I’ve a 1TB external HD from Tescos (Hitachi LS-1000-emea) that has stopped working. Device Manager says it’s not recognised. Windows XP, laptop and PC.

I may have accidentally cut its power yesterday while it was connected to the PC. Have I goosed it or can all be restored?

Thanks

I had a HD fail on me a while ago, the one in the computer got rather rattly and stopped reading.

Anyhow, my dad who knows rather more about computers, hooked the hard drive upto another machine and booted the drive on Linux, behold, all was spun and read, then copied to the good drive. CD he used is still on the desk, he’s written knoppix 6.4.3 on it, which is just a variety of Linux I think.

Apparently Linux is good for this sort of thing due to its simplicity.
Hope you get the data back, I was gutted at the thought of losing all the pictures since the last back-up.

timbers advice is what I popped in to suggest. Try mounting it with a proper OS e.g. linux. (Mind you the phrase “Apparently Linux is good for this sort of thing due to its simplicity” is a bit off the mark).

Method – download linux, say Mint, (or Knoppix which can be a bit more difficult for the uninitiated) burn to CD, boot from CD on machine with the broken drive and a good drive, copy across.

After that you have a chance of reinstating the ‘broken’ drive by formating, also achievable under the linux OS.

Right. So can I boot a laptop or PC from a Linux cd without actually swapping operating systems? Like you suggest, then returning to Windows as normal?

If it was me – and it’s not under warranty – inside that nice plastic box is a standard PC harddrive. With a “standard” (there are a few) connector. I’d take it apart, get the raw drive out (be a bit careful), buy the relevant connector from ebay (Maplin if you want to pay top dollar) plug it into another desktop PC … et viola. Usually..

Your PC should have “the other” connectors spare – ie DC supply (5v&12v).

Edit – basically the external harddrive will have a chat with anything connected to it. It doesnt care if it’s windows, linux etc etc. Physically connecting 12v,5,v and data cables is the key. If you’ve shagged the usb part that’s just another layer you can bypass.

the linux route is a mess to be honest…

as above (sort of) get one of these…

take the hd out of the current casing pop it in one of the above, chances are the connectors are broke.

is the hard drive making a clanking/scratching sound?

Or

driver

If clicking noise, put in freezer bag, into freezer for a few hours.

That mightget it going long enough to copy data.

Wow, loads of advice, thanks all.

It makes a normal kind of whirring noise (it needs USB and mains plugged in to operate) just when it’s plugged in the lappy doesn’t recognise it and says it’s malfunctioning.

What’s that thing above? ^^

“Right. So can I boot a laptop or PC from a Linux cd without actually swapping operating systems?”

Yes.

“buy the relevant connector from ebay “

This advice is plain wrong in my opinion. Just the sort of crap you get when you ask questions on the net. Yes, I know, how do you know I’m not a fool like this poster?

“put in freezer bag, into freezer for a few hours.”

Yes, that worked for Skyway TA’s as well.

This thread is a good example why you don’t ask questions on STW.

(Footnote – I make money out of computer repairs and data recovery. I’m not a ‘professional’, but I do a damn sight better than PC World).

Go on then.

Waderider – thank **** you dont do my companies pc support. You’d be fired.

Scrap that driver advice, I didn’t read problem properly.

You should try a Linux bootdisk as described above. If not its freezer time.

“Waderider – thank **** you dont do my companies pc support. You’d be fired. “

There are a lot of shite companies out there with shite IT support….I fill a void…..you are blowing hot air.

But you can’t help? Despite knowing all the answers? Is this because you make a living out of your knowledge (fair enough – why work for free) or because you’re generally unhelpful?

Saying “try the LCS” might have been more helpful if you didn’t feel able to endorse any of the other suggestions or believe the process is too complicated for anyone else to understand.

Well, I’ve spent most of the afternoon and evening working out how to download and correctly burn a DVD then boot from it to run Linux mint latest version. Unfortunately still no joy.

Now I’ve taken the casing off and discovered the point the usb plugs into the connector is broken, as in the solder onto the board is bust. So now I’m left with the raw drive and hoping I can connect it in some other way.

Thanks waderider and others for help with this. Sorry for sounding bolshy earlier. Frustrating!

if it’s a broken PCB, this article may help

This advice is plain wrong in my opinion. Just the sort of crap you get when you ask questions on the net. Yes, I know, how do you know I’m not a fool like this poster?
…
This thread is a good example why you don’t ask questions on STW.
…
I make money out of computer repairs and data recovery
…
fill a void…..you are blowing hot air.

I’ve taken the casing off and discovered the point the usb plugs into the connector is broken, as in the solder onto the board is bust. So now I’m left with the raw drive and hoping I can connect it in some other way.

You need either a SATA cable (presumably) to mount it inside a PC, or a USB > SATA adapter or caddy to mount it externally. Amazon carry ’em from about ten quid.

You also need to learn from this experience and back up your data. Oh, and be wary of vocal “experts” who supply advice with no diagnosis to work out what the problem actually is.

“Put it in the freezer” indeed. Sure, when you’ve exhausted every other avenue and you’re out of options (and aren’t going to be sending it away to a professional), it’s a reasonable last-ditch procedure. you might get lucky. If the OP had followed this advice as a first step however, they could’ve irrevocably killed what’s probably going to turn out to be a perfectly working disk in a broken caddy.

Oh, I missed this gem on a first read.

you have a chance of reinstating the ‘broken’ drive by formating,

You’re suggesting wiping all the data from the disk as a method of data recovery? 😯 And then have the audacity to call everyone else names?

Everyone’s an expert on the internet, eh?

As above, a sata/ide to usb cable would do you, another caddie or just a normal sata/ide (I assume it’ll be sata unless its a good few years old) cable if you want to mount it inside your pc.

Yes, it’s SATA. I’ve got a friend who has an adaptor I can borrow. There’s hardly anything on it that isn’t backed up somewhere else but I am slightly concerned about the fragility of these things and wonder how many times one ought to back stuff up to be totally secure. The design on mine was never going to withstand a few trips over the wire for example 🙂

Thanks again for all the advice. Every day is a school day eh?

wonder how many times one ought to back stuff up to be totally secure.

Depends on the value of your data and what we call “rate of change.” If it’s utterly irreplaceable, I’d want an off-site backup (in case of fire, burglary…) and ideally more than one in case your backup fails. If it’s stuff I can readily re-download off the Internet, I probably wouldn’t bother at all.

A hard disk is the component most likely to fail, by nature of what they are. They’re full of mechanical parts moving at very high speed and built to bleeding-edge tolerances. That’s before you consider the effects on your data that, say, a virus or a power-cut could cause. “Fragile” is a good word, yes.

I’d take it apart, get the raw drive out (be a bit careful)

As above, a sata/ide to usb cable would do you, another caddie or just a normal sata/ide (I assume it’ll be sata unless its a good few years old) cable if you want to mount it inside your pc.

If anyone is interested the above proved to be the correct advice. I now have 2 HDs on my PC and a much better understanding of how it all fits together 🙂

Thanks for all the help.

Tremendous. Thanks for the feedback.