the cables was the one tugging there's something with the connection between pc and the actual files.
But, PCB replacing supposedly will make me lose all the data according to the internet.

The only other program that managed to detect it was Partition Find and Mount, which I found through an old Mayor Geeks post about some similar situation, but with more luck for I can tell.
The program did find the WD ELEMENTS has disk but any scan, no matter how deep, finishes immediately with no partitions found or even lost, the result seems to be always the same 0kb.

WD utilities doesn't even recognize its own device.

*Professional file recovery might be impossible since I don't have any nearby and some files are from my work and we have confidentiality policies that can get me in trouble. (I don't need them just now, but they can't surface in the web since they are linked to me)
*I found one video in which detailed a damage to the tiny cables between the usb interface and the rest of the PCB, but I can't see anything like that. However, if that's the case, would that be risky for the data just a supposedly is a PCB change?

Any ideas for at least get the most important files out. I don't care about the disk itself but just the files?

Thanks in advance!!!

Take the disk out of the case.
If it's a standard sata disk connect it internal via sata and see if you can access anything.

 

[DocZeius]

Thanks for replying so quickly!!!

Take the disk out of the case.
If it's a standard sata disk connect it internal via sata and see if you can access anything.

I have opened, but no, it's one of the USB soldered ones. No luck with that... Thanks it would had been nice.

You could take a look into TestDisk but your mileage can and will vary. In fact I think you need to pay a visit to a data recovery specialist to retrieve critical data off the drive.

I'm fearing that option. That would imply sending it to someone off my city and province/state. Besides of my private files problems. If I can find someone nearby I could try, although i'm interested in doing it myself. Even if I have to learn and join a HDD recovery company at some point haha...
About TestDisk, no go, it's not listed. Like I said, it seems only very specific programs like Window's Disk Manager or Partition Find recognize it as such. It's absent in every other program. Thanks!

So my first thought was to try a chkdsk /f to see if you can fix it.

1. Open Disk Management (Right click on the start button at bottom left, select Disk Management)
2. Right click on the uninitialized volume
3. Select Properties
4. Go to the "Security" tab
5. Copy the "Object Name" string displayed at the top of the tab right above the "Group or user names:"
6. Open a UAC-elevated command prompt (click on start button type in cmd but DON'T press enter. right click on command prompt and run as administrator)
7. Type CHKDSK but DON'T press enter
8. Paste the string copied in step 5 by doing CTRL + V or right clicking at the top of the window and selecting edit -> paste
9. Remove the trailing slash ("\")
10. Add /f to the command. Finalized should look something like CHKDSK "\\?\Volume{eb38d03c-29ed-11e2-be65-806e6f6e6963}" /f

Let me know what happens.

I'm very interested in trying this.

Its there any other way of getting that info ID? It's a volume info for what I see, if that's the case I might be screwed. It doesn't show volume or the "security" tab which is absent. Any other way to get it through details tab or another place?

Thanks again!!!

 

[Davidc94]

I'm very interested in trying this.

Its there any other way of getting that info ID? It's a volume info for what I see, if that's the case I might be screwed. It doesn't show volume or the "security" tab which is absent. Any other way to get it through details tab or another place?

Thanks again!!!

Hmmm, interesting. So something to try is to open command prompt and do "mountvol" without quotes. It'll display all volume ID's associated in your system. My worry is if it's not showing up in the disk management tool, it may not show up with that command. Let me know what pops up. I'll try my best to decipher the information.

 

[DocZeius]

Hmmm, interesting. So something to try is to open command prompt and do "mountvol" without quotes. It'll display all volume ID's associated in your system. My worry is if it's not showing up in the disk management tool, it may not show up with that command. Let me know what pops up. I'll try my best to decipher the information.

I think those one belong to the SSD. Hopefully, I'm wrong, but I can't see anything else.

 

[Davidc94]

I think those one belong to the SSD. Hopefully, I'm wrong, but I can't see anything else.

Im still trying to work my magic, but something else I found you could try is do step 4 in this link https://www.stellardatarecovery.co.uk/hard-drive-uninitialized.htm. Let me know if it even pops up in the error checking tool.

EDIT: Well, after a bit more digging, I'm not too sure what can be done. Since nothing is detecting it, it may not even be showing up for a possibility for the CHKDSK command. An option is to try each volume one at a time, time consuming but if you do em all it may work. I'm very sceptical though. Otherwise, going to have to pay for data recovery or see if someone else can chime in. Good luck!

 

[DocZeius]

Im still trying to work my magic, but something else I found you could try is do step 4 in this link https://www.stellardatarecovery.co.uk/hard-drive-uninitialized.htm. Let me know if it even pops up in the error checking tool.

EDIT: Well, after a bit more digging, I'm not too sure what can be done. Since nothing is detecting it, it may not even be showing up for a possibility for the CHKDSK command. An option is to try each volume one at a time, time consuming but if you do em all it may work. I'm very sceptical though. Otherwise, going to have to pay for data recovery or see if someone else can chime in. Good luck!

Thanks for your support!