My external hard drive's... broked

[Masaki-kun]

So for my birthday I get an external hard drive (4/15). My computer's been literally full and hey, here's a terabyte of free space, so I start transferring my stuff. So Saturday (4/18) I put the disk in my backpack, get on the metro and ride it out to Virginia to my friend's house. I plug it into her labtop, which unlike mine is running Vista, and we work on some files I have saved to it (important ones) I tripped over the stupid power cable a couple times and about halfway though it stopped registering on her computer. I didn't think too much of it, and we didn't have time to restart the computer and try again (I barely made it back to Silver Spring in time to get home. Why doesn't anyone I know live in state?). So today I plug it in and it's claiming it needs reformatting. What's wrong?

The packing it up and carrying it?
The unplugging it a lot and knocking it over?
Some weird Vista thing?

And what can I do to get the data off it? (like all of my personal stuff. Almost all of it.)

[Nikose Tyris]

That's a pretty iffy situation, dude.

It might have corrupted the frontend of the disk with your tripping over the cord, in which case, yeah, your shit's gone as far as I know. (Someone here might be able to save you though.)

Vista, though, you'd just need another vista computer. ((I DO NOT THINK Vista has anythin' to do with it, unless you turned on some sort of Vista write protection. I know it exists for DVD's but no clue on CD's.))

[BB]

See if you can run it through this: http://lifehacker.com/217352/download-of-the-day-undelete-plus-windows

That searches the actual file structure of the disk itself rather than asking "hey what's on you?" like usual. You may be able to recover some things unless the disk is damaged too badly.

[Azisien]

While I realize your emphasis is on the important files you may have lost, you might also investigate the possibility of replacement/refund for this drive. I've dropped, tripped, and kicked my external hard drive too many times to count and it just keeps going. It's not even a super expensive brand (SimpleTech). Just saying.

[bluestarultor]

The problem is in how Vista handles external storage. I lost everything on my external when it got unplugged while being used for ReadyBoost. If any kind of interruption whatsoever happened while data transfer was happening, it may have wiped out essential data, like the partition table. That's what happened to mine.

Try as best you can to get all the raw data off it before doing a reformat (like I didn't). Computers might not even recognize it as a drive anymore, though.

[Nikose Tyris]

The problem is in how Vista handles external storage. I lost everything on my external when it got unplugged while being used for ReadyBoost. If any kind of interruption whatsoever happened while data transfer was happening, it may have wiped out essential data, like the partition table. That's what happened to mine.

Try as best you can to get all the raw data off it before doing a reformat (like I didn't). Computers might not even recognize it as a drive anymore, though.

In short, one more reason Vista hates you.

Please stop with the Vista hate, Blue. Remain neutral when it's not asked for. This is as another forumer asking another forumer. D:

[bluestarultor]

Please stop with the Vista hate, Blue. Remain neutral when it's not asked for. This is as another forumer asking another forumer. D:

Would you prefer I removed the last line? Because the entire rest of it is 100% true. I've had people I know lose flash drives this way as well, with less success of recovering their uses than I had recovering the use of my external. That's not accounting for the fact that I lost 100% of my data using the XP disc to rebuild the master boot record to even be able to work with it with the tools I had at the time, which landed a partition and brand spanking new copy of XP on top of my files.

In short, if he can get any data off the thing without needing to perform any undue actions, so much the better, because I had shitty luck trying to get back everything I'd done for over two years.

[Nikose Tyris]

Would you prefer I removed the last line? Because the entire rest of it is 100% true. I've had people I know lose flash drives this way as well, with less success of recovering their uses than I had recovering the use of my external. That's not accounting for the fact that I lost 100% of my data using the XP disc to rebuild the master boot record to even be able to work with it with the tools I had at the time, which landed a partition and brand spanking new copy of XP on top of my files.

In short, if he can get any data off the thing without needing to perform any undue actions, so much the better, because I had shitty luck trying to get back everything I'd done for over two years.

actually yeah I would, and XP, and Mac OSX, and Ubuntu Linux, do the same thing to Externals. Anytime you're accessing files and modifying the front end of the disk, and something fries the power, it's risking fucking up the whole system. It's not a "Vista-centric" problem. Vista might have it occur more often, because it uses different measures to speed up file transfers and formatting, but every OS is guilty of it.

Saying "This is because it's vista lawlz" feels innappropriate.

((Now ripping on the OTHER ways Vista is flawed like asking me if I want to let my AVG antivirus run for the 9th time today yes you can totally still rip on that.))

[Eltargrim]

Try using TestDisk (http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk) to see if the files will still be visible. Follow the instructions on the wiki. Alternatively, you can use chkdsk (From the command prompt) to see what's going on.

Personally, I can vouch for TestDisk (Saved my MFT on multiple occasions). Depending on how borked your drive is, it can either restore the drive or undelete the files by copying them to another drive.

[bluestarultor]

Technically, it was the data cable that got unplugged on mine, not the power, but I can see where either one might cause similar problems. The fact that Vista actually blocked the functionality of the tools I was trying to use to recover my data pissed me off a mite, too, but that's a different discussion and I ultimately got a working setup should it ever happen again.

