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Tech guru help or advice please.
Seadog the younger has an External HDD that seems to have died to one degree or another. I'm not at home right now so trying to help remotely is tricky. He says that he can see that his files are still on the drive, but unable to Read/write to the drive, so not a total loss.
What tools or software would the boffins of STW recommend that may help with recovery? The drive is a few years old, so I'd rather get another new one and get the files transferred to it.
Just giving this a wee bump. His files are mostly tracks that he uses on his DJ sets, and some college stuff.
He's worked pretty hard to create the tracks and will be gutted if it's all gone. The college work should be backed online somewhere.
It's fairly unusual to be able to see the filenames but not read them. I would want a more detailed description of what the error he saw was. For example, people often say that something isn't working because something else isn't working and they are guessing at what the problem is. The software he uses to create tracks may no longer work but the disk could be fine. So I would get a better description of the error as well as trying the drive on another machine to see if the tracks can be copied first.
Also, he needs to know that hard drives ALWAYS die, it's just a question of when...
Best to find somebody local to you that can help, but some suggestions:
The drive is the thing that is most likely to be dead/dying. But you could take it out of the external mechanism and plug in internally. Highly unlikely to help, but easy.
Linux / MACs (MACs are basically linux) seem to handle bad files /sectors better than Windows. Try it one of those machines (I was able to rescue the majority of my wife's USB stick like that - apart from about 10 files). If that is not possible you could try writing to a USB stick a live CD linux distribution (eg ubuntu) and try running that and reading the disc.
Obviously there are professional organisations that will do it for you for quite a bit of cash.
His files are mostly tracks that he uses on his DJ sets, and some college stuff
Slightly important stuff then? No need to worry about the dodgy external HDD as Seadog junior's backups can be copied to a new HDD and this one sent to recycling.
There are backups aren't there?
You've not said Mac/Linux/Windows/something else so is it Windows? 10 or 11?
Windows I now pretend is a mystery to me - I only use it for work and if it doesn't perform then I surrender myself to corporate IT. That usually goes down the route of 'do you have any client or personal files on your local drive?' and then some time of reinstalling and reconfiguring with potential loss of local user data.
Being able to see the filenames and not be able to read the data is an interesting one. I'd first reboot the machine. Then check the disk.
I suppose there's a disk check program you can run to test the integrity of the disk's file system - CHKDSK perhaps? https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/nifty-chkdsk-features-use-windows-10/ nerdier sites are available.
If there is some problem I'd then use the CHKDSK 'first aid' options. They might work.
If not then I'd expect to have to restore my data from backups. No backups? Try some recovery options https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/data-recovery-work/
Even if it works then this is a good lesson in why backups are a good thing.
What leffeboy waid.
I'm guessing he has connected it either his desktop running Win 10, or his Laptop, Win 10 also.
We have another machine running Windows 11. I think he must have run some sort of diagnostic thing to see that the files are still there.
I'll suggest he plugs it into the Win 11 machine and see if magic happens. We have another External HDD he can use to copy to if the other machine can do that for him.
He's an electronics engineering undergrad, and you'd think he'd be able figure this out for himself eh?!?
It’s fairly unusual to be able to see the filenames but not read them.
Depends what's knackered, if one of the platters/heads is knackered then the registry may be intact but not the data. And depending on how fragmented it is, one duff head may scupper the lot.
Or on the optimistic side, HDD's die slowly, it may be possible to read it at a slower rate than the bitrate of the tracks, i.e. they won't play off the disk, but if he runs something like the sandisk recovery utility overnight to a new drive then they may transfer across.
If that doesn't work you're into more expensive options that boil down to stripping the drive in a clean room and rebuilding the platters into an identical working drive, it's a specialist (and expensive) job as they need a library of all the drives ever made to keep for parts!
Two things now that I've woken up properly:
1) I don't know how often I need to say this but, backups are cheap and easy, data recovery is difficult and expensive. He should consider this a life lesson.
2) I wrote a few days ago about problem descriptions. Currently we're operating on a explanation from him of little more than "it doesn't work" so any diagnosis we attempt is well into "educated guess" territory. What happens when he tries, what errors does he get?
