My Seagate external hard drive cannot be recognized on my computer. It shows as an unallocated device on disk management. My problem is that I want to find a way to access the external hard drive to recover the files.
You could use an Partition and Data Recovery Software, if your BIOS could still the HDD, which it did according to your Post! There some apps available like Actice@ Partition Recovery, Active@ File Recovery, EaseUS Data Recovery and much more. Download such apps, install and run and let them do a deep scan of the HDD.
Before messing with that type of software, i would recommend to test it on another machine. In case it still refuses to start properly there are two possibilities: the USB controller quitted = remove from case an connect internal the HDD quitted = no chance to retrieve the data with software
Wow!! That's really NEW! About 80% of failing HDD are failing because of "soft" error's and that's app. as we see at our customers as well! Maybe you've different experiences or didn't try the use of Recovery Applications?! As long as the BIOS AND even the Windows Diskmanager could see the HDD, as in this case, First step would at all times the use of Recovery Tools! Or would you suggest that thousands of Application Developers creating such Tools because they not working?
#1. So far Device Manager notices the HDD as anything undefined . So it could be a half dead usb controller. #2. Meant the case it's not accessable even internally mounted . #3. Testing on another pc won't harm .
to #1: HDD IS accessible but no Partition's seen! Solution: The use of an Recovery Tool would show if there Partition's (deleted or damaged) maybe recoverable on that HDD! to #2: An external could not be mounted internally if I'm not wrong, pls. enlighten me with that?! Solution: as an external Case could not be mounted internally, the HDD could be removed from it and used to connect internally for testing or even use. to #3: I didn't spoke about that and here you're right, it wont harm, but need to have an 2. machine available, if not, what to do? Solution: if an other machine is available, test the drive on that one, or take the drive to an friend to test his machine, or just as mention in Solution to #1, which may saves a lot of time and trouble?! There many way to leave to Rome! And so there many ways for to solve Computer Problems, I would never deny that! But I would never tell that something isn't possible why there still available solutions. Categorically to tell such Application didn't working is just outrages IMHO! Sorry!
"to #2: An external could not be mounted internally if I'm not wrong, pls. enlighten me with that?! Solution: as an external Case could not be mounted internally, the HDD could be removed from it and used to connect internally for testing or even use." well. my samsung 320 GB drive's arm controller is gone. Its not HDD controller exactly, and neither does it control the USB controller. it controls the servo and it also checks for the electrical conductance. [non sense info] i can fix it. and i know the jtag pad/pinouts. but the amount of time i need to spend/waste and resources i need to use is a complete waste. I can buy 10 HDD of same capacity or more for that work. so my external doesnt get detected via usb nor internally. its dead jim its dead! RIP! [/non sense info] you statement is also vague like the other one. if this is the case. and i agree with the "way to rome" aka YMMV analogy, its the top rule in my IT rule book. thanks! -paul
We talked about an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and not an SSD (Solid Disk Drive) which differs in may and most means! I agree if the HDD/SSD could not detected in any menas by either BIOS and/or Windows, which isn't the case by the OP's HDD, it's detected also by Windows! That simply means that the HDD isn't totally dead! If partially, that has to be tested and best and first way would be use just an Recovery apps for to "see" what may could be done.
i agree with you on the first point. HDD ATA/PATA/SATA is not same as SSD or mSATA SSD. both are different complex beasts, and IMO they both follow ATA commands atleast wrt to security. i may be dead wrong, so please correct me if i am wrong. and secondly if its detected then may be the partition table is botched. geee. i dont know how to do it in M$ world but its easy in FOSS "testdisk" esply. isnt there any portable version and a tutorial for the M$ world. and if you are saying that the disk is getting detected and nothing else is displayed then it may be a file system partition screw up.... gee... i am of no use here. since this is not my domain. pisthai you lead.... thanks! thanks! -paul
does windows offer to format the drive? if so, you may have to format it to a particular filesystem, then run your recovery software before adding anything to the drive. a format won't necessarily make the any of the deleted files unrecoverable.