Advice needed for dead harddrive

[ween0001]

Dear Hardwarezone bros and sis,

I have a 2TB 3.5" Seagate harddrive which I have not used for sometime. I tried to connect using a brand new 3.5 hdd reader but it did not detect the drive on My Computer.

1) Using disk management, the hdd is detected as "unknown" without storage capacity, as disk 2.

2) I tried initialising (out of desperation and I have bought the EaseUS recovery software) but the message is "Incorrect Function"

3) I also tried swapping the PCB with one I have bought from Ebay (same model no) but did not swap the BIOS chip because I lack the expertise in it.

4) I tried Diskpart but upon creating primary partition, it shows "Incorrect Function" too.

Is there any other way I can access the hdd?

I asked around the data recovery companies and minimally they are charging $1400 or more...

Please help as I do not earn much and could not afford a hdd recovery service, thus seeking help and advice from all the experts here.

Thank you all in advance!!!

Warmest regards,
ween0001

 

[Koenig168]

Are you trying to use the HDD or recover the data on it?

If the former, don't bother. Just buy a new one.

If the latter, you should not be doing any initialization or partitioning. There should be some threads around here on software data recovery (which will only work if the HDD is still in working condition).

If mechanical failure, there is nothing much you can do except pay for professional data recovery. You seem to know something about HDD repair so I assume you have already tried plugging the HDD directly into a PC.

 

[ween0001]

Hi, Koenig168,

Thanks for the reply. Yeah trying to recover data from it. I tried to google it but only came up to 1 thread about software recovery in HWZ.

Not sure if it is mechanical failure because somehow, the comp can detect the hdd as a 'disk 2', 'unknown', no storage capacity indication.

Just wanted to access the hdd. Wanted to bite the bullet to initialise and recover data but in the end, cannot even initialise the disk.

And yes, I have tried attaching it internally to a comp but same result.

Have important data on it so need to retrieve it. Currently, no sound coming from it. Just the disk management indications stated above.

Thanks for answering! Will there be any more possible solutions?

Warmest regards,
ween0001

 

[tmfwy]

Dear Hardwarezone bros and sis,

I have a 2TB 3.5" Seagate harddrive which I have not used for sometime. I tried to connect using a brand new 3.5 hdd reader but it did not detect the drive on My Computer.

1) Using disk management, the hdd is detected as "unknown" without storage capacity, as disk 2.

2) I tried initialising (out of desperation and I have bought the EaseUS recovery software) but the message is "Incorrect Function"

3) I also tried swapping the PCB with one I have bought from Ebay (same model no) but did not swap the BIOS chip because I lack the expertise in it.

4) I tried Diskpart but upon creating primary partition, it shows "Incorrect Function" too.

Is there any other way I can access the hdd?

I asked around the data recovery companies and minimally they are charging $1400 or more...

Please help as I do not earn much and could not afford a hdd recovery service, thus seeking help and advice from all the experts here.

Thank you all in advance!!!

Warmest regards,
ween0001

Firstly

You have pwned youself many times over by attempoting software / hardware ad hoc replacements and repairs
The usual ruie of thumb is DO NOT TRY TO INIITALISE THE DRIVE
The more nre information is written onto the drive, the more the data may get overwritten.
. Whatever hope you have of recovering the data lies in physical access to the platters

$1400 is very cheap already.
Also to temper your own expectations. Recovery of small files is easy
Recovery of your whole media library of 100s of thousands of photos and videos is not easy.

Each time you write new data, more stuff is gone.

So easy way
Ask if the things you are trying to recover is worth more than 1.4k
if it is, just let the professionals do it

If not, you can try to get others to do it. but remember the above...
Or if data is not worth anything
You can try to google to see how you can physically access the drive platters yourself.
This will almost certainly bring your hopes of recovery to nil and turn everything into a science experiment...

 

[jtjt00]

Data Recovery Services
http://www.accplus.com.sg/
http://www.adrc.com.sg/
http://www.datasavers.com.sg/

 

[-Synchronicity-]

If you are prepared to initialize the disk, it obviously means the data is not that important to you. Just forget about it and get a new hdd.

 

[jtjt00]

Most likely TS is clueless about what initialize do to his HDD. Unrecoverable damage maybe already done to the drive.

 

[Koenig168]

I see you have bought the EaseUS software.

