Help :My ext HDD just went blank and can't read the files

[Matthew77ask]

Help help :

My external HDD just went blank and can't read the files- and ask to be reformated


I have a Prezmate HDD 160GB (an old one)
In the afternoon it was working fine. Then at nite I plug into another HP laptopcomputer.
At first it gave the option of opening the files - which I did, and I saw the files. Then when I tried to open the folders - it kinda got hang... nothing moves....

I tried to get the task manager up and tried to closed it but could not - then i forced shut down the computer. After that I plug the hdd into another laptop, it asked if I want to reformat it! the HDD cannot be read at all....

I have a lot of files inside.... please help

Please please help me...


thanks

 

[treefrog07]

Have you tried installing the HDD into a desktop to see if you can access the folders and files?

While I have never tried this on an external HDD (I have successfully used it to recover folders and files on internal HDDs), you could try TestDisk (free). Read the wiki for the examples. It works in DOS mode through windows, and it helps to have a separate HDD for holding the recovered folders and documents.