can this hard drive be saved?

  • Thread starter Thread starter J Lunis
  • Start date Start date
J

J Lunis

Have (had?) a Maxtor 80G external USB hard drive connected to my XP PC.
A few days ago I found it was no longer recognized by the PC. Maxtor
suggested unplugging the USB cable and power to the HD, waiting 10
seconds and plugging the power back in. I waited hours. Plugged it
back in but it didn't help. I did notice an LED on the front of the HD
blinking continuously for minutes. Maxtor says this indicates a 'failed'
drive and suggests I send it to a data recovery outfit.
I have read some USB HDs can fail because of connections inside the HD
case and turning it into a PCI hard drive may make it readable.
Is there a way to confirm the HD 'failed.'
Is it possible the connections are bad and the HD is salvagable?
Is there an option to a $1000 recovery effort?
 
J said:
Have (had?) a Maxtor 80G external USB hard drive connected to my XP
PC. A few days ago I found it was no longer recognized by the PC. Maxtor
suggested unplugging the USB cable and power to the HD,
waiting 10 seconds and plugging the power back in. I waited hours.
Plugged it back in but it didn't help. I did notice an LED on the
front of the HD blinking continuously for minutes. Maxtor says this
indicates a 'failed' drive and suggests I send it to a data recovery
outfit. I have read some USB HDs can fail because of connections inside
the HD
case and turning it into a PCI hard drive may make it readable.
Is there a way to confirm the HD 'failed.'
Is it possible the connections are bad and the HD is salvagable?
Is there an option to a $1000 recovery effort?
Click to expand...

Remove it from the case and install it as a secondary drive in the PC case.
 
J Lunis said:
Have (had?) a Maxtor 80G external USB hard drive connected to my XP PC.
A few days ago I found it was no longer recognized by the PC. Maxtor
suggested unplugging the USB cable and power to the HD, waiting 10 seconds
and plugging the power back in. I waited hours. Plugged it back in but
it didn't help. I did notice an LED on the front of the HD blinking
continuously for minutes. Maxtor says this indicates a 'failed' drive and
suggests I send it to a data recovery outfit.
I have read some USB HDs can fail because of connections inside the HD
case and turning it into a PCI hard drive may make it readable.
Is there a way to confirm the HD 'failed.'
Is it possible the connections are bad and the HD is salvagable?
Is there an option to a $1000 recovery effort?
Click to expand...
If installing it as a slave drive in your computer, doesn`t help. There is a
Trade `trick`.
Seal the drive in a waterproof bag, and stick it in the fridge for a few
hours, then slave it again.
I suppose you have checked the drive with Maxtors` Powermax software ?.
bw..OJ
 
If you have a home vacuum sealer (Food Saver, etc), they work very well for
this method- it removes all the air and moisture from the bag a seals it so
that condensation isn't a problem.

Fitz
 
old said:
If installing it as a slave drive in your computer, doesn`t help. There is a
Trade `trick`.
Seal the drive in a waterproof bag, and stick it in the fridge for a few
hours, then slave it again.
I suppose you have checked the drive with Maxtors` Powermax software ?.
bw..OJ
Click to expand...
Have no idea what this is. How would I use it if the PC doesn't know
the Maxtor is plugged in?
 
old said:
Have no idea what this is. How would I use it if the PC doesn't know
the Maxtor is plugged in?
Click to expand...

Remove the drive from the USB case and mount it inside the computer case.
Usually under the main drive. If you need instructions further you will have
to supply more system specs.
 
Jimmy said:
Remove the drive from the USB case and mount it inside the computer case.
Usually under the main drive. If you need instructions further you will have
to supply more system specs.
Click to expand...

Maxtor Personal Storage 3000LE
KIT: X01USB2040
 
philo said:
this is good advice...as the drive may be ok...
but just the controller failed
Click to expand...

So why not just use another IDE-USB adapter (they're like $20 from newegg)?
One of my old WD hard drives developed problems once & wouldn't boot.
Probably a problem with the logic board. I put it in an IDE-USB adapter &
recovered all the data no probs.

Worst case senario you can take it to a good repair guy who has a magnetic
force microscope for sector-by-sector data recovery
 
Analabha said:
philo wrote:




So why not just use another IDE-USB adapter (they're like $20 from newegg)?
One of my old WD hard drives developed problems once & wouldn't boot.
Probably a problem with the logic board. I put it in an IDE-USB adapter &
recovered all the data no probs.

Worst case senario you can take it to a good repair guy who has a magnetic
force microscope for sector-by-sector data recovery
Click to expand...

OK, so what is an IDE-USB adapter.
 
OK, so what is an IDE-USB adapter.
Click to expand...

It simply recreates the same logical connection your drive
already had, that the drive plugs into an external circuit
board with an IDE-USB bridge on it, allowing connection of
the HDD to the system via USB.

The IDE-USB adapter is not needed unless your system won't
boot with the drive connected to a standard motherboard IDE
port. Providing it will boot, (and providing the bios is
set to auto-detect the drive) you can then boot windows and
attempt to copy off the data. _IF_ that is successful, then
boot the HDD manufacturer's utility disc and have it check
the drive.

If the system wouldn't boot with it connected to the IDE
motherboard port, the IDE-USB cable allows booting the
system prior to (attempted) use of the drive. IF you buy an
IDE-USB adapter, be sure to get one with it's own power
supply (or connect drive to one of the system's power plugs)
instead of trying to reuse the power supply from the
original enclosure- as it too is a potential failure point.
 
