Old WD External HDD

coreytbay

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Oct 18, 2015
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So I have been given this old WD external HDD which uses a power brick and the old mini USB like you'd find on a ps3 controller. If I can't get it to work in a stable condition again I at least want to get the files if not some files copied elsewhere from it. So I plug in the power source, light dim and then connect the USB to my laptop here and the light flashes.
If I'm lucky it will appear in the file explorer and in the device manager, double click on it in the file explorer and I get the blue circle loading cursor shortly followed by a window saying 'D:\ is not accessible The parameter is incorrect' then on the device manager it will change to 'Unknown USB Device'.
At this point now it appear every time in the file explorer after reconnecting the USB and so I tried using a tool called 'MiniTool Power Data Recovery' where it tries to scan attached devices and it gets stuck on percentage like 1 or 64% which I suspect it caused by the external as the loading window just closes to show my OS SSD, the External is not there, it disappears from my File Explorer and changes to 'Unknown USB Device' in the Device Manager as well as an Unrecognised USB Device pop up from windows in the bottom right corner.
Has it got too many bad sectors and the whole things screwed or is there a way I can at least transfer the data off of it without having to send it off to some data recovery service?
 
Solution
sounds like something internal is stuck/sticking ... unless your want to pay someone some bux, it maybe impossible to retrieve info yourself. opeing an external has its own dangers depending on how they have mounted it.

SoggyTissue

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Jun 27, 2017
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2,960
you may need to download a generic usb driver for external hdd (if they still exist)

you maybe using the wrong usb/micro cable - i have an old external requiring a double usb to micro usb cable (thats 2 usb plugs going into 1 micro usb plug), perhaps you have a similar old generation?
 

coreytbay

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Oct 18, 2015
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Judging from what I can see online, it is just meant to be just a single usb-mini cable and windows says the correct drivers are installed.
 

SoggyTissue

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Jun 27, 2017
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have you tried cleaning the power cable connectors to ensure no power trouble?
i know this sounds weird, but try putting the drive on its side or end? perhaps a mechanical fault is impeding the spin and a different orientation may free it? (aka cheap-sony playstation disk drive solution).
 

coreytbay

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Oct 18, 2015
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Funny how you said try turning it on its side, I tried it and then plugged in the USB and it popped up in the file explorer then the window stopped responding before I could transfer anything lol. Now it has the name 'Elements' and not just the (D:) drive. Getting somewhere, hopefully I can get that to happen again.

edit-- back to square one, can hardly even get it to appear on the file explorer again even with it on its side.
 

SoggyTissue

Estimable
Jun 27, 2017
1,029
0
2,960
sounds like something internal is stuck/sticking ... unless your want to pay someone some bux, it maybe impossible to retrieve info yourself. opeing an external has its own dangers depending on how they have mounted it.
 
Solution