HELP: External hard drive failure?

[Guest]

My learned friends.

I have an external hard drive which has been working well. There was a time
when data began going missing even after running chkdsk the files and folder
could not be retrieved. It is strange because the available space on the hard
drive did no increase when the files went missing, it remained the same. It
leads me to think there must be some way of retrieving them?

That was by way of background (as if you could help me with the above I
would be very grateful). The problem at hand I fear is much graver. Today
when I started my PC and went to access the external hard drive local dick
(H I was prompted that “the disk in drive H is not formattedâ€. Would I like
to format it now? Obviously I clicked NO. What is going on and how can I
resolve it.

Please help.

Thanking you in advance,

Yours sincerely,

Joe

 

[Rock]

My learned friends.

I have an external hard drive which has been working well. There was a time
when data began going missing even after running chkdsk the files and folder
could not be retrieved. It is strange because the available space on the hard
drive did no increase when the files went missing, it remained the same. It
leads me to think there must be some way of retrieving them?

That was by way of background (as if you could help me with the above I
would be very grateful). The problem at hand I fear is much graver. Today
when I started my PC and went to access the external hard drive local dick
(H I was prompted that “the disk in drive H is not formattedâ€. Would I like
to format it now? Obviously I clicked NO. What is going on and how can I
resolve it.

Please help.

Thanking you in advance,

Yours sincerely,

Joe

Download a drive diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer's web
site and run it.

 

[Anna]

Download a drive diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer's web site
and run it.
Rock
MS MVP Windows - Shell/User

Rock & Joe:
To the best of my knowledge the hard drive diagnostic utility from the
drive's manufacturer will *not* detect a USB hard drive. The drive must be
connected internally, so the user will have to remove it from its enclosure
(assuming it's not a one-piece commercial unit or warranty issues are not
involved) and install the drive internally. Hopefully Joe can do this since
it does sound like the problem may be a defective HD.

On the other hand, it *could* be a defective USB enclosure, or a defective
USB cable, or a poorly connected cable connection, or a defective USB port
(try all your USB ports) or hub, or God-knows-what with these USB devices.
Anna

 

[Jonny]

Rock & Joe:
To the best of my knowledge the hard drive diagnostic utility from the
drive's manufacturer will *not* detect a USB hard drive. The drive must be
connected internally, so the user will have to remove it from its enclosure
(assuming it's not a one-piece commercial unit or warranty issues are not
involved) and install the drive internally. Hopefully Joe can do this since
it does sound like the problem may be a defective HD.

On the other hand, it *could* be a defective USB enclosure, or a defective
USB cable, or a poorly connected cable connection, or a defective USB port
(try all your USB ports) or hub, or God-knows-what with these USB devices.
Anna

That used to be the case. In the case of Western Digital, they now offer a
version that works in windows for USB and Firewire connected drives. Of
course, only works with WD drives.

 

[Anna]

That used to be the case. In the case of Western Digital, they now offer
a
version that works in windows for USB and Firewire connected drives. Of
course, only works with WD drives.

Jonny:
We are aware that Western Digital recently released an updated version
(5_04f) of their HD diagnostic utility, however, we've had no luck with that
utility in connection with detecting USB-connected drives. We've tried it
with a number of WD drives in a number of different USB enclosures, but
without success. We've jumpered the drives in every possible combination.
BTW, we've been using (as we usually do) the bootable floppy disk version of
this software.

Have you *personally* had success with this diagnostic utility with respect
to USB hard drives? Or were you just relying on the information provided by
WD on their website?

If anyone has used this WD diagnostic utility with success re USB drives, I
certainly would like to hear about it.
Anna

 

[Rock]

Jonny:

We are aware that Western Digital recently released an updated version
(5_04f) of their HD diagnostic utility, however, we've had no luck with that
utility in connection with detecting USB-connected drives. We've tried it
with a number of WD drives in a number of different USB enclosures, but
without success. We've jumpered the drives in every possible combination.
BTW, we've been using (as we usually do) the bootable floppy disk version of
this software.