He can "see" the files but not read the disk, this needs more explanation. How is he seeing it without reading it, what's he doing? Can he see the root folder but not open files? Is he looking at if from Explorer or some software package? If the drive partition is FAT-based (exFAT is not uncommon) then I guess it's plausible that he can read the drive contents but not the actual data, but frankly it'd be bloody weird.
There are things you can do. Linux might be able to read it when Windows can't. Sometimes with an external HDD it's the enclosure which fails and the drive itself is perfectly fine. There's a piece of software called Recuva which is well regarded, though I've never used it myself because IME modern drive failure tends to be catastrophic rather than losing a few files. Though I'd like a better understanding before recommending any sort of recovery attempt in case you make it worse.
Sometimes with an external HDD it’s the enclosure which fails and the drive itself is perfectly fine.
This was my thought too - I'd be grabbing/borrowing a cheap enclosure/SATA to USB header and plugging the drive in with that to check if it "just worked" with a different I/O board plugged into it.
Sometimes with an external HDD it’s the enclosure which fails and the drive itself is perfectly fine.
This was my thought too – I’d be grabbing/borrowing a cheap enclosure/SATA to USB header and plugging the drive in with that to check if it “just worked” with a different I/O board plugged into it.
You could be right, but.... you are still trusting that his original diagnosis that it is the disk that has gone wrong is correct and are moving ahead based on that. You/he might well be right but it is usually safer to take one step back and ask how he can see the filenames and not read the files. It feels like it is slowing you down to take that step backwards but it usually isn't. fwiw I would do exactly as you have suggeseted as I have a sata socket sitting on my desk for just that purpose so it takes seconds assuming the drive can be opened
I don’t know how often I need to say this but, backups are cheap and easy, data recovery is difficult and expensive. He should consider this a life lesson.
I've said this many time to him...
Important college stuff is all online, phew. The drive has a backup of that. It's the music he's fretting about
He's used Torrentshare to see that the data is still on the drive, and, AFAIK, it's software that can be unlocked to recover the data.
Anyone know if its safe to use? There's a spare caddy, and drive, he can use to transfer the data to if it can do it.
When the drive is plugged in it's visible, but when you click on it to open it there's an error..
"E:/ is not accessible
The Parameter is incorrect"
Torrentshare if you google doesn’t give you anything, by the name of it it doesn’t sound like a diagnostic tool.
I was going to post earlier but with this torrent connection it could be we are entering the realm of maleware/ransomware & something has locked / encrypted his files rather than it being a drive failure. I certainly wouldn’t be moving the drive to another system until I was sure it’s not anything malicious at play.
Quite.
"Torrentshare" sounds like a BitTorrent (file sharing) client. But it's not one I've ever heard of and in any case, no legitimate torrent client ever offered file recovery for money. This is potentially malicious software.
The next question I'd ask is whether it's causal. Where has this software come from, has he installed it intentionally, and do the timeframes line up with the disk going pop?
It could be that it's unrelated. That error message is one I'd associate with a disk on the wonk and if it is unrelated then it's possible that something as simple as a checkdisk might fix it. But I wouldn't be doing anything that writes to the disk until we've fully investigated this Torrentshare thing.
PC problem solving 101 is the four F's - First Find the Facts.
^^^ yeah, “TorrentShare” is an immediate red-flag. As said, what could that possibly have to do with file/disk recovery?
There [i]is[/i] ransomware known as “TorrentLocker” tho! Which is not good obviously!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TorrentLocker
Never had the pleasure fortunately but I’d imagine being able to see a list of the files but not access them would be a symptom!
I’d imagine being able to see a list of the files but not access them would be a symptom!
That's a really good call.
My mistake, it's TenorShare that he's used to see that things are still on the drive, looks trust worthy at least:
So, not worried that this is some sort of Malware, he is just sensible enough to watch for such things!
He's a bit wary of using CheckDisk as it can wipe data. Is this a genuine worry?
He’s a bit wary of using CheckDisk as it can wipe data. Is this a genuine worry?
