911 emergency. How to recover a disk drive?

[CurrentlyPissed]

I have an 8TB (only about 2TB of files) that are very sensitive files, that I need to recover. (kiddos pictures, etc).

This was a Seagate Backup Plus Hub (it uses a desktop Seagate Barracude Compute SMR drive), only about 7 months old. It already failed. I removed the drive from the enclosure to verify it wasn't the enclosure/power device, and it is in-fact the disk drive.

What'll happen is when it's plugged in, after bios screen, very often the PC will not boot, it'll hang in a black screen. If I unplug the drive, the PC boots fine (it's not a windows operating disk, it's just storage).

So if I unplug the drive, get into windows, and then plug in the drive, windows will see the drive, it populates like normal, but either A