Have you *personally* had success with this diagnostic utility with respect
to USB hard drives? Or were you just relying on the information provided by
WD on their website?

If anyone has used this WD diagnostic utility with success re USB drives, I
certainly would like to hear about it.
Anna

Anna,

I just tried it on my two Usb/firewire combo drives. The smart status
is not available, but it otherwise ran on the drives for the quick test.
The extended test started but I canceled since it will take same time.

 

[Anna]

Anna,

I just tried it on my two Usb/firewire combo drives. The smart status is
not available, but it otherwise ran on the drives for the quick test. The
extended test started but I canceled since it will take same time.

Rock:
Thanks.

1. Are those combo drives connected as USB devices?
2. And are they different commercial models? If so, could you let me know
their make & model?
3. Or are they enclosures where you've installed the WD hard drive(s)? Could
you let me know the drive model(s)?
4. When you used the diagnostic utility, were you booting with both the
internal HD and the external devices connected? Or was only the external
device connected during the boot (which the diagnostic detected)?
Thanks for the info.
Anna

 

[Rock]

Rock:
Thanks.

1. Are those combo drives connected as USB devices?
2. And are they different commercial models? If so, could you let me know
their make & model?
3. Or are they enclosures where you've installed the WD hard drive(s)? Could
you let me know the drive model(s)?
4. When you used the diagnostic utility, were you booting with both the
internal HD and the external devices connected? Or was only the external
device connected during the boot (which the diagnostic detected)?
Thanks for the info.
Anna

1. Yes, connected to USB2 ports.
2. They are Western Digital packaged external combo drives.
3. See 2 above
4. I booted with the drives connected but not turned on, installed the
WD diagnostics, turned on the external drives and ran the the diagnostics.

You're welcome.

 

[Anna]

1. Yes, connected to USB2 ports.
2. They are Western Digital packaged external combo drives.
3. See 2 above
4. I booted with the drives connected but not turned on, installed the WD
diagnostics, turned on the external drives and ran the the diagnostics.

You're welcome.

Thanks again. Perhaps the key here is that you're working with packaged WD
single-unit USB devices and there's some new capability built-in to these
devices that allows them be detected by the new WD diagnostic utility. That
might explain why we were unable to use the diagnostic with WD HDs installed
in this or that USB enclosure. I'll do some more research on this.

But I'm not clear on your response to Q4. I assumed you were working with
the WD diagnostic utility on a floppy disk. Is that right? If so, how could
you run the diagnostic if the USB drive wasn't connected at the time you
booted with the floppy? Perhaps I misunderstand you.
Anna

 

[Driver]

Thanks again. Perhaps the key here is that you're working with packaged WD
single-unit USB devices and there's some new capability built-in to these
devices that allows them be detected by the new WD diagnostic utility. That
might explain why we were unable to use the diagnostic with WD HDs installed
in this or that USB enclosure. I'll do some more research on this.

But I'm not clear on your response to Q4. I assumed you were working with
the WD diagnostic utility on a floppy disk. Is that right? If so, how could
you run the diagnostic if the USB drive wasn't connected at the time you
booted with the floppy? Perhaps I misunderstand you.
Anna

Anna, if I may intrude here.

I am also running the WD diagnostic utility to check my external USB
WD HDD, The diagnostic utility is installed on the local hard drive
and you run the pgm from within Windows XP. You have your external USB
drive turned on and just run the diagnostic pgm with no hassle. As
rock said this pgm is only for WD HDD's.
Hope this helps.
Driver

 

[Anna]

Anna, if I may intrude here.

I am also running the WD diagnostic utility to check my external USB
WD HDD, The diagnostic utility is installed on the local hard drive
and you run the pgm from within Windows XP. You have your external USB
drive turned on and just run the diagnostic pgm with no hassle. As
rock said this pgm is only for WD HDD's.
Hope this helps.
Driver

Driver:
Thanks for the information. Sounds like that's the real answer, i.e., the WD
diagnostic has to be run from the Windows interface for it to detect the
USBEHD. If so, it's a pity it can't be run from the bootable floppy disk.
The *only* way we've ever used HD diagnostic utilities is from a bootable
floppy disk incorporating the diagnostic. Otherwise, it's not really
practical for us.

