External hard drive not detected all of the sudden, how to check or fix it

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by jineso, Nov 18, 2022.

  1. jineso

    jineso MDL Senior Member

    Oct 8, 2021
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    Hi,
    I've a segate 5 TB external hard drive.
    I used to use it to backup and restore images for different systems I am maintaining.
    I used it last time to restore an image using windows backup wizard, then all of the sudden it stopped the restore processes, then restarted the computer and gave a fail message for restore operation.
    I disconnected the hard drive then connected it once again, but it is not detected by the system at all.
    I tried it on different computers using different operating systems but still nothing detected at all.
    I've even tried to take it out of the plastic or metal cover, and connect it using an external mobile rack, but it is getting a power connection and when I touch it, I feel the power on the hard drive, but nothing shown on the system.
    So do you have any suggestion for what could be done as it is a massive loss if it is gone all of the sudden.
    Thanks
     
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  2. Dark Dinosaur

    Dark Dinosaur X Æ A-12

    Feb 2, 2011
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    how it connected, i used to use external hdd
    one day my adapter was died ,,, do I replace adapter
    so if you are using an adapter to connect it,
    replace the cable connector first and try with new adapter
     
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  3. schubidubi

    schubidubi MDL Junior Member

    Nov 9, 2022
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    Sorry but that really sounds not good! Maybe someone with more knowledge know a way, but i think this drive is gone.

    Do you feel the drive spinning, when you make it on?

    I had a defect HDD, too! Maybe wait a few days and try again, sometimes it works again after that. Try every while in a once, maybe at some point it spins up!
    Or, try it in quick succession with this external mobile rack. What i mean is, give power and look if your OS recognize it, when not then power off and power on again and this again and again, maybe it starts up at some point!

    Don't give up and when it should start again, get fast your data from this drive!

    Wish you good luck... ;)
     
  4. Kim100

    Kim100 MDL Addicted

    Jun 17, 2009
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    Have you tried something like AOMEI Partition Assistant? Software like this will often see external drives when Windows does not.
     
  5. Mr.X

    Mr.X MDL Guru

    Jul 14, 2013
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    I strongly believe the drive is dead. Unfortunately.
     
  6. kaljukass

    kaljukass MDL Guru

    Nov 26, 2012
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    How is this possible to recognize it with hand or finger when the USB output has a maximum voltage 5V?
    There is something very strange and confusing in your story.
     
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  7. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
    Staff Member

    Nov 30, 2009
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    Since you're missing the obvious, @jineso7341 was referring to the sense of vibration due to rotating disks as "feel the power."
     
  8. kaljukass

    kaljukass MDL Guru

    Nov 26, 2012
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    Could you explain which vibration?
    And then, of course, something is fundamentally broken if something already vibrates like that it can detect with hand.
     
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  9. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
    Staff Member

    Nov 30, 2009
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