My understanding is that, if the disk is failing, anything you do to it carries a risk of causing further damage. Playing around with it without a well-thought out strategy to diagnose the problem and recover the data will probably fail.
If it's possible to make a complete image of it onto a new disk, you could then try data recovery off the image without the risk of causing damage to the original. If it has important data, you are probably best to consult an expert, but that will not be cheap.
I would not run chkdsk as a first (although it should only affect the corrupted files). There is an option (if I remember correctly) to just report issues and NOT fix them - I would do that.
Easiest option is to run a live linux USB drive and see if that is more effective at accessing the files.
BTW IMO an electronics engineer should be capable of understanding all of this(!) (having worked with them for about 30 years).
Ah, if it's not torrent software then that is better
He could try this, https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva. It's free and I've used it before. Can't guarantee it will solve the problem or won't destroy the drive but I don't recall it ever destroying things. If the drive is super important I would be cloning it first. I can't see any benefit in the paid version
TenorShare that he’s used to see that things are still on the drive, looks trust worthy at least
Hmmm, maybe not, LOADS of threads like this if you Google:
https://www.reddit.com/r/setupapp/comments/rfn8t9/note_tenorshare_is_a_scam_discussion_of_their/
OK, I'll discuss the TenorShare and tell him that it's not what its cracked up be.
I think that a disk image is the best to go.
Alright.
He’s a bit wary of using CheckDisk as it can wipe data. Is this a genuine worry?
Not as phrased here. Checkdisk does not "wipe data," that's a nonsense. Rather, the risk is that if the disk is corrupted then any writing to it could make it worse. In an ideal world we want to extract data without making changes to the source.
Attempting to image it is a good call but this is Catch-22 - if the OS can't read the files then an imaging tool is likely to struggle for the same reason.
If this "TenorShare" thing claims it can see the missing data (are we sure it actually can, is it showing filenames or just making promises?) then there may be hope for recovery but this is an art rather than a science.
There is an option (if I remember correctly) to just report issues and NOT fix them – I would do that.
Correct. Checkdisk without any switches (aside from the target) - so chkdsk E: from an elevated (admin) command prompt - will run read-only. I'd do that. (Actually, I'd probably just run it with /F from the outset but then I probably care about his non-backed-up data less than he does😁)
Honestly, the baseline here is "it's goosed." If you're considering professional recovery then the time to do that is right now. Don't expect much change from a grand. If not then all we can do is try, we're not really any worse off with "more goosed" and we might get lucky.
Oh, and,
Knowing the partition type (right-click, properties, "file system") might come in handy.
Excellent advice @DaveP...
Linux / MACs (MACs are basically linux) seem to handle bad files /sectors better than Windows. Try it one of those machines (I was able to rescue the majority of my wife’s USB stick like that – apart from about 10 files). If that is not possible you could try writing to a USB stick a live CD linux distribution (eg ubuntu) and try running that and reading the disc.
I remebered installing Lubuntu onto an ancient laptop yonks ago. Miraculously I was able to find it, and a power supply. Booted up without a hitch. Plugged in the duff HDD but no joy initially. It showed up, but wasn't readable.
Shut down the laptop and booted up with the drive already connected.
Files all readable, and the tracks seem playable. Now we have to copy them to a nice new healthy drive and then back them up to other places too...
Also, he needs to know that hard drives ALWAYS die, it’s just a question of when…
As I know all too well, it happened before… 🙁😖
I had a horrible feeling that one of the drives in my old Mac Mini had gone wonky, again; it’s a 2010 model with a second HDD replacing the optical drive, with all my media on, but a friend of mine with better computer skilz has said it’s fine. Phew. I’ve got a Sandisk Robust external for backup, with an identical one as a spare, and he’s setting it up as a software RAID with both drives for me.
Plus I’m upgrading the second media drive with a 2Tb SSD as well. None of which I know how to sort myself, so it’s very handy having a former work colleague who knows his way around this stuff! As far as Apple’s concerned, it’s obsolete. Which is understandable being a 13 yo computer!
he’s setting it up as a software RAID with both drives for me.
What's the reasoning in doing this?