Hitachi 1TB external hard drive no longer working :(

[GiggleGirl]

I bought a 1TB hard drive from staples quite a few months ago. the drive itself is Hitachi but its made by SimpleTech? as per the enclosure.... recently the hard drive fell off the side table that I had it on and now my computer won't read the drive anymore... when i turn it on, it clicks kinda and then beeps a little bit like an alarm clock and then stops. My computer dings when i turn it on like its recognizing new hardware but the drive doesnt show up in my computer anymore......... i removed it from the enclosure only because i was fixing the enclosure because the usb and power outlets were not flush with the case anymore.

what the hell did i do? can someone help me fix this?

 

[PUN]

what the hell did i do? can someone help me fix this?

1) You broke it by dropping it.
2) Hitachi can help you fix it.

EDIT: sorry, since you opened the enclosure, it's out of warranty. Get yourself a new drive instead of dealing with this headache. Alot of good BF deals out there.

 

[cmdrdredd]

There's 3 things you can try.

1) the freezer trick. Put the HDD in the freezer and leave it for about an hour. Take it out and try to read from it when it's cold and recover what you can before it fails.
2) Buy a new drive
3) have the HDD recovered but those professional services are thousands of dollars

Unfortunately since you opened the case, the OEM will not replace it I wouldn't think. Unless you can put it back together and make it look like it was never opened. Tell them your drive failed and won't read. Hitachi probably wouldn't warranty the drive themselves because it is used in an external case sold at retail. They'd likely ask you to call Simpletech to replace it.

That's the only legal means I can tell you to try.

 

[GiggleGirl]

i am fairly certain i can put it back together without it looking like it was ever taken apart. FML!
i have a ton of stuff on it *cries*

 

[RebateMonger]

What are you trying to accomplish:

1) You want your data back?
2) You don't care about the data. You want a working hard disk?

The first objective would have to be accomplished by you or a data recovery house. Neither Hitachi nor SimpleTech are going to do data recovery for you. At very best (and unlikely because of what's happened so far), they'll give you a refurbished housing or disk and keep your old one.

The second goal might be best accomplished by just buying a new hard disk. 1 TB drives can be had for $70 these days. It's barely worth putting up with the aggravation of shipping and, especially in your case, getting the warranty to be honored.

 

[GiggleGirl]

What are you trying to accomplish:

1) You want your data back?
2) You don't care about the data. You want a working hard disk?

The first objective would have to be accomplished by you or a data recovery house. Neither Hitachi nor SimpleTech are going to do data recovery for you. At very best (and unlikely because of what's happened so far), they'll give you a refurbished housing or disk and keep your old one.

The second goal might be best accomplished by just buying a new hard disk. 1 TB drives can be had for $70 these days. It's barely worth putting up with the aggravation of shipping and, especially in your case, getting the warranty to be honored.

im trying to recover the data. i got the drive for really cheap so i wouldnt be upset about having to replace it. i do have a backup 250gig... i want the data

 

[RebateMonger]

Data recovery technique will depend on what's wrong with the disk. Obviously yours has suffered mechanical damage. That's almost always a job for a professional with the right equipment. If the disk won't keep spinning and/or isn't recognized by the BIOS, you aren't going to get anything off it until the mechanical damage is repaired.

 

[GiggleGirl]

thanks guys for all your help. i am such a NOOB! argh!

i did lots of crap i shouldnt have done apparently. im not sure if im willing to spend the money that might be required to recover the data... it was a lot of music and a lot of movies and a lot of pictures from various places.... there was the entire back up of all my lap top files that would be nice to have back if i could. ill let you know how it all goes

 

[RebateMonger]

there was the entire back up of all my lap top files that would be nice to have back if i could. ill let you know how it all goes

Well, if it was the only copy, it wasn't really a back up.

About the best thing that comes from disasters like this is the determination to not let it happen again. There are TONS of good backup methods available today that make it really tough to lose data. Most people don't even have THAT much data to backup.

Check out online backups if your important stuff is less than 100 GB and check out removable backup drives for data stores larger than that. Make sure your backups are done automatically. Manual backups never get done.

 

[GiggleGirl]

Well, if it was the only copy, it wasn't really a back up.

well i backed up everything on the external when i reinstalled windows on my laptop. i didnt transfer ALL the files back over to my laptop so some were only copies...