external drive gone

[galanthus]

HEEEEELPPP

My Lacie 500gb external harddrive is no longer recognised by my pc. I'm using xp sp2. The blue light on the front of the ex drive is flashing on and off but I can't locate it.

Please help if you can, all of my photography projects and pics are on there

[natureguy]

Hi Galanthus
I think this is a problem with the power supply, try wiggling the power cord about where it connects to the drive. you may still have to get it looked at though otherwise it will just keep going off.

[Meta menardi]

The first thing to do is disconnect the drive, so if it is damaged no further damage is done.

You are in a very awkward situation here, as either the disk or the interface that manages the disk could be at fault. I think you will need external help, it is a case of getting reliable help.

I was in the same situation recently, my next step was to get any backups or copies from other places and try and consolidate those to limit the damage. I have ended up with a fairly good set of files.

A month or so down the line, I have calmed down and I am going back to the disk soon to have a further think. The worst thing you can do is try to resolve it in a flurry of different solutions.

I sympathise with you greatly, and hope you can get some resolution to this, but if it is gone, it is gone. I am looking forward to Summer, when I can get some new shots of the things I lost, but a weeks holiday shots are gone forever.

[Jason Green]

Sorry to hear of your issue, Gal

Is the unit bus-powered, or does it use a Transformer?

Disconnect it, turn the PC off then plug it all back in again and then restart the computer. If this doesn't work, go through to your Device Manager via Control Panel and see if you can re-load the driver. Don't delete it unless you're sure you still have it around on disc, etc.

Have you perhaps disconnected the drive without Safely Ejecting it first?? This may have kind of erased it if so to the point that the driver software went with it, hence it not being recognised. If it comes back on and asks you if you want to format the drive - DON'T!!!!! Just say No or Cancel. Once it's given you this option, disconnect it... don't worry, take it to PC W..LD and ask them to transfer it to CD, called Disc Recovery or something. It may just work.

Keep us posted!!

[Richard G.]

Not much help I'm afraid, but the advice about professional help is good.

I've had something like 5 or 6 drives fail irreparably over the years. Disk storage is cheap these days though, get several separate drives and triplicate your pictures. Five drives and 2.5 terabytes on my PC at the moment...

[galanthus]

Originally Posted by natureguy

Hi Galanthus
I think this is a problem with the power supply, try wiggling the power cord about where it connects to the drive.

Thanx natureguy, just tried that as you suggested... no difference

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

The first thing to do is disconnect the drive, so if it is damaged no further damage is done.

You are in a very awkward situation here, as either the disk or the interface that manages the disk could be at fault. I think you will need external help, it is a case of getting reliable help.

Noooooo

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Sorry to hear of your issue, Gal

Is the unit bus-powered, or does it use a Transformer?

Disconnect it, turn the PC off then plug it all back in again and then restart the computer. If this doesn't work, go through to your Device Manager via Control Panel and see if you can re-load the driver. Don't delete it unless you're sure you still have it around on disc, etc.

Have you perhaps disconnected the drive without Safely Ejecting it first?? This may have kind of erased it if so to the point that the driver software went with it, hence it not being recognised.

Right, it has a little rectangular box, is that a transformer ? It's connected to pc via firewire 400.

Restarted pc etc as suggested didn't work

going to try the driver option now. Some sites are suggested the drive is taken out of it's casing and popped into a pc somewhere ?


thanx guys

[galanthus]

Originally Posted by Richard G.

Not much help I'm afraid, but the advice about professional help is good.

I've had something like 5 or 6 drives fail irreparably over the years. Disk storage is cheap these days though, get several separate drives and triplicate your pictures. Five drives and 2.5 terabytes on my PC at the moment...

I've only had this one a few months, hadn't thought to back it up, unusual for me too

[nightshade]

I had just bought an external drive to back up the internal drive, connected it up and my PC would not boot the internal drive had gone t*ts up
lost a lot of photos.
Back up, Back up frequently, trust nothing!

[galanthus]

Oh dear, know how you feel nightshade

Been on pc around 3 hours now looking for ideas. This had every one of my pics ever taken on it. including the folder I backed up from my original external hardrive that later packed up.

[Meta menardi]

If it is a firewire interface, taking the disk out and trying it somewhere else should be approached with caution and some help.

I see that there are some who feel that wiggling leads and deleting drivers is a good idea. It isn't, and either could loose more data. Disconnect it and get calm, if it is disconnected it won't be further damaged.

I imagine your emotional investment in this is tremendous. Take it slowly and get help.