Request for help (external drive)

[OneSecondStreet]

I have an unusual request, which needs some context. My daughter dropped an external usb drive (Toshiba 1TB) which was originally a backup drive but ended up having all her files, including years of photos, on it. She had no other backup. It now won't show the files. I have spent quite a bit of time doing what I can to see and extract them, but to no avail. Obviously, all the standard things have been done, including trying to update drivers, etc etc.

The main error is Set Address Failed (code 43). When I plug it in (and I have tried plugging it on multiple different usb ports on multiple different computers, and even with usb extension cords etc), it lights up straight away and initially sounds like it might be spinning but then nothing shows up. For about 40 seconds to a minute, if I click the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" button, it shows up there. When I go to Device Manager, I can see it there but it has the "no can do" triangle, and obviously I can't access any files on it. Eventually, windows gives me the (not so) helpful error that there's a problem with the drive...

My feeling is that the files are all still there, but for whatever reason the drive isn't allowing them to be seen.

At this point, the options are 1) throw it out, or 2) send it to a ridiculously high priced data recovery shop who will charge a fortune but give no guarantee to recover anything. Thankfully, I managed to find a fair few of the files (but not all) on an older laptop she used to have. I've got them to her and she's backed everything she has up onto a brand new external drive she bought.

She has "written the drive off" now, she doesn't want to (and can't afford to) send the drive away, and is willing to chalk this up to a learning experience, although she would dearly love to get the missing files back. I would love to try and help her do that.

Here's the request: is there anyone who understands these things and who would be willing to "have a look" and see if they can make the drive work enough to extract the files? I would prefer someone in Australia (purely for shipping costs), but would be willing to send it to anyone anywhere if they felt they had a good shot of doing this. It would make no difference if you ended up damaging the drive beyond repair or couldn't accomplish anything, as we've written the drive off anyway. I'd be more than willing to pay a small amount for your trouble. And to be clear, I'm not really expecting anyone will do this, but thought it was worth a shot on this forum, particularly for someone who likes tinkering with things like this.

[stuck]

...dropped an external usb drive...

I'm no data recovery expert but it sounds to me like the physical damage that occurred in the drop means that the only way you're going to get anything off this drive is to pay a data recovery expert to look at it.

Ken

[OneSecondStreet]

...dropped an external usb drive...

it sounds to me like the physical damage that occurred in the drop means that the only way you're going to get anything off this drive is to pay a data recovery expert to look at it.

You may well be right, and if that's the case, then it gets thrown in the bin. But no harm asking first...

[ChrisGreaves]

... then it gets thrown in the bin.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
The argument is akin to that of leaving one's body to medical science. No matter how ravaged a human body is, it might always be used in a scalpel-training class.

As far as a hard disk goes:
Once you and your daughter have made the decision that, in terms of your expertise, the drive is history (and yes, a hard lesson well-learned for all your immediate family), then there is always the would-be disk-salvage novice who would like nothing better than to test his/her/its skills against a seemingly impossible solution.

After all, you have already lost everything; what else have you go to lose? Nothing, right?

I would keep looking for another month at least. There may be a new startup tech expert near where you live (unless you live in Bonavista). or a University IT engineering department whose lecturer would like to kick off a tutorial project.
There are nine billion of us; one of us MUST be hankering for a chance to become a New Shining Star?
Cheers, Chris

[OneSecondStreet]

... then it gets thrown in the bin.

There are nine billion of us; one of us MUST be hankering for a chance to become a New Shining Star?

I was hoping a very small percentage of those nine billion might be living here, on Eileen's Lounge.