In the past, we've used the IBM diagnostic utility (again, in floppy disk
form) regardless that the drive being diagnosed was from another
manufacturer. It was a nice feature of the IBM HD diagnostic program that it
could work with virtually any IDE drive, regardless of its make. It was, of
course, superseded by the Hitachi program which isn't as "universal".

Again, thanks for the info.
Anna

 

[Guest]

My learned friends

1. I am using a Lacie external hard drive. I do not know of it actually
encloses a WD hard drive. I will make enquires. If I find that it does not am
I correct from the tread that the WD diagnostic utility will be of no use to
me?

2. Moreover, as I stated when I try to access the drive, I am prompted to
format it. Would the diagnostic utility resolve this problem? I ran a virus
scan for good measure and while it would usually scan both the internal and
the external, it only did the internal. In short, it would appear that the
drive is not being recognised.

Please advise

-Joe

 

[Rock]

Thanks again. Perhaps the key here is that you're working with packaged WD
single-unit USB devices and there's some new capability built-in to these
devices that allows them be detected by the new WD diagnostic utility. That
might explain why we were unable to use the diagnostic with WD HDs installed
in this or that USB enclosure. I'll do some more research on this.

But I'm not clear on your response to Q4. I assumed you were working with
the WD diagnostic utility on a floppy disk. Is that right? If so, how could
you run the diagnostic if the USB drive wasn't connected at the time you
booted with the floppy? Perhaps I misunderstand you.
Anna

You're welcome. No it wasn't on floppy. I downloaded the .zip file,
extracted, ran the .exe file installer which installed the program to an
internal drive, then ran the .exe from inside windows.

 

[Anna]

My learned friends

1. I am using a Lacie external hard drive. I do not know of it actually
encloses a WD hard drive. I will make enquires. If I find that it does not
am
I correct from the tread that the WD diagnostic utility will be of no use
to
me?

2. Moreover, as I stated when I try to access the drive, I am prompted to
format it. Would the diagnostic utility resolve this problem? I ran a
virus
scan for good measure and while it would usually scan both the internal
and
the external, it only did the internal. In short, it would appear that the
drive is not being recognised.

Please advise

-Joe

Joe:
Please accept my apologies. It looks like we've been ignoring you, that is
to say, your problem, during this subsequent discussion re hard drive
diagnostic utilities.

From your original description of the problem and your current posting, it
sounds ominously like a defective hard drive problem or possibly a failure
of the USB enclosure. The LaCie unit you have is a commercial unit and it's
not designed for user removal of the hard drive within. Hopefully, the
device is still under warranty and you can return it to LaCie for their
diagnoses. But even if it's no longer under warranty you still should get in
touch with the company to seek their advice re diagnosing the problem.
Here's the link for their Tech Support Form...
http://www.lacie.com/support/request/
You also might want to call them at 503-844-4503.
Anna

 

[Rock]

My learned friends

1. I am using a Lacie external hard drive. I do not know of it actually
encloses a WD hard drive. I will make enquires. If I find that it does not am
I correct from the tread that the WD diagnostic utility will be of no use to
me?

2. Moreover, as I stated when I try to access the drive, I am prompted to
format it. Would the diagnostic utility resolve this problem? I ran a virus
scan for good measure and while it would usually scan both the internal and
the external, it only did the internal. In short, it would appear that the
drive is not being recognised.

Please advise

-Joe

1. It probably will not work but you could try it.

2. The drive is being recognized, otherwise it wouldn't say to format
it. It's just not readable. Why that happened I don't know. You might
have lost the data on that drive. Maybe the drive is bad, and Lacie
will replace it.

Always have a current backup of all data. I know that's an after the
fact statement but if it keeps you from data loss in the future that's
good.