Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

External hard drive

Options
  • 26-10-2019 3:39pm
    #1
    kayevajo
    Registered Users Posts: 241 ✭✭


    External hard drive won't show up on pc.
    Powers on and light comes on. It's making a whirring sound.

    Is material on this retrievable ya reckon ?

    Thanks!


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    kayevajo
    Registered Users Posts: 241 ✭✭kayevajo


    It's a WD external hard drive

    It doesn't show up when I plug it into a USB port
    sugarman wrote: »
    Possibly.

    Does it show up in the bios?

    What make/model is it? If it's a standard sata drive you could try remove it from the caddy and plug it directly into a pc. The controller could be faulty, rather than the hdd itself.

    If it is the harddrive that's faulty, the data could probably be recovered by a specialist but you're talking about a few hundred.


  • Options
    #3
    tedpan
    Registered Users Posts: 4,627 ✭✭✭tedpan


    kayevajo wrote:
    It doesn't show up when I plug it into a USB port


    What about in device manager under disk management?


  • Options
    #4
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,750 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    kayevajo wrote: »
    It's a WD external hard drive

    It doesn't show up when I plug it into a USB port

    Have you tried an different port? I've had a few PCs where the front panel USB has died but the MOBO ones on the back are fine. Also try a different cable, could also be that.


  • Options
    #5
    kayevajo
    Registered Users Posts: 241 ✭✭kayevajo


    [Not showing up there 🥺quote="tedpan;111611126"]What about in device manager under disk management?[/quote]


  • Options
    #6
    PostWoke
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 559 ✭✭✭PostWoke


    Any brown outs or anything lately OP?

    +1 for shucking it and hooking it up directly in your PC to check.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    tedpan
    Registered Users Posts: 4,627 ✭✭✭tedpan


    kayevajo wrote:
    [Not showing up there 🥺quote="tedpan;111611126"]What about in device manager under disk management?
    [/quote]

    Hmmm, it could be the enclosure. I'd try removing the drive from the enclosure and buying a new one or a USB to sata cable. Is it a portable or desktop external drive?


  • Options
    #8
    z0oT
    Registered Users Posts: 740 ✭✭✭z0oT


    sugarman wrote: »
    What make/model is it? If it's a standard sata drive you could try remove it from the caddy and plug it directly into a pc. The controller could be faulty, rather than the hdd itself.
    Personally I've lost count of the amount of times the problem has been in the enclosure for external drives not being read properly, but the drive itself was fine.

    I'd start there.


  • Options
    #9
    PostWoke
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 559 ✭✭✭PostWoke


    SHUCK SHUCK SHUCK SHUCK


  • Options
    #10
    kayevajo
    Registered Users Posts: 241 ✭✭kayevajo


    the external hard drive will now show up in my computer after a while , but tells me that i need to format disk before i can use it, odvs dont do that as ill loose eveyrthing , or?


  • Options
    #11
    tedpan
    Registered Users Posts: 4,627 ✭✭✭tedpan


    kayevajo wrote:
    the external hard drive will now show up in my computer after a while , but tells me that i need to format disk before i can use it, odvs dont do that as ill loose eveyrthing , or?


    Did you try removing the drive and putting it into a new enclosure yet?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    kayevajo
    Registered Users Posts: 241 ✭✭kayevajo


    unfortunatley, i wouldnt have the confidence to do that, i would e nervous that i would damage it further


  • Options
    #13
    The Nal
    Registered Users Posts: 12,720 ✭✭✭✭The Nal


    kayevajo wrote: »
    unfortunatley, i wouldnt have the confidence to do that, i would e nervous that i would damage it further

    Its not as difficult as you think



  • Options
    #14
    tedpan
    Registered Users Posts: 4,627 ✭✭✭tedpan


    kayevajo wrote:
    unfortunatley, i wouldnt have the confidence to do that, i would e nervous that i would damage it further


    Ah ok, that's what needs to be done. :( You might be best bringing it to a tech person.


Advertisement