J said:
Maxtor Personal Storage 3000LE
KIT: X01USB2040
Click to expand...

I meant about the PC. If you need to know how to install the drive in PC it
would help to know what case you have. Is there only one drive installed at
present? There should be space with brackets and cables ready for adding the
second HDD. A simple inspection should reveal the ease of this. You may need
a ribbon cable with additional connector but other than that you should be
ready to go.
 
Jimmy said:
I meant about the PC. If you need to know how to install the drive in PC it
would help to know what case you have. Is there only one drive installed at
present? There should be space with brackets and cables ready for adding the
second HDD. A simple inspection should reveal the ease of this. You may need
a ribbon cable with additional connector but other than that you should be
ready to go.
Click to expand...
OK, Dell Dimension 8300. I have added an internal DVD player. Nutin else.
 
J said:
OK, Dell Dimension 8300. I have added an internal DVD player. Nutin
else.
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with that PC but if you look for a place to mount the
drive or just for testing you need not even do that. I have a PC with 4
drives on their sides on the bottom the case and are actually better that
way for venting. You will need a power connection which should be available
not used from powersupply. Inspecting the system main drive will show the
cables you will be looking for. The ribbon cable is the one you might have
to purchase if the one in you PC does not have an extra connector. You will
need to set the jumper to the slave setting as indicated on drive label or
mfg. website. With the drive properly set and plugged in you should boot to
BIOS to auto detect the new installation and boot to windows. You should see
the drive in My Computer if it is indeed functioning. (System must be
unplugged from all cables as you attempt the installation). Post back with
results.

J.
 
most commonlycalled USB-IDE adaptors!

I second what Analabha has said. I also foudn an USB-IDE adaptor got me
data off a drive that I couldn't even boto from!. I had droppe the
drive down a flight of stairs.

Internal HDDs like yours, have on the back a connector. This connector
is called IDE. So a USB-IDE adaptor lets you plug an internal HDD
into the USB socket externally.

You can also try putting the HDD in the freezer. ut that's advanced HDD
recovery. BTW, the more you try things with your drive the less likely
you'll be able to get teh data back.

And Maxtor have a reputation for being crap. I suggest just geting
this USB-IDE adaptor. It's safest bet. They're not expensive, check
ebay. And they're good to have aroudn anyway.
 
most commonlycalled USB-IDE adaptors!

I second what Analabha has said. I also foudn an USB-IDE adaptor got
me data off a drive that I couldn't even boto from!. I had droppe the
drive down a flight of stairs.

Internal HDDs like yours, have on the back a connector. This connector
is called IDE. So a USB-IDE adaptor lets you plug an internal HDD
into the USB socket externally.

You can also try putting the HDD in the freezer. ut that's advanced
HDD recovery. BTW, the more you try things with your drive the less
likely you'll be able to get teh data back.

And Maxtor have a reputation for being crap. I suggest just geting
this USB-IDE adaptor. It's safest bet. They're not expensive, check
ebay. And they're good to have aroudn anyway.
Click to expand...

I have had great luck with dozens of Maxtor drives. Saying they are crap
discredits you and all you say.
 
Jimmy said:
(e-mail address removed) wrote:

I have had great luck with dozens of Maxtor drives. Saying they are crap
discredits you and all you say.
Click to expand...

ok. Maxtor did in the past have a terrible reputation. I have heard
reports over the past 6 months of people saying Maxtor are ok or
good(though prior to that, everybody said they were crap). So, maybe
that's enough of a period for me to reevaluate my opinion on Maxtor.
Makes change. And it's extremely important to know which are good and
which are crap - for each component.

Thus far for example. There is no debate that Asus Abit MSI Gigabyte,
are all good makes. In that order. I'm always open to know when
thigns change. But it's extremely important to be informed on this.

AFter hearing that maxtor was bad for a long time. Then overa period of
some months having a couple of people saying they haven't had problems.
Wasn't quite enough to say MAxtor are 'not crap' or are even good. But
I guess now they have changed. I won't say they're crap anymore. And
if i hear more good reports, i'll say they're good.
 
Thus far for example. There is no debate that Asus Abit MSI Gigabyte,
are all good makes. In that order. I'm always open to know when
thigns change. But it's extremely important to be informed on this.
Click to expand...

I have an MSI and it has worked for me.
AFter hearing that maxtor was bad for a long time. Then overa period of
some months having a couple of people saying they haven't had problems.
Wasn't quite enough to say MAxtor are 'not crap' or are even good. But
I guess now they have changed. I won't say they're crap anymore. And
if i hear more good reports, i'll say they're good.
Click to expand...

I save myself all that agony and just buy WD. Over the years it has
provided very reliable service. A colleague at an oil company tells me
they went to Maxtor after years with WD. He had no reason - I guess
Maxtor paid off the purchasing agent. The point is that Maxtor is a
reliable drive today, but I still buy WD because I know of no issues
over the past 10 years.

BTW, it is crucial that any HD be kept as cool as possible. Heat is
the hidden variable when people report drive problems. I am currently
running a 30GB WD I bought 5 years ago for a system I just retired. It
now serves as a spare drive in a removable bay. Everest SMART reports
that it is in "like-new" condition(*).

I made sure it was always operated around 35C. For example I have two
80 GB WD drives running at the moment - both are in removeable drive
bays. Both are at 35C based on SMART readings thru Everest.

WD reports that the operating range is 5-55C. However 55C is way too
hot. Keep the drive around 35C and it will last a very long time. Fans
are cheap if you mount it internally. Kingwin KF-23 removable bays
have three fans.
 
Back
Top