Newbie – Old, Highly Important Hard Drive Plugged In and Not Found

BCAdmin1 Comment on Newbie – Old, Highly Important Hard Drive Plugged In and Not Found

Navigating Data Recovery: A Newbie’s Plight with an Irreplaceable Hard Drive

As a newcomer to the world of data recovery, I find myself feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of information available online. I hope to gain some insight from those with more experience. Currently, I am working on a Windows 11 PC and facing a significant challenge with my WD Elements Hard Drive, which is quite old and holds invaluable family memories.

This drive contains precious photographs and videos captured between 2010 and 2016, including the special moments surrounding the birth of my daughter. Unfortunately, when I recently connected the hard drive to my computer, it did not appear in File Explorer or Disk Management.

In my search for a solution, I began using Disk Drill. During the initial scan, it seemingly identified what I believe are all the files, but I lack certainty about the total number of files stored, as my wife usually managed uploads. I paused the scan after about two hours because I started noticing mixed reviews about Disk Drill, particularly since it took a considerable amount of time without finding any files for the first 45 minutes.

I’ve come across DMDE as a potential alternative, but I am bombarded with contrasting reviews about various data recovery software. Although I work with computers in an analytics capacity every day, this kind of data recovery is outside my realm of experience.

I’m seeking guidance on the best path forward. Disk Drill has recognized around 182 GB of data, and my primary goal is to safely transfer that data onto my PC. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated as I navigate this challenge!

Drive Details:

  • Model: WDBWLG0040HBK-04
  • Serial Number: WCC4E4UKRX92

Your assistance means a lot, especially when it comes to recovering the memories encapsulated within this hard drive. Thank you in advance!

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2 questions: 1. How to test a Backup Windows System Image, to ensure it’ll actually recover your backed up data? 2. If your backup skips some files because they are deemed “corrupt”, what are your options? Thanks! 😊

Navigating Windows Backup: Testing Your System Image and Handling Corrupt...
BCAdmin1 Comment on 2 questions: 1. How to test a Backup Windows System Image, to ensure it’ll actually recover your backed up data? 2. If your backup skips some files because they are deemed “corrupt”, what are your options? Thanks! 😊

One Comment

  1. Thank you for sharing your detailed situation. Hard drive detection issues, especially with older drives like your WD Elements, can be challenging but are often resolvable with the right approach. Here are some steps you can consider:

    • Check Physical Connections: Ensure that the USB cable and port are functioning correctly. Try connecting the drive to a different USB port or using a different cable to rule out hardware issues.
    • Use Disk Management: Open Windows Disk Management (Right-click Start > Disk Management) to see if the drive appears there, even if it’s not showing up in File Explorer. If it appears but is unallocated or has a drive letter missing, you may need to assign a drive letter or initialize the drive (be cautious—initializing could erase data, so prefer data recovery options first).
    • Check Device Manager: See if the drive appears under Disk Drives or USB controllers. If it shows with a warning icon, updating or reinstalling the driver may help.
    • Try Linux Live CD/USB: Booting from a Linux live environment (e.g., Ubuntu) can sometimes detect drives that Windows cannot. This can be a helpful step before attempting data recovery again.
    • Data Recovery Software: Since Disk Drill detected data, consider performing a deep scan in a safe environment. Tools like DMDE (which
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