Is my external HD knackered?

[Scutch]

Loaded up my computer earlier and plugged in my Freecom external harddrive. Its not showing up in My Computer, and the drive itself is making loads of weird 'clicking' noises and the 400GB light on the front just keeps flashing on and off at random intervals. Whats happened? Is there any way I can get the information off it? F*cking useless thing.
Its finally stopped flashing and clicking now so I've gone into Explorer and tried clicking E:\ and it says, "E:\ is not accessible, The Parameter is Incorrect.

WTF.

Help :S

 

[nosluom]

if its clicking mate to be honest it'll probably be nackered

 

[Wilkeh]

you need to first sell your p1 to me then as I come to collect i'll have a quick look

 

[KDF]

Sounds fucked to me.. you might catch it on a good day and be able to retrieve your data off it.. but if you do get any access to the drive at all then make sure thats your first priority.

I have a 1TB external drive (well actually I have three ) but they are all set to 500GB mirrord raid.

 

[Scutch]

Cant I use a caddy or something to get the data off it or something stupid like that? There are some files on there that I need. Great stuff. Only had it a couple of months.

 

[KDF]

if its clicking it sounds like the hard drive controller board is fubared.

Taking it out the enclosure and connecting it to your PC directly is worth a try but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

 

[Final Maxim]

try repartition, reformat and then use a data recovery tool?

 

[Longy]

Stick it in a sealed bag and bung it in the freezer for awhile.

 

[Nigel]

try repartition, reformat and then use a data recovery tool?

I wouldn't reformat or partition as you may write over the data you want save!!

I posted in gareths thread about some software that may be able to recover your data. Search for that. It recovered all my data.

I normally take the external drive out of it's caddy and then plug it directly into the motherboard using either ide or sata cable.

 

[Final Maxim]

well, yea if its essential stuff he needs saving.

 

[Nigel]

If you go into 'control panel', then 'Administrative Tools', then 'Computer Management'. Click on 'Disk management'. Are your partitions listed there?

If not, unplug your external drive and with the above window still open try and plug it back in again.

 

[Scutch]

If you go into 'control panel', then 'Administrative Tools', then 'Computer Management'. Click on 'Disk management'. Are your partitions listed there?

If not, unplug your external drive and with the above window still open try and plug it back in again.

No nothing is displayed. The external HD is just sat here with the light on the front (400GB) flashing on and off etc.

 

[Longy]

If theres a clicking there might be a stuck head - sticking in the freezer can help contract the metal bits and may unlock it - seal it first though as you dont want freezing particles on your HDD.

 

[daveymacivor]

Sounds like its shafted to me mate, we had this problem at work recently with a Freecom drive.

 

[Scutch]

If theres a clicking there might be a stuck head - sticking in the freezer can help contract the metal bits and may unlock it - seal it first though as you dont want freezing particles on your HDD.

What do you mean put it in the freezer? How long for and wrap it in what? Will this destroy all the data on there or is that safe?

 

[daveymacivor]

Its prob worth a try, get an anti static bag and seal it in that. If it doesnt work you arent going to be any worse off.

 

[Nigel]

I'm always wary about the freezer thing. I've heard of people getting it to work but the drive totally failing soon after. I'd use it as a very last resort!

 

[Longy]

If theres a clicking there might be a stuck head - sticking in the freezer can help contract the metal bits and may unlock it - seal it first though as you dont want freezing particles on your HDD.

What do you mean put it in the freezer? How long for and wrap it in what? Will this destroy all the data on there or is that safe?

http://geeksaresexy.blogspot.com/2006/01/freeze-your-hard-drive-to-recover-data.html

 

[Scutch]

Indeed. Well I'm getting nothing at the moment. When I load windows and plug the Freecom HD in to the USB port, it spins up and then clicks for a while. Eventually the light on the front starts flashing randomly. Before it was crackerjacked, as soon as I plugged in the USB I'd get an onscreen message saying about transfering my files. I get nothing now as if there's nothing even sitting there. It has loads of important stuff on too. So... I either need something to recover the data (and software wont help unless I've got a caddy or something as I cant see the HD to recover the data) or the freezer trick which I am wary about too!

 

[Scutch]

What do you mean put it in the freezer? How long for and wrap it in what? Will this destroy all the data on there or is that safe?

http://geeksaresexy.blogspot.com/2006/01/freeze-your-hard-drive-to-recover-data.html

Ta I'll have a read of that

 

[Nigel]

Try and get your hands on some disc recovery software. If windows won't even recognise it i'm not sure if the recovery software shall either?

 

[Longy]

Dont worry I'm sure you'll get your p**n back.

 

[Nigel]

^^ I thought the same when he said it was important stuff!

 

[Scutch]

lol, sadly not. Its much (or slightly less) more important.

 

[Scutch]

I dont even know how to get the caddy off this Freecom device. There are no screws or anything?!

 

[MRBILLYUK]

You have a pm .

 

[biojo]

try shakin it about if nowt else works , some times it`ll allow u to use it for a hr or so before it fecks up again.

but is there really owt that inportant on the drive

 

[Michael172]

he had a maxtor no wonder it stopped working. Western Digital or Seagate all the way tbh !

 

[biojo]

^^ wtf ive had a seagate that lasted a year ,

and ive owned 6 maxtors oldest is 5 year old and still working, only had one break n that was down to circuit shorting out on a screw on me desk.