Have you tried Scan --> Recover?

 

[ween0001]

Firstly

You have pwned youself many times over by attempoting software / hardware ad hoc replacements and repairs
The usual ruie of thumb is DO NOT TRY TO INIITALISE THE DRIVE
The more nre information is written onto the drive, the more the data may get overwritten.
. Whatever hope you have of recovering the data lies in physical access to the platters

$1400 is very cheap already.
Also to temper your own expectations. Recovery of small files is easy
Recovery of your whole media library of 100s of thousands of photos and videos is not easy.

Each time you write new data, more stuff is gone.

So easy way
Ask if the things you are trying to recover is worth more than 1.4k
if it is, just let the professionals do it

If not, you can try to get others to do it. but remember the above...
Or if data is not worth anything
You can try to google to see how you can physically access the drive platters yourself.
This will almost certainly bring your hopes of recovery to nil and turn everything into a science experiment...

Hi hi, thanks for replying!

So far the significant steps I have done is to change the PCB of the harddisk and try to get the comp to read it again. but the comp could not read it so I change back to the orginal pcb.

I guess unless I have a cleanroom or higher expertise, then I will try the physical access, if not it will be too much a risk...

The data is important, but 1400 is too much for me, thus asking the experts here if there are other alternatives...

The main thing here is that I could not even access the disk, so I am not able to do much about it. The disk is dead silent too.

Thanks a lot for replying!

Warmest regards,
Ween0001

 

[ween0001]

Data Recovery Services
http://www.accplus.com.sg/
http://www.adrc.com.sg/
http://www.datasavers.com.sg/

I see, thanks a lot for these professional services!

They will be my last resort...

Warmest regards,
ween0001

 

[ween0001]

If you are prepared to initialize the disk, it obviously means the data is not that important to you. Just forget about it and get a new hdd.

I would say the data is quite important though I am prepared to initialise it and use the data recovery software on it.

A new hdd is in place already...more concerned is the data from the old hdd...

Warmest regards,
Ween0001

 

[ween0001]

Most likely TS is clueless about what initialize do to his HDD. Unrecoverable damage maybe already done to the drive.

Hihi, thanks for replying!
I know that initialising will wipe out the hdd. (thinking I can use the data recovery software afterwards to retrieve the data, as long as I can access the hdd first)
This is my last resort to try to access the hdd.
However, when I tried it, I could not even initialise it and the error message is "incorrect function".

So seeking help from the experts here..

Warmest regards,
Ween0001

 

[ween0001]

I see you have bought the EaseUS software.

Have you tried Scan --> Recover?

Hihi, thanks for replying!

Yes I have tried scanning. However, the hdd is not detected on the EaseUS software.

The Hdd is only detected on diskmanagement (as Disk 2, unknown, no storage capacity indicated, cannot be initialised, incorrect function)

Thanks a lot!

Warmest regards,
Ween0001

 

[Koenig168]

Hihi, thanks for replying!

Yes I have tried scanning. However, the hdd is not detected on the EaseUS software.

The Hdd is only detected on diskmanagement (as Disk 2, unknown, no storage capacity indicated, cannot be initialised, incorrect function)

Thanks a lot!

Warmest regards,
Ween0001

From the command prompt (assuming HDD is e: drive), are you able to run chkdsk?

chkdsk /f e:

 

[Koenig168]

Also, if Disk Management can see the HDD, then it was detected by BIOS. You can go to BIOS and check whether the HDD is enabled or disabled.

 

[yusoffb01]

I used minitools partition software to recover a drive which was inaccessible. Copied the partition into another drive.

 

[ween0001]

From the command prompt (assuming HDD is e: drive), are you able to run chkdsk?

chkdsk /f e:

Hi hi,

I can't run chkdsk, because I would not know the drive letter, as the drive is not seen on My Computer...

Warmest regards,
Ween0001

 

[ween0001]

From the command prompt (assuming HDD is e: drive), are you able to run chkdsk?

chkdsk /f e:

Hihi,

I have tried but the error message is "There is no volume on the disk".

Therefore I am not able to run chkdsk.

Warmest regards,
Ween0001

 

[Koenig168]

Hihi,

I have tried but the error message is "There is no volume on the disk".

Therefore I am not able to run chkdsk.

Warmest regards,
Ween0001

from Command prompt, type "mountvol". What do you see?