External hard drive problem.

[sunshine14]

Hello,

My son bought a new laptop a few weeks ago ( sold his old one) He downloaded all important material from the old one onto an external hard drive to keep it safe. He now has windows 8. Everything worked fine until today, he plugged the hard drive into his friends computer and Microsoft Windows gave this message 'You need to format the disk in drive E before you can use it' When he clicked cancel it said ' E is not accessible. the volume does not contain a recognised file system. Please make sure that all required file system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted'

Now it gives the same message on his own laptop. What has gone wrong? He desperately needs it to work as he has college material on it. Advice greatly appreciated please.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help.

When it was last working, was it disconnected without using the "Safe to remove hardware" feature?

 

Has it been knocked or dropped?

 

.Is it possible to plug it in to a Windows 7 or earlier system computer, if so what does it show on that?

 

can you please tell us what make and if possible the model of the external hard drive please.

 

If you know answers to those questions we will better know which way we can help you.

 

There is file recovery software that can be used to recover data, but I don't want to recommend that till we know a bit more

 

Whatever happens do not reformat it.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

Whilst you are following Nev's advice ....do NOT, under any circumstances, format the drive as you will lose everything.

 

EDIT - just read that Nev said this too.

Better twice than not said at all.

[Ray1000]

And ... can you hear the external hard drive running ... does it have a running light and is that illuminated?

 

Ray

[sunshine14]

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help.

When it was last working, was it disconnected without using the "Safe to remove hardware" feature?

 

Has it been knocked or dropped?

 

.Is it possible to plug it in to a Windows 7 or earlier system computer, if so what does it show on that?

 

can you please tell us what make and if possible the model of the external hard drive please.

 

If you know answers to those questions we will better know which way we can help you.

 

There is file recovery software that can be used to recover data, but I don't want to recommend that till we know a bit more

 

Whatever happens do not reformat it.

 

Nev.

 

Hello plastic Nev,

Yes unfortunatly it was disconnected without using 'Safe to remove hardware' feacture.

 

It was not dropped or knocked.

 

We plugged it into Windows xp and it gave the same message.

 

The make: Seagate backup plus portable drive.

The model: SRD00FI

[sunshine14]

And ... can you hear the external hard drive running ... does it have a running light and is that illuminated?

 

Ray

Hello Ray,

Yes we can hear it running and the light is on.

[sunshine14]

Whilst you are following Nev's advice ....do NOT, under any circumstances, format the drive as you will lose everything.

 

EDIT - just read that Nev said this too.

Better twice than not said at all.

Hello KenB,

Thanks for that, he really needs whats on it,

[KenB]

We plugged it into Windows xp and it gave the same message.

 

Plug it in again - any machine / any Operating System

Click on the Start Orb ( bottom left )

Click on "Computer" ........does the external drive show up as a drive letter? [ could be something like E: )

[sunshine14]

Plug it in again - any machine / any Operating System

Click on the Start Orb ( bottom left )

Click on "Computer" ........does the external drive show up as a drive letter? [ could be something like E: )

 

Yes thats exactly it E

[KenB]

Hi again

 

right click on E: ( the external drive ) and then click "Explore"

Do the files show?

If they do then you should be able to search around for the material that is wanted.

 

If you cannot access the disk:

 

Download Sea Tools for Windows from here onto a working computer.

click here

 

[ you will need to accept the End User Licence first.]

 

Plug the drive in and check which drive letter has been allocated to the drive.

 

Run Sea Tools on the specific drive.

 

Sea Tools is provided by Seagate.

There is a "User Guide" on the right side of the page.

 

Sea Tools will give you various options.

Some of them provide the option to "repair" problems that the test finds.

You may be better selecting the "Fix All" option.

 

This test will take hours to complete.

 

Sea Tools "fail" a drive if it cannot repair any problems that it finds.

 

Let me know how you get on.

 

I am away for a few days - somebody else here may pick this up. :)

If you have not received a reply by Tuesday or Wednesday send me a PM or simply post here. I will get an email.

[sunshine14]

Thank you so much KenB, I will try what you have said and I will let you know.

[sunshine14]

Hi again

 

right click on E: ( the external drive ) and then click "Explore"

Do the files show?

If they do then you should be able to search around for the material that is wanted.

 

If you cannot access the disk:

 

Download Sea Tools for Windows from here onto a working computer.

click here

 

[ you will need to accept the End User Licence first.]

 

Plug the drive in and check which drive letter has been allocated to the drive.

 

Run Sea Tools on the specific drive.

 

Sea Tools is provided by Seagate.

