External Hard Drive Failure - Help Please!!

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 05:51 PM

I've got an external drive, a Seagate something or other, that has apparently been overloaded with porn and given up the ghost.

From start-up with the drive connected my PC gets hung-up and seems to freeze before it boots.

I can start it as per normal with the drive disconnected but if I try to reconnect it following this the system seems to initially recognise a USB device has been connected (that little tune plays) but the drive itself never appears following that.

Any ideas?

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 06:02 PM

It's a 250GB 'FreeAgent Go' if that makes any difference.

**kingwilly** · 03-09-2009, 06:03 PM

IS this a good time to sternly tell you to always back up everything at least twice?

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by kingwilly

IS this a good time to sternly tell you to always back up everything at least twice?

Ummm, nope.

I don't think there's ever a good time for that.

Besides, it was my back-up.

**kingwilly** · 03-09-2009, 06:11 PM

well, I was gonna offer some words of sympathy, but since you tricked me on the DrBobs consistency thread I aint know! so $#%^#t4 you!

*snigger*

** a trip to Pantip, or Chiang Mai's equivalent may be in order, often they can save everything., but do it soon instead of trying to fix it, that can make it worse!

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by kingwilly

** a trip to Pantip, or Chiang Mai's equivalent may be in order, often they can save everything., but do it soon instead of trying to fix it, that can make it worse!

Yeah you're probably right (actually we have a Pantip here now too).

Annoyingly it's got all my downloaded torrent files on it, plenty of movies I haven't watched yet.

I was a little concerned that they'd dob me in or something but I expect it's nothing they haven't already seen.

**baldrick** · 03-09-2009, 06:22 PM

you need to first determine if it is the drive or the enclosure

easiest way is to pull the drive and plug into a spare IDE or sata channel on your desktop - added bonus of this is you can see if it shows up in BIOS on computer boot.

a back up indicates that it was a copy - so it was not a back up , just external storage

**Mr Earl** · 03-09-2009, 06:28 PM

Ant has a porn drive problem = so what, buy some KY, that will make it slide better more.

**The Fresh Prince** · 03-09-2009, 07:03 PM

When this happened to me last time, I think it was Melvbot that recommended a program to me called Disk Warrior.

I've got the mac version but I'm not sure there's a p.c equivalent. Its worth a google though just in case. It sorted mine out straight away and I got all my shit back.

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by baldrick

easiest way is to pull the drive and plug into a spare IDE or sata channel on your desktop - added bonus of this is you can see if it shows up in BIOS on computer boot.

Easy you say...

I think I've failed to impress with what a computer idiot I am.

What's an IDE? Do I even have one let alone a spare?? :?

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 07:05 PM

^^Cheers FP, will have a look for that.

**kingwilly** · 03-09-2009, 07:07 PM

I hark back to my orginal advice,

TAKE IT TO PANTIP BEFORE YOU FUCK IT UP WORSE!

**The Fresh Prince** · 03-09-2009, 07:10 PM

Those clowns can loose shit just as easily and its more annoying.

Me - 'So you can recover everything on the hard drive?'

Clown - 'Yes'

Me - 'Just to double check, you can recover everything?'

Clown - 'Sure, no problem'

4 hours later

Me - 'Where's all my shit?'

Clown - 'Oh, I think better we format the hard drive'

**Fondles** · 03-09-2009, 07:21 PM

Sounds like the caddy (enclosure) is fucked, had similar issue with a 2.5" external, new caddy and shes apples again.

Just for shits and giggles, do you have a secondary USB lead you could use, could be a dodgy lead.

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 07:33 PM

Just for shits and giggles, do you have a secondary USB lead you could use, could be a dodgy lead.

Unfortunately no. It's an odd one too, has to USB plugs: one for power and one for power and data.

Thanks for the tips though.

**Butterfly** · 03-09-2009, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince

Me - 'So you can recover everything on the hard drive?'

Clown - 'Yes'

Me - 'Just to double check, you can recover everything?'

Clown - 'Sure, no problem'

4 hours later

Me - 'Where's all my shit?'

Clown - 'Oh, I think better we format the hard drive'

classic

**Fondles** · 03-09-2009, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Just for shits and giggles, do you have a secondary USB lead you could use, could be a dodgy lead.

Unfortunately no. It's an odd one too, has to USB plugs: one for power and one for power and data.

Thanks for the tips though.

It wont be the power one, if you take it to pantip, get them to try it with a different data usb lead before they do anything if that does not work get them to put it in a different enclosure and try it, if all else fails ask them to attempt a data recovery, good luck with that though.

Where do you live, if in or very near to Pattaya i would be willing to have a look at it over the weekend.

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 07:49 PM

^Cheers for the offer, very kind and appreciated, but I'm in Chiang Mai.

**Marmite the Dog** · 03-09-2009, 07:51 PM

It sounds similar to those wanky WD Passport ones that I've got. Try connecting it to another PC and wiggle the leads about a bit. Also reboot your PC and then try it.

It's probably not getting enough power to drive it.

**AntRobertson** · 03-09-2009, 07:54 PM

^I did try it on my laptop at work today but no joy there either. Ditto the reboots (tried several).

**Butterfly** · 03-09-2009, 08:15 PM

I have the same problem sometimes,

make sure you logon first and wait a bit, and then plug it

doing a reboot with the device attached to it does have strange side effects sometimes

**baldrick** · 03-09-2009, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

I think I've failed to impress with what a computer idiot I am

Originally Posted by kingwilly

TAKE IT TO PANTIP BEFORE YOU FUCK IT UP WORSE!

Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince

Clown - 'Oh, I think better we format the hard drive'

which is what is likely to happen

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

It's an odd one too, has to USB plugs: one for power and one for power and data.

so it is a laptop drive and not a desktop one - you would need an adapter for it to be plugged into a desktop internally.

you need someone who has some skill and who really understands english - the basics are not that hard to do if you have a desktop to use and can follow instructions

**The Fresh Prince** · 03-09-2009, 11:04 PM

Is it plugged in?

**Wallalai** · 03-09-2009, 11:14 PM

Paperweight is the only decent use for a Seagate hard drive. Pure crap.

**lom** · 03-09-2009, 11:16 PM

I have only bad experience from external drive cabinets powered via the USB port.
A USB port can deliver max 500mA of current and that is usually enough to run a 2.5" harddisk.

Harddisk do consume more power when starting up and are close to 500mA for a short while before the mass starts rotating and they can after a few month of usage
require higher startup current.
Higher internal friction in pivots or bearings due to heat is one of the reasons.

I always use a separate power adapter with at least 1000mA (= 1A) rating and I am suprised to see that Seagate is selling this USB powered shite.

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