When USB hard drives die

**WorknMan** · 01-04-2008, 01:56 PM

Recently, I've seen 2 USB drives (one mine and the other belonging to a friend) fail in the same manner. Basically, they are recognized by the PC and you can see the drive letter in Windows, but trying to access them in any manner causes whatever file manager I'm using to freeze indefinitely. Same in DOS if I try to format them.

Any way to recover either the drive or data when they're in this state? I don't have anything irreplaceable on mine, but I'd still like to salvage it if possible. Those 500GB drives don't grow on trees

**Shane R. Monroe** · 01-04-2008, 02:02 PM

Have you tried jerking the drive out of them and putting them inside a computer?

**miner2049er** · 01-04-2008, 02:03 PM

Any way you can connect them without USB?

Are they SATA? PATA? Connect them internally to take USB out of the equation.

**phantom_triforce** · 01-04-2008, 02:10 PM

I wouldnt recommend talking to the manufacturer (unless you absolutely have to) because all they'll do is send you a new one and make you pay for them to salvage your data and put it on the new one. I hate Sandisk...

Point is that if they can access the data, then there must be a way for you to do it yourself.

**yuckymucky** · 01-04-2008, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by miner2049er

Any way you can connect them without USB?

Are they SATA? PATA? Connect them internally to take USB out of the equation.

I second this, it sounds like the controller is the issue. Although, can you hear the drive spin up when you power it up??

**ChrisHull** · 01-04-2008, 03:08 PM

If it`s the harddrive and you want to get your data off place Wrap in tin foil and place in freezer for 12 hours then put it back in the drive caddy and copy the data off asap.

**BurgerTyme** · 01-04-2008, 06:02 PM

I had one stop working like this a few months back. I went to TigerDirect and bought another USB enclosure without a drive. Took the drive out of the enclosure that wouldn't work and put it in the new enclosure and it worked. Cost about $25.

We also have some adapters at work that are USB and plug directly into the drive (no enclosure). We use them to get data off of drives that are failing. They have adapters that let it work on all types of drives. You can order them from NewEgg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812156102 This one is $30, but is works on all types of jobs.

**WorknMan** · 01-05-2008, 10:13 AM

I opened up the case, and sure enough there was a SATA drive in there. One of my computers supports SATA, but has PATA drives in it (it was an upgrade). So I plugged in a SATA cable and fired it up; the computer picks up the drive on boot, but Windows does not see it, and my mouse now freezes every few seconds. I haven't given up on it just yet, but it doesn't look good

**phantom_triforce** · 01-05-2008, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by WorknMan

I opened up the case, and sure enough there was a SATA drive in there. One of my computers supports SATA, but has PATA drives in it (it was an upgrade). So I plugged in a SATA cable and fired it up; the computer picks up the drive on boot, but Windows does not see it, and my mouse now freezes every few seconds. I haven't given up on it just yet, but it doesn't look good

Did you check the Master/Slave jumper setting on the drive itself? Make sure to set it to primary slave and THEN boot it up.

**WorknMan** · 01-05-2008, 05:14 PM

It's a SATA.. AFAIK, there's no master/slave jumper settings. Anyway, tried a couple of file recovery programs off one of those boot utility CDs, and all of them locked up when trying to copy files off of it. I do believe this drive is dead.