HDD – External – Not working at all – very challengeful

Troubleshooting a Non-Responsive External HDD: Strategies for Data Recovery Without Formatting

External hard drives are invaluable for expanding storage and backing up essential data. However, when such devices cease to function properly, it can be a frustrating experience, especially when important files are at risk. This guide outlines a common scenario involving a Seagate external HDD that suddenly becomes inaccessible, detailing the steps taken for troubleshooting and offering additional strategies for recovery without resorting to formatting.

Understanding the Issue

The user experienced data corruption on an external Seagate HDD, which prompted the use of the command chkdsk /f /r to repair file system issues. During the process, an error occurred, terminating the operation prematurely. Since then, the drive stopped appearing in the operating system, with various diagnostic attempts indicating deeper issues.

Initial Diagnostic Steps and Observations

Cross-Platform Testing: The drive was connected to a Linux system where it did not appear at all, suggesting a hardware-level problem or severe filesystem corruption.
Device Management (Windows): The drive was detected but shown as “unknown” and “not initialized.” Attempts to initialize the disk resulted in fatal errors, indicating possible partition table corruption or hardware malfunction.
Disk Partitioning Tools: Using disk partitioning tools such as Diskpart, the drive was assigned a dummy partition name. Subsequent attempts to run chkdsk or create partitions did not succeed, reinforcing the suspicion of a deeper hardware or firmware issue.
Hardware Connections: Connecting the drive directly to the motherboard’s SATA port did not resolve the issue, ruling out faulty USB adapters or cables as the root cause.

Additional Considerations

The external drive powers on normally, with sounds and the ability to be safely removed, implying that the drive’s circuitry is likely functional at least at the power stage.
The drive’s failure to mount or recognize files even in Linux suggests that either the partition table is damaged beyond repair or the hardware itself has failed.

Strategies for Data Recovery Without Formatting

Given the complexities observed, here are recommended approaches to attempt data recovery without formatting:

1. Confirm Hardware Integrity

Use hardware diagnostic tools or consult professional data recovery services if the drive shows signs of physical damage.
Listen for unusual sounds (clicking, grinding) which may indicate mechanical failure.