External Hard Drive kaput?

[Tom]

Can't access one of my external drives. Get no signs of life from it.
All my music is on that one!

What chances are there the files can be saved, at a reasonable cost?
Or are they kaput now?

[wilderness]

Open the case (in most instances they are made of plastic and you will NOT be able to reassemble), removed the HD, and purchase a "rack mount" (external case; approx $25) for the HD and it "should" function normally.

Most of the problems related to eternal hard drives are the board circuitry, and those components going bad.

[JustRalph]

Tom..... check this article and the link in the top paragraph of the story

http://geeksaresexy.blogspot.com/2006/01/freeze-your-hard-drive-to-recover-data.html

this sometimes works........ if you are gonna try the freezer trick, wrap the unit in plastic

btw, does it not power on or does it click etc?

[bigmack]

Open the case (in most instances they are made of plastic and you will NOT be able to reassemble), removed the HD, and purchase a "rack mount" (external case; approx $25) for the HD and it "should" function normally.

Most of the problems related to eternal hard drives are the board circuitry, and those components going bad.
'Wildie' is right (but just this once) - It's the casing that's more than likely Le'Prob. Do like I do with sausage, take the casing off and reveal the 'chewy-nougat-center'. Everythang should still be intact. Then you can again have access to Lady Gaga and all her splendor. :eek:

[Tom]

So new "case" for the HD has the electronic stuff that makes it work?
I am getting no signs of life from it right now.

[DJofSD]

Tom, I'm not sure if this applies. Many years ago, I bought a shell that allowed me to put a standard IDE HDD in it then plug the entire assembly into a fire wire port. Worked just fine.

On the inside of the shell was a small circuit board that I assume did the electronic magic to do the protocol conversion back and forth between IDE (parallel) and fire wire (serial).

I think what is being suggested is your non-working drive is having problems with the equivalent small circuit board and if you extract the HDD itself, there is some mounting equipment that wil take your HDD and allow you to put it in a PC.

If that's not what is being suggested, my apologies in advance for the noise.

[wilderness]

Here's an example (http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=92&name=External-Enclosures).

In most instances the HD just slides in.

[Tom]

Cool. Thank you.
I got it now.

I am a bit e-challenged when at times!
I'm just getting into using CD's...I wanted to make sure they weren't a passing fad, like 8 Tracks! :D

[Dave Schwartz]

Tom,

Worse case scenario, I have your back(up). <G>

(See, I know where you got that music.)

[wilderness]

Cool. Thank you.
I'm just getting into using CD's...I wanted to make sure they weren't a passing fad, like 8 Tracks! :D

Uhm. . .CD's are comparable to 8-tracks, although they still offer some vaild use.

DVD's are the norm.

I haven't read anything on the data capabilities of blu-ray, however the blu-ray discs offer much more capacity than even DL-DVD's.

[Dave Schwartz]

Wilderness,

It is the content of Tom's hard drive that he is most concerned about.


Dave

[Tom]

Looks like it is the power converter that has died.
I found a used on in Canada - but they want me to pick it up at the store.
Damn, I should have been nicer to Rookies! :D

Can I substitute another power cord with the same specs?

[JustRalph]

Looks like it is the power converter that has died.
I found a used on in Canada - but they want me to pick it up at the store.
Damn, I should have been nicer to Rookies! :D

Can I substitute another power cord with the same specs?

What's the model of the external drive? Might be a good time to buy an extra one and use the converter/power cord to recover your music......and swap them out as needed.

I have some external enclosures that I swap in and out using the same power cord/converter. No problem at all.

[wilderness]

sata ide (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=7&gs_id=k&xhr=t&q=sata+ide&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&biw=795&bih=526&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=sata+id&aq=0&aqi=g4&aql=f&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=f23689a26f36edf4)

[Tom]

Thanks Wilderness- will check this out.

Ralph, I can't find the same drive for sale - just a spare case and power cord.
I guess that would work.

Unbelievable the Candadian store has a website but you have to pick up at the store?!?

[JustRalph]

tom

send me the drive info in a pm :ThmbUp:

Ralph