Am I damaging my USB HD?

[LadyDungeness]

I have a USB external HD that quit working. It powers up but no
computer can recognize it. It's a Western Digital MyBook. When it
was working, I would use it and push the button to shut it down and
then unhook it. Or else unhook it after the computer shut down.

I've been hearing about a Click Dance / Safely Remove Hardware. What
is that? If I did'nt do that, did I damage the HD?

How can I get my data off the HD now?

`
Lady Dungeness
Crabby, but Delicious!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Grand_Poobah]

--->

I have a USB external HD that quit working. It powers up but no
computer can recognize it. It's a Western Digital MyBook. When it
was working, I would use it and push the button to shut it down and
then unhook it. Or else unhook it after the computer shut down.

I've been hearing about a Click Dance / Safely Remove Hardware. What
is that? If I did'nt do that, did I damage the HD?

How can I get my data off the HD now?

`
Lady Dungeness
Crabby, but Delicious!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When your disk was plugged in, did you notice a small icon in the
notification area (near the date/time) that appeared as a tiny green
arrow over a little grey box. The mouse hover tooltip would say "Safely
Remove Hardware". This is what you should use to shut down anything
plugged into the USB port (provided it allows this method of shutting
down). Some devices just allow pulling them out, others don't.

Removing it after the power is shut off *SHOULDN'T* hurt the disk, but
the system will look for it on startup and perhaps lengthen startup time.

As for damaging your HD, if none of your computers recognize it, then it
*MAY* be fried.

GP

 

[Guest]

Hi LadyD,

In the drive box there is a bridge board that converts the hard drive
interface to the USB interface. The problem could be the bridge board gone
bad and your hard drive and data might still be okay.

The hard drive can be removed and connected directly to the motherboard to
get your data off.

Good luck.

 

[LadyDungeness]

No such icon ever in the task bar. I would see the WD Button Manager
icon in the task bar from time to time.

`
Lady Dungeness
Crabby, but Delicious!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:59:23 -0400, Grand_Poobah

|--->
|> I have a USB external HD that quit working. It powers up but no
|> computer can recognize it. It's a Western Digital MyBook. When it
|> was working, I would use it and push the button to shut it down and
|> then unhook it. Or else unhook it after the computer shut down.
|>
|> I've been hearing about a Click Dance / Safely Remove Hardware. What
|> is that? If I did'nt do that, did I damage the HD?
|>
|> How can I get my data off the HD now?
|>
|> `
|> Lady Dungeness
|> Crabby, but Delicious!
|> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|When your disk was plugged in, did you notice a small icon in the
|notification area (near the date/time) that appeared as a tiny green
|arrow over a little grey box. The mouse hover tooltip would say "Safely
|Remove Hardware". This is what you should use to shut down anything
|plugged into the USB port (provided it allows this method of shutting
|down). Some devices just allow pulling them out, others don't.
|
|Removing it after the power is shut off *SHOULDN'T* hurt the disk, but
|the system will look for it on startup and perhaps lengthen startup time.
|
|As for damaging your HD, if none of your computers recognize it, then it
|*MAY* be fried.
|
|GP

 

[LadyDungeness]

|In the drive box there is a bridge board that converts the hard drive
|interface to the USB interface. The problem could be the bridge board gone
|bad and your hard drive and data might still be okay.

Should I try opening it up? Where would I look for the Bridge?


|
|The hard drive can be removed and connected directly to the motherboard to
|get your data off.

How to remove the HD? How to connect to the MOBO?

`
Lady Dungeness
Crabby, but Delicious!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


|
|Good luck.
|"(e-mail address removed)" wrote:
|
|> I have a USB external HD that quit working. It powers up but no
|> computer can recognize it. It's a Western Digital MyBook. When it
|> was working, I would use it and push the button to shut it down and
|> then unhook it. Or else unhook it after the computer shut down.
|>
|> I've been hearing about a Click Dance / Safely Remove Hardware. What
|> is that? If I did'nt do that, did I damage the HD?
|>
|> How can I get my data off the HD now?
|>
|> `
|> Lady Dungeness
|> Crabby, but Delicious!
|> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|>

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have a USB external HD that quit working. It powers up but no
computer can recognize it. It's a Western Digital MyBook. When it
was working, I would use it and push the button to shut it down and
then unhook it. Or else unhook it after the computer shut down.

I've been hearing about a Click Dance / Safely Remove Hardware. What
is that? If I did'nt do that, did I damage the HD?

Failure to do that might cause the loss of some or all of the data,
but it wouldn't physically damage the drive.

How can I get my data off the HD now?

If something has physically failed, it could be the drive itself, or
it could be the USB enclosure. You might try the drive in another USB
enclosure, or mount it internally in a computer.

 

[Guest]

Hi again,

This sounds like it might be beyond your ability. Maybe consider taking it
to a reputable computer place or ask a techie friend to help.

 

[Lil' Dave]

So, you have the windows version of WD data lifeguard installed. Just
wondering why you're fishing here in that case? IE: does data lifeguard see
the drive?
Dave

 

[Lil' Dave]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
The warranty is void if you open the external enclosure. If you send in the
defective drive for replacement, you just sent away all your data.
Dave

 

[LadyDungeness]

Data Lifeguard is not installed. I use a Acronis for backups instead.
WD Button Manager is installed. They are two different programs.

`
Lady Dungeness
Crabby, but Delicious!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 19:44:12 -0500, "Lil' Dave"

|So, you have the windows version of WD data lifeguard installed. Just
|wondering why you're fishing here in that case? IE: does data lifeguard see
|the drive?
|Dave
||> No such icon ever in the task bar. I would see the WD Button Manager
|> icon in the task bar from time to time.
|>
|> `
|> Lady Dungeness
|> Crabby, but Delicious!
|> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|>
|>
|> On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:59:23 -0400, Grand_Poobah
|>
|> |--->
|> |> I have a USB external HD that quit working. It powers up but no
|> |> computer can recognize it. It's a Western Digital MyBook. When it
|> |> was working, I would use it and push the button to shut it down and
|> |> then unhook it. Or else unhook it after the computer shut down.
|> |>
|> |> I've been hearing about a Click Dance / Safely Remove Hardware. What
|> |> is that? If I did'nt do that, did I damage the HD?
|> |>
|> |> How can I get my data off the HD now?
|> |>
|> |> `
|> |> Lady Dungeness
|> |> Crabby, but Delicious!
|> |> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|> |
|> |When your disk was plugged in, did you notice a small icon in the
|> |notification area (near the date/time) that appeared as a tiny green
|> |arrow over a little grey box. The mouse hover tooltip would say "Safely
|> |Remove Hardware". This is what you should use to shut down anything
|> |plugged into the USB port (provided it allows this method of shutting
|> |down). Some devices just allow pulling them out, others don't.
|> |
|> |Removing it after the power is shut off *SHOULDN'T* hurt the disk, but
|> |the system will look for it on startup and perhaps lengthen startup time.
|> |
|> |As for damaging your HD, if none of your computers recognize it, then it
|> |*MAY* be fried.
|> |
|> |GP
|

 

[Guest]

If you have a desktop or tower computer you could possibly take your drive
out of its enclosure and connect it directly into your computer.
This link will give you some idea of what is involved in fitting a drive
into a computer http://www.directron.com/how.html#mount

As per previous posts if you feel this is too technical you will have too
seek assistance.