External Hard Drive might be faulty

Ori Frish

Reputable
Apr 22, 2015
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I got this hard drive, Transcend StoreJet 1TB. with all the awards it has.. worth nothing =/
http://www.transcend-info.com/Products/No-324

Now, apparently when I connect it to my computer, my PC does recognize the connection, and it is making the sound that it is connected properly (drivers are also being installed).

From some reason, I can't access the driver, Windows can't tell me it's size, it isn't even recommending me to format it. I tried different cables and the same thing, I've tried to connect it to different computers, and yet I still have the same problem.

The thing is, I realise I might need to perform some Data Recovery, and to bring my Hard Disk to some lab, but since it's 1TB it is very expensive (150$+) and no one is willing to guarantee that my data can be recovered in some other way...

If I'll try to open it myself or to perform any amatuer check on my own, I will destroy the design of this hard disk... do you have any other solution for me?
 
Solution
Hey there, Ori Frish.
It seems like you've tried the most sensible and basic steps of the troubleshooting - trying it with different USB cables and computers. I'd also recommend that you try accessing the drive via Linux Live CD/USB in order to find out if you can get to your data this way and recover it. Another option is to try with data recovery software like the offered solutions from this thread: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1644496/lost-data-recovery.html
Taking the drive out of its enclosure is never recommended because you might harm the HDD itself and you'll most probably void the warranty of the drive and this should be done only as a last resort. That's why I'd suggest that you don't try it for now.

Hope that...
Hey there, Ori Frish.
It seems like you've tried the most sensible and basic steps of the troubleshooting - trying it with different USB cables and computers. I'd also recommend that you try accessing the drive via Linux Live CD/USB in order to find out if you can get to your data this way and recover it. Another option is to try with data recovery software like the offered solutions from this thread: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1644496/lost-data-recovery.html
Taking the drive out of its enclosure is never recommended because you might harm the HDD itself and you'll most probably void the warranty of the drive and this should be done only as a last resort. That's why I'd suggest that you don't try it for now.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
Boogieman_WD
 
Solution