There is a "User Guide" on the right side of the page.

 

Sea Tools will give you various options.

Some of them provide the option to "repair" problems that the test finds.

You may be better selecting the "Fix All" option.

 

This test will take hours to complete.

 

Sea Tools "fail" a drive if it cannot repair any problems that it finds.

 

Let me know how you get on.

 

I am away for a few days - somebody else here may pick this up. :)

If you have not received a reply by Tuesday or Wednesday send me a PM or simply post here. I will get an email.

 

Hello Ken,

I ran Seatools the 'long generic' one I selected 'fix all' It came up as a Pass. I tried to open it again and it still asks me do i want to format. Any ideas please.

I hope you had a few plesant days off.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi,

Considering the hard drive shows being OK with the Seatools check, I can only suggest trying "Recuva".

Download the free version, the one on the left, from here :-

 

https://www.piriform.com/recuva/download

 

Install that on a working computer and then set it to scan the external hard drive, hopefully it will find the data you need.

 

I haven't had the need to use that software, however it is well recommended, so any questions about using it, Ken may be back today or tomorrow as he has had more experience with it I think.

 

Nev.

[sunshine14]

Hi,

Considering the hard drive shows being OK with the Seatools check, I can only suggest trying "Recuva".

Download the free version, the one on the left, from here :-

 

https://www.piriform.com/recuva/download

 

Install that on a working computer and then set it to scan the external hard drive, hopefully it will find the data you need.

 

I haven't had the need to use that software, however it is well recommended, so any questions about using it, Ken may be back today or tomorrow as he has had more experience with it I think.

 

Nev.

 

 

Thank you Nev,

I will give it a try

[sunshine14]

No good Nev I'm afraid.

When I tried to scan it said 'Unable to determine file system type' whatever that means.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, sorry to hear that, it means the drive has gone RAW. That of course happened due to being disconnected without using the "Safe to Remove"

 

It isn't easy to recover files when this has happened, and not something I am familiar with, so hopefully Ken may have some other idea's.

 

Nev.

[DSTM]

Being a Seagate drive, this info may help.

 

http://www.icare-recovery.com/seagate-recovery/seagate-external-drive-raw-file-system.html

 

HTH.

[sunshine14]

Hi, sorry to hear that, it means the drive has gone RAW. That of course happened due to being disconnected without using the "Safe to Remove"

 

It isn't easy to recover files when this has happened, and not something I am familiar with, so hopefully Ken may have some other idea's.

 

Nev.

 

 

Yes Nev you are correct, I looked at its properties and it says 'RAW'

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, have a look at the page and software DSTM has given a link to, it looks very promising and may help you rescue the data.

Thanks for finding that DSTM.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

I am sorry to read that you are still having problems.

 

Hopefully DSTM's link will get you access to some ( hopefully all ) of your files.

[sunshine14]

Being a Seagate drive, this info may help.

 

http://www.icare-recovery.com/seagate-recovery/seagate-external-drive-raw-file-system.html

 

HTH.

 

Thanks for replying,

I downloaded the link you gave me. Even though I have the externel drive connected to my computer, when I go through 'icare' the only drive showing to scan is my own one, Please can you help.

[Ray1000]

Sunshine

 

You said earlier your son had sold his old laptop ... presumably he couldn't get it back temporarily in order to try to retrieve the deleted files from it?

 

Out of interest after reading this thread and finding it has happened to others I've just copied my external storage HD back onto my desktop for safe keeping.

 

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, according to the instructions on the website, you need to select the type of files you wish to recover, if mixed I would select "All", then click the "Next" button which should then be where to find the external drive. I haven't used it, but can only go by what the instructions say.

 

Nev.

[sunshine14]

Hi, according to the instructions on the website, you need to select the type of files you wish to recover, if mixed I would select "All", then click the "Next" button which should then be where to find the external drive. I haven't used it, but can only go by what the instructions say.

 

Nev.

Nev,

I selected 'all' I even tried selecting each one on their own but no good, when I click 'next' the seagate drive is not showing,

[Plastic Nev]

Does the drive show up on the computer itself, as Drive E or some other letter ?

 

If it doesn't show in computer, or at the bottom left of the libraries, see if it shows in Disk Management.

If it isn't being seen by the computer, the software certainly won't find it.

 

Does the external drive have its own power supply, is that connected and showing as on?

Check the USB connections as well.

 

I did recently see where a member took the hard drive out of the external case, then connected the drive by an adapter and it worked, proving there was a fault in the enclosure electronics or connections, that might be the next if it doesn't show up in the computer.

 

Nev.