Ultimately, Vista may not be the only one that does this, but speaking from experience, it's a right pain when it does, and you need to proceed carefully if you want your data back.

[Masaki-kun]

Okay, I'm gonna try the Testdisk thing first. But it's not recognizing the drive at all anymore... It won't acknoledge that it still is a drive. I'm screwed aren't I?

[bluestarultor]

Okay, I'm gonna try the Testdisk thing first. But it's not recognizing the drive at all anymore... It won't acknoledge that it still is a drive. I'm screwed aren't I?

It doesn't show up at all? If you can't get it to do that, you have damage to the drive's master boot record, most likely. At this point, what you need to do is find a way to get the computer to recognize that something's there, if at all possible. If you can rebuild the MBR or get a raw read of all the data, you can either maybe save the drive or at least get your files off it before recovering its full use. I can walk you through what I did to get mine to go with an XP disc, but I can't say it will preserve your data.

[Masaki-kun]

If you can rebuild the MBR or get a raw read of all the data, you can either maybe save the drive or at least get your files off it before recovering its full use. I can walk you through what I did to get mine to go with an XP disc, but I can't say it will preserve your data.TECHNOBABBLE WAHHH.
What does any of that mean, and how do I do it? I'm reduced to percussive maintenance here.

[bluestarultor]

TECHNOBABBLE WAHHH.
What does any of that mean, and how do I do it? I'm reduced to percussive maintenance here.

The master boot record is the file on the drive that says "this is how you run me." If that's gone, the drive won't boot. Data recovery tools will sometimes let you rebuild that. The one I currently use allows me to rebuild it from a file saved from elsewhere. If you can do that, you have a working drive again.

A raw read simply means that your program reads the raw data off a drive, without trying to make sense of it. In a worst-case scenario, you can do this and make sense of it all later.

[Eltargrim]

TECHNOBABBLE WAHHH.
What does any of that mean, and how do I do it? I'm reduced to percussive maintenance here.

You're on XP, right?

Go to Start > Run > type in 'devmgmt.msc' and hit 'ok' > You're now in the device manager.

With the drive plugged in and powered on, can you see it under "Disk Drives"?

Alternatively, it (might) show up in your BIOS if not Device Manager. I'll explain how to check for external drives in the BIOS soon.

[Masaki-kun]

Well. Doesn't show on the device manager.

[Eltargrim]

Hmm. Well.

When you boot up your computer, do you get a long stream of complex technical information, or do you get a logo that pops up?

[Masaki-kun]

It tells me a couple files are missing, some system files I think.

[Eltargrim]

Would it happen to be NTLDR?

[Masaki-kun]

Umm...no...

[MasterOfMagic]

Does it specify which files are missing? Could you tell us that?

[Eltargrim]

If it was NTLDR, I could help you.

If it's not, I'm afraid they haven't invented telepathy that works over the internet.

Come on, man. Help us help you.

[Masaki-kun]

It's the c:\WINDOWS\system32:vcrt80.exe file, comes up regardless of where the external hard drive is. Are you sure it's got to do with this?

[Eltargrim]

Well, you have, or had, a virus. But no, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with this.

However, when it was "unnamed file", it may well have had something to do with this.

In any case, when you turn your computer on, do you see something that looks like this (http://www.cooperation-iws.org/wiki/images/9/93/First-screen-bios.jpg), or this (https://wirelessimage5.pbwiki.com/f/1award-1.jpg), or maybe like this (http://www.mysuperpc.com/build/sata_second_boot_screen_success.jpg)? Or do you see a company logo?

[Masaki-kun]

None of those, I see a logo.

[Eltargrim]

Which logo?

[Masaki-kun]

I see a Dell logo, then a Windows XP one. Are you sure that's the issue? The drive doesn't work on anybody's computer, it's not just mine that's having the issue, it's the drive.

[Eltargrim]

I'm trying to see if the drive is being recognized by the BIOS; if the drive is being recognized by the BIOS, it's one set of possibilities, some of which may be fixed. If the drive is not recognized by the BIOS, then it's right fucked.

All right, when the Dell logo appears, press F2 to enter the BIOS. With the drive plugged in, do you see any mention of it, anywhere?

[Masaki-kun]

What am I looking for? I checked out the BIOS but I don't know my way around. I found who to ask but I don't know the question so to speak.

[Eltargrim]

I'm not very familiar with Dell BIOS...s. Look for any mention of connected devices, IDE devices, SATA devices, USB devices...etc. Also look for anything resembling the name of your device.

[Masaki-kun]

Wish there was a way to take a screenshot. Lemme give her another look.

[Eltargrim]

Photos would do, if you could find a camera. Alternatively, there should be some option that resembles "Quick Boot" or "Splash Screen" that turns off the Dell logo at the beginning, and would let you see a more traditional BIOS test screen that would list all of your connected devices.

[Masaki-kun]

Okay, it mentioned an uninstalled USB device. Would that be my drive?

[Eltargrim]

It may well be. See if you can find any option to install or repair the device.

[Masaki-kun]

Attempts made have failed. Various things I only partially understand were invoked.
I hit some diagnosis options in the setup. What would you technomancers do? If you did a spell as half-assed as I did that you'd get your fool head exploded.