WD MyBook dead, please help me.

Irrelevant · 06-18-2008, 11:23 AM

Hi. My 500GB Western Digital MyBook just died, it seems. Windows takes ages to recognize it, and I can't access the files. I got a few I/O errors as well. Windows says I need to format it before I can use it, but I need those files. Is there any way to get the files off it? Any help would be appreciated. Testdisk stops when I try to select the drive.

**Deleted090308** · 06-18-2008, 11:50 AM

Hi,

First of all you have to get a new USB cable.
Also:
Try the drive with another computer.
Try different USB ports on the computer.
Don't connect the drive via a hub.

Irrelevant · 06-18-2008, 02:19 PM

I've tried multiple cords, ports, and computers, but no luck. With the Testdisk thing, I get to the part where it asks if it was created under Vista and I simply can't type anything. Nothing works. Any other help would be appreciated. Are there any programs that might be able to solve this?

Irrelevant · 06-18-2008, 07:11 PM

****. Now it won't even appear in My Computer and in Disk Management it only appears as unreadable and unusable. Anyone please help.

nitrous9200 · 06-18-2008, 10:16 PM

If you can, burn a CD with Ubuntu on it and see if you can access the drive through the live environment. If it's not being recognized it might be a little too late, but GetDataBack from Runtime Software (http://www.runtime.org/) has recovered quite a few busted drives for me.
Otherwise, if it's in warranty, ask WD if they will recover the data for you, sometimes that's part of their agreement to give you data recovery if the drive fails.
The best advice would be to leave the drive off as much as possible, and I would avoid the freezer trick unless you're desperate. Another forum said to try this:
1. Hold the drive upside down, making gravity change the head geometry ever so slightly. Vertical is also
another option.
2. Slightly rap the drive with your knuckle, (but nowhere near hard enough to damage the drive).
3. Try the drive in another machine, (slight drive voltage change assumed to be the miracle worker here).
4. Rap the drive just SLIGHTLY harder than you did above in 2.
5. Freeze the hard drive in the freezer for two hours, and place in a plastic zip lock bag to prevent
condensation from forming on the drive when you plug it back into the system, (head geometry, electrical
resistance lowered, electrical contact points adjusted, etc., assumed to be the miracle here).
6. After the drive warms up to room temperature or better, rap it even harder with your knuckle this time.
7. Repeat all of above steps on next day, as sometimes I've gotten data off drive simply by trying again.
Good luck, and I feel your pain. (This just happened to me today on one of my flash drives, the computer crashed in the middle of a copy and now it can't be formatted or read by anything.)

Irrelevant · 06-19-2008, 06:05 AM

Thanks a ton for the advice. I'll start today.

06-18-2008, 11:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
Irrelevant Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Windows XP SP2	WD MyBook dead, please help me. Hi. My 500GB Western Digital MyBook just died, it seems. Windows takes ages to recognize it, and I can't access the files. I got a few I/O errors as well. Windows says I need to format it before I can use it, but I need those files. Is there any way to get the files off it? Any help would be appreciated. Testdisk stops when I try to select the drive.

06-18-2008, 11:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: WD MyBook dead, please help me. Hi, First of all you have to get a new USB cable. Also: Try the drive with another computer. Try different USB ports on the computer. Don't connect the drive via a hub.

06-18-2008, 02:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
Irrelevant Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Windows XP SP2	Re: WD MyBook dead, please help me. I've tried multiple cords, ports, and computers, but no luck. With the Testdisk thing, I get to the part where it asks if it was created under Vista and I simply can't type anything. Nothing works. Any other help would be appreciated. Are there any programs that might be able to solve this?

06-18-2008, 07:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Irrelevant Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Windows XP SP2	Re: WD MyBook dead, please help me. ****. Now it won't even appear in My Computer and in Disk Management it only appears as unreadable and unusable. Anyone please help.

06-18-2008, 10:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
nitrous9200 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3 OS: XP Home SP3	Re: WD MyBook dead, please help me. If you can, burn a CD with Ubuntu on it and see if you can access the drive through the live environment. If it's not being recognized it might be a little too late, but GetDataBack from Runtime Software (http://www.runtime.org/) has recovered quite a few busted drives for me. Otherwise, if it's in warranty, ask WD if they will recover the data for you, sometimes that's part of their agreement to give you data recovery if the drive fails. The best advice would be to leave the drive off as much as possible, and I would avoid the freezer trick unless you're desperate. Another forum said to try this: 1. Hold the drive upside down, making gravity change the head geometry ever so slightly. Vertical is also another option. 2. Slightly rap the drive with your knuckle, (but nowhere near hard enough to damage the drive). 3. Try the drive in another machine, (slight drive voltage change assumed to be the miracle worker here). 4. Rap the drive just SLIGHTLY harder than you did above in 2. 5. Freeze the hard drive in the freezer for two hours, and place in a plastic zip lock bag to prevent condensation from forming on the drive when you plug it back into the system, (head geometry, electrical resistance lowered, electrical contact points adjusted, etc., assumed to be the miracle here). 6. After the drive warms up to room temperature or better, rap it even harder with your knuckle this time. 7. Repeat all of above steps on next day, as sometimes I've gotten data off drive simply by trying again. Good luck, and I feel your pain. (This just happened to me today on one of my flash drives, the computer crashed in the middle of a copy and now it can't be formatted or read by anything.) __________________ System specs: Biostar NF4ST-A9 motherboard (nForce 4), AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor, GeForce 6600GT, 1GB RAM, 160GB Seagate SATA HD, dvd burner, Linksys WMP54G wireless card, XP Home SP3.

06-19-2008, 06:05 AM	#6 (permalink)
Irrelevant Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Windows XP SP2	Re: WD MyBook dead, please help me. Thanks a ton for the advice. I'll start today.