Exterior Hard Drive Crash

[Guest bobbymike]

My Sony Windows XP Media Edition crashed a few months ago .. luckily I had

all my important documents, photos, etc backed up on a WD exterior hard

drive. In August I got a new Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop running Windows XP

Professional. Unfortunately I did not copy all the important info from the

exterior hard drive to this new Dell. Last week, I went to open up the

exterior hard drive and this message came on screen - 'The Disk in Drive F

is not formatted. Do you want to format it now'- Long story short, took the

exterior hard drive to my trusted computer guy who ran it all weekend trying

to recover the data . He had no luck - could not recover anything. Short of

spending $$$$$$$ does anyone have any ideas about what I could possibly do

next - or is this a dead issue? And would anyone have a possible reason as

to why this exterior hard drive crashed in the first place. Thanks for any

and all input.

[Guest DL]

Re: Exterior Hard Drive Crash

 

A hd drive can be DOA or fail at anytime, theres nothing you can do to

prevent failure, other than not dropping one.

There are Companies that will recover data, if it is recoverable - no

recovery no fee.

About the only thing a user can do is to keep multiple backups on differeing

media & in differing locations

 

"bobbymike" <ejnbln@comcast.net> wrote in message

news:u89W$WKEJHA.3476@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> My Sony Windows XP Media Edition crashed a few months ago .. luckily I had

> all my important documents, photos, etc backed up on a WD exterior hard

> drive. In August I got a new Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop running Windows XP

> Professional. Unfortunately I did not copy all the important info from the

> exterior hard drive to this new Dell. Last week, I went to open up the

> exterior hard drive and this message came on screen - 'The Disk in Drive F

> is not formatted. Do you want to format it now'- Long story short, took

> the exterior hard drive to my trusted computer guy who ran it all weekend

> trying to recover the data . He had no luck - could not recover anything.

> Short of spending $$$$$$$ does anyone have any ideas about what I could

> possibly do next - or is this a dead issue? And would anyone have a

> possible reason as to why this exterior hard drive crashed in the first

> place. Thanks for any and all input.

>

[Guest Ed Mc]

Re: Exterior Hard Drive Crash

 

DL wrote:

> A hd drive can be DOA or fail at anytime, theres nothing you can do to

> prevent failure, other than not dropping one.

> There are Companies that will recover data, if it is recoverable - no

> recovery no fee.

> About the only thing a user can do is to keep multiple backups on differeing

> media & in differing locations

>

> "bobbymike" <ejnbln@comcast.net> wrote in message

> news:u89W$WKEJHA.3476@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> My Sony Windows XP Media Edition crashed a few months ago .. luckily I had

>> all my important documents, photos, etc backed up on a WD exterior hard

>> drive. In August I got a new Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop running Windows XP

>> Professional. Unfortunately I did not copy all the important info from the

>> exterior hard drive to this new Dell. Last week, I went to open up the

>> exterior hard drive and this message came on screen - 'The Disk in Drive F

>> is not formatted. Do you want to format it now'- Long story short, took

>> the exterior hard drive to my trusted computer guy who ran it all weekend

>> trying to recover the data . He had no luck - could not recover anything.

>> Short of spending $$$$$$$ does anyone have any ideas about what I could

>> possibly do next - or is this a dead issue? And would anyone have a

>> possible reason as to why this exterior hard drive crashed in the first

>> place. Thanks for any and all input.

>>

>

>

Don't know if this will help, but, I had a USB drive suddenly go

bonkers.... one day I plugged it in and it wouldn't show up. I checked

with Disk Management and it was there, but, listed as 'hidden'. Don't

have a clue how or why it became 'hidden'. I 'unhid' the disk and

BINGO, all my files were back. Just an experience I had..... you never

know with computers.....

 

--

Semper Fi

[Guest bobbymike]

Re: Exterior Hard Drive Crash

 

 

"Ed Mc" <namvtn@comcast.invalid> wrote in message

news:b_OdnTDbkr6yT17VnZ2dnUVZ_qTinZ2d@comcast.com...

> DL wrote:

>> A hd drive can be DOA or fail at anytime, theres nothing you can do to

>> prevent failure, other than not dropping one.

>> There are Companies that will recover data, if it is recoverable - no

>> recovery no fee.

>> About the only thing a user can do is to keep multiple backups on

>> differeing media & in differing locations

>>

>> "bobbymike" <ejnbln@comcast.net> wrote in message

>> news:u89W$WKEJHA.3476@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>> My Sony Windows XP Media Edition crashed a few months ago .. luckily I

>>> had all my important documents, photos, etc backed up on a WD exterior

>>> hard drive. In August I got a new Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop running

>>> Windows XP Professional. Unfortunately I did not copy all the important

>>> info from the exterior hard drive to this new Dell. Last week, I went to

>>> open up the exterior hard drive and this message came on screen - 'The

>>> Disk in Drive F is not formatted. Do you want to format it now'- Long

>>> story short, took the exterior hard drive to my trusted computer guy who

>>> ran it all weekend trying to recover the data . He had no luck - could

>>> not recover anything. Short of spending $$$$$$$ does anyone have any

>>> ideas about what I could possibly do next - or is this a dead issue? And

>>> would anyone have a possible reason as to why this exterior hard drive

>>> crashed in the first place. Thanks for any and all input.

>>>

>>

>>

> Don't know if this will help, but, I had a USB drive suddenly go

> bonkers.... one day I plugged it in and it wouldn't show up. I checked

> with Disk Management and it was there, but, listed as 'hidden'. Don't have

> a clue how or why it became 'hidden'. I 'unhid' the disk and BINGO, all my

> files were back. Just an experience I had..... you never know with

> computers.....

>

> --

> Semper Fi

 

Good Morning Marine Corps - SemperFi - I don't currently have the drive -

it's at the computer repair shop = when I get it

Back I will check it out per your instructions - When you say you Unhid the

disk ... What exactly does this mean? Thanks Much

[Guest Ed Mc]

Re: Exterior Hard Drive Crash

 

bobbymike wrote:

> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@comcast.invalid> wrote in message

> news:b_OdnTDbkr6yT17VnZ2dnUVZ_qTinZ2d@comcast.com...

>> DL wrote:

>>> A hd drive can be DOA or fail at anytime, theres nothing you can do to

>>> prevent failure, other than not dropping one.

>>> There are Companies that will recover data, if it is recoverable - no

>>> recovery no fee.

>>> About the only thing a user can do is to keep multiple backups on

>>> differeing media & in differing locations

>>>

>>> "bobbymike" <ejnbln@comcast.net> wrote in message

>>> news:u89W$WKEJHA.3476@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>>> My Sony Windows XP Media Edition crashed a few months ago .. luckily I

>>>> had all my important documents, photos, etc backed up on a WD exterior

>>>> hard drive. In August I got a new Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop running

>>>> Windows XP Professional. Unfortunately I did not copy all the important

>>>> info from the exterior hard drive to this new Dell. Last week, I went to

>>>> open up the exterior hard drive and this message came on screen - 'The

>>>> Disk in Drive F is not formatted. Do you want to format it now'- Long

>>>> story short, took the exterior hard drive to my trusted computer guy who

>>>> ran it all weekend trying to recover the data . He had no luck - could

>>>> not recover anything. Short of spending $$$$$$$ does anyone have any

>>>> ideas about what I could possibly do next - or is this a dead issue? And

>>>> would anyone have a possible reason as to why this exterior hard drive

>>>> crashed in the first place. Thanks for any and all input.

>>>>

>>>

>> Don't know if this will help, but, I had a USB drive suddenly go

>> bonkers.... one day I plugged it in and it wouldn't show up. I checked

>> with Disk Management and it was there, but, listed as 'hidden'. Don't have

>> a clue how or why it became 'hidden'. I 'unhid' the disk and BINGO, all my

>> files were back. Just an experience I had..... you never know with

>> computers.....

>>

>> --

>> Semper Fi

>

> Good Morning Marine Corps - SemperFi - I don't currently have the drive -

> it's at the computer repair shop = when I get it

> Back I will check it out per your instructions - When you say you Unhid the

> disk ... What exactly does this mean? Thanks Much

>

>

I have a program called Partition Magic 8.0 which has an option

for 'unhiding' hidden partitions. It's basically a hard disk

management program. I haven't looked too closely at winXP's disk

management feature, so I don't know if the procedure can be done from

there. Maybe someone else....? In the meantime, a "Scroogle" search (I

don't use Google) for 'free partition manager program' returned

numerous results. Good luck, bro.

 

--

Semper Fi

[Guest Patrick Keenan]

Re: Exterior Hard Drive Crash

 

 

"DL" <address@invalid> wrote in message

news:urWoY3MEJHA.1460@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>A hd drive can be DOA or fail at anytime, theres nothing you can do to

>prevent failure, other than not dropping one.

> There are Companies that will recover data, if it is recoverable - no

> recovery no fee.

 

You'd want to establish this before contracting with the company. You may

wind up with a charge even if recovery is not successful.

 

Most companies will provide estimates of both cost and recovery

possibilities, but as producing the estimate can require opening the drive

and mounting the platters on their hardware, estimates aren't always free.

 

You are correct, relying on one single backup is not prudent.

 

HTH

-pk

 

> About the only thing a user can do is to keep multiple backups on

> differeing media & in differing locations

>

> "bobbymike" <ejnbln@comcast.net> wrote in message

> news:u89W$WKEJHA.3476@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> My Sony Windows XP Media Edition crashed a few months ago .. luckily I

>> had all my important documents, photos, etc backed up on a WD exterior

>> hard drive. In August I got a new Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop running

>> Windows XP Professional. Unfortunately I did not copy all the important

>> info from the exterior hard drive to this new Dell. Last week, I went to

>> open up the exterior hard drive and this message came on screen - 'The

>> Disk in Drive F is not formatted. Do you want to format it now'- Long

>> story short, took the exterior hard drive to my trusted computer guy who

>> ran it all weekend trying to recover the data . He had no luck - could

>> not recover anything. Short of spending $$$$$$$ does anyone have any

>> ideas about what I could possibly do next - or is this a dead issue? And

>> would anyone have a possible reason as to why this exterior hard drive

>> crashed in the first place. Thanks for any and all input.

>>

>

>

[Guest Plato]

Re: Exterior Hard Drive Crash

 

bobbymike wrote:

>

> My Sony Windows XP Media Edition crashed a few months ago .. luckily I had

> all my important documents, photos, etc backed up on a WD exterior hard

> drive. In August I got a new Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop running Windows XP

 

Also back up to CDs

 

--

http://www.bootdisk.com/