WD External Hard Drive is "Unknown Device" on all USB ports

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angelo_aiviem

Honorable
Jul 27, 2013
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10,510
Hello. Do you have any advise on my problem?

I have a 500GB WD External hard drive and the problem is that, a week ago, my external HD still works and after I plugged it to my hardmodded xbox for a data transfer it stopped working. When I plug the usb cable, the blinking light is on, and after I think 3-5 secs, the disc inside spins and then stops then a pop up message appears saying "USB DEVICE NOT RECOGNIZED......" should I need to replace my wd hard drive? Ive done some fixes like checking it inside disk drives, in my computer, in device manager; but I cant find the drive there. I also replaced the cable and still the problem persists. THe only thing I did not do is unscrewing it..I guess i dont want to try that. I never did it before. Im losing hope now. This post will be my last ACE. please help. I have spent several months to have those saved files in there and now Im feeling like Im going to go all over again. Never backed the important files in there because that was my backed up files from my reformatted laptop :(
 
Solution
Tom Tancredi
Your not understanding, if the drive died (as 98% most likely) there is no way to get the files off the disks. The space between the reader and the plates is less then a hair width, and a partical of dust would be like a concrete barrier landing on your head. So if the surfaces damaged because it got banged, worn out, etc. they are lost.

The only other way to recover it would be to send it to a Data Recovery Clean Room, which would actually be in bunny suits, pulling the plates out and manually reading the data off it, which is highly technical and STARTS in the $15K to as much as 250K to do the work and provide the data back to you.
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angelo_aiviem

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Jul 27, 2013
2
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10,510


YES THANKS FOR THAT ADVICE. I KNOW THE FILES ARE STILL INSIDE BUT THE THING I DONT KNOW IS HOW SHOULD IT GET INSIDE THAT DISK TO GET THE FILES. ALL MY PERSONAL REPORTS ARE THERE. WHEN I TRIED PLUGGING IT INTO THE XBOX BEFORE, IT WORKED.. I DONT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THEN,.. I FOUND SEAGATE MUCH MORE STRONG THAN WD. THANKS TOM.
 
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Tom Tancredi

Tom Tancredi

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May 9, 2013
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Your not understanding, if the drive died (as 98% most likely) there is no way to get the files off the disks. The space between the reader and the plates is less then a hair width, and a partical of dust would be like a concrete barrier landing on your head. So if the surfaces damaged because it got banged, worn out, etc. they are lost.

The only other way to recover it would be to send it to a Data Recovery Clean Room, which would actually be in bunny suits, pulling the plates out and manually reading the data off it, which is highly technical and STARTS in the $15K to as much as 250K to do the work and provide the data back to you.
 
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Solution
J

Jacob Oxendale

Honorable
Jan 15, 2014
2
0
10,510
There are 3 types of data recovery

1. Deleted/Formatted drives. This is pretty easy all you need to do is get a program like recover my files.
2. Damages hardware. This can lead to level 3 but for the most part it can be fixed by replacing the circuit board on the HDD with another circuit board of the exact same make and model. There is also equipment that can do this but its pretty expensive.
3. Level three is also hardware but it usually needs to be read in by microscope like equipment and yes it has to be in a clean room. It does NOT cost 15k its probably more like 1-3k. Drive savers has been a really good source for me and the offer a $950 flat rate on jpeg only file types.

Personally it sound like it is either level 2 or 3. If you were interested in shipping it my rates are:
$150 for level 1
$350 for level 2
$800-$5000 for level 3

If do need to send it to level three email me: jacob@element-computers.com for 10% off
 
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Tom Tancredi

Tom Tancredi

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May 9, 2013
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Nice idea? Or Fake solution? Can't tell at this time because of the following:

1) you don't even tell us where to get 'testdesk' from? How about a link to the software? How about in your youtube video? You seem more (as some have done) to just be linking to get 'hits' on your video
2) Video does NOT show you repaired the drive, it shows you running a command prompt on a 'WORKING' drive.
3) This is a software solution, again this maybe a HARDWARE issue (aka dropped drive, broken platters, mechanical issues, worn out headers, physical plate worn out from use, etc.) and 98% of the time it is, especially when you replace the cable and tried it in MULTIPLE COMPUTERS WITH SAME RESULT.
4) Your 'demonstration' has a serious problem : it redoes the MBT and thus WIPES the data (if it even works at all that is) which is NOT what the OP needs, the OP is looking to RECOVER the data off the drive.
 
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