Brocken Hard drive?

landy7800

Hi All

one min my computer finds my external hard drive, next min it doesn't.

my laptop is recognizing it as its showing up in DEVICES AND PRINTERS but i cant access it to get all my files off.

what can i do as i have important photos on it.

thanks

JJ_Egan

Remove the drive .
Fit a new drive and install windows .
Then fit old drive as a slave and attempt to recover your photos .
If the hard drive actually fails then a data recovery firm may be able to recover your photos . Prices from £500 usually but no guarantee of recovery .

Backup all important data always .

tavernman

Try recuva (free) https://www.piriform.com/recuva or I prefer testdisk/photorec (also free) http://www.cgsecurity.org/

Geodark

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Remove the drive .
Fit a new drive and install windows .
Then fit old drive as a slave and attempt to recover your photos .
If the hard drive actually fails then a data recovery firm may be able to recover your photos . Prices from £500 usually but no guarantee of recovery .

Backup all important data always .

It's an external drive - why does he need to install windows?

Have you used the drive on this machine before? have you tried looking in Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Computer management / Disk Management to see if it is listed in there? if it is let me know what it says about it.

Also before getting a new hard drive it might be worth trying a different case with it - you can get them cheap enough on ebay

landy7800

Sorry JJ Egan im confused i dont understand.

Ive tried taking the hard drive out of its casing and swapping it with the laptop one but that doesnt work because the hard drive i take out of the laptop has the operating system on it.

Geodark

landy7800 wrote: »

Sorry JJ Egan im confused i dont understand.

Ive tried taking the hard drive out of its casing and swapping it with the laptop one but that doesnt work because the hard drive i take out of the laptop has the operating system on it.

I think JJ has mis-read your post and thought it was the drive in the laptop that was broken - you don't need to take the drive out of the laptop - that one hasnt got a problem.

Oblivion

So is this 'external' hard drive one that is connected to a usb port with a lead. If so, the lead may have become defective.

landy7800

i was confused about the windows bit.

i have used it on this laptop yes, ive also purchased a new wire as i thought it was that but it seems to recognize it now but its not showing in my computer just devices and printers.

Geodark

landy7800 wrote: »

i was confused about the windows bit.

i have used it on this laptop yes, ive also purchased a new wire as i thought it was that but it seems to recognize it now but its not showing in my computer just devices and printers.

have a look at my post a bit further up and follow the steps to the disk management screen and let me know if it is listed in there.

JJ_Egan

Geodark wrote: »

I think JJ has mis-read your post and thought it was the drive in the laptop that was broken - you don't need to take the drive out of the laptop - that one hasnt got a problem.

Yes correct sorry .
Check the connections and power supply should be a first step .

landy7800

HI

its not showing in disk management just devices and printers and also it shows it the right hand corner asking if i want to safely remove it.

just for info i have purchased a new y shape usb cable for it so its not that.