External Hard Drive Kaput - Fixable ?
Discussion
Hi all
Seagate 2Tb external hard drive.
Don't recal any serious impacts, but has been dropped once or twice on a carpet.
Now not working, doesn't appear on "This PC" when plugged in
to USB socket, making strange noises, but Device Manager says it is OK.
Are these things fixable, can the contents be retrieved
[ just 80+ movies ] or just move on and dump it ?
Seagate 2Tb external hard drive.
Don't recal any serious impacts, but has been dropped once or twice on a carpet.
Now not working, doesn't appear on "This PC" when plugged in
to USB socket, making strange noises, but Device Manager says it is OK.
Are these things fixable, can the contents be retrieved
[ just 80+ movies ] or just move on and dump it ?
It could be the USB socket or cable...or the USB controller board. I'm assuming it's USB-powered too, as I find they break much quicker than mains-powered devices (and are usually slower 2.5" drives instead of 3.5" drives).
You could try one of those little SATA to USB cables available on amazon/ebay - just need to check whether it's a 2.5" or 3.5" drive drive (as one needs external power)...and to check that the drive doesn't have some proprietary SATA connection.
Something like this should do for a 2.5" drive...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BENFEI-Cable-Driver-Adapt...
or this...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multibao-External-Drive-E...
You could try one of those little SATA to USB cables available on amazon/ebay - just need to check whether it's a 2.5" or 3.5" drive drive (as one needs external power)...and to check that the drive doesn't have some proprietary SATA connection.
Something like this should do for a 2.5" drive...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BENFEI-Cable-Driver-Adapt...
or this...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multibao-External-Drive-E...
Hard to say from your description what's wrong with it.
Usually if I have a hard drive problem, the first thing I do is try it in various USB ports, and then with different USB cables, and even on a different PC. Failing that I take it out of the external enclosure and try it in a different one.
Usually if I have a hard drive problem, the first thing I do is try it in various USB ports, and then with different USB cables, and even on a different PC. Failing that I take it out of the external enclosure and try it in a different one.
It is USB powered, it has a USB 3.0 Micro B socket,
not sure if it is 2.5". or 3.5" , the whole unit is just 7x11 cm.
It doesnt work on my PC either, I think I have another cable
but this cable works fine with my other external HD.
When plugged in It the Laptop recognises that a USB has been
connected but the unit just beeps, then if you shake it you can hear
it whirring and clicking, but it doesn't connect to the laptop.
I will search for that other cable.
not sure if it is 2.5". or 3.5" , the whole unit is just 7x11 cm.
It doesnt work on my PC either, I think I have another cable
but this cable works fine with my other external HD.
When plugged in It the Laptop recognises that a USB has been
connected but the unit just beeps, then if you shake it you can hear
it whirring and clicking, but it doesn't connect to the laptop.
I will search for that other cable.
It sounds similar to a problem I had with one of mine recently. I was told to follow this bloke's suggestions: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/...
However, I used Partition Magic and played around with that until I got access.
Failing that, if the external drive beats you, you can always break it open, get a caddy from Amazon for a few quid or plug it into your desktop.
However, I used Partition Magic and played around with that until I got access.
Failing that, if the external drive beats you, you can always break it open, get a caddy from Amazon for a few quid or plug it into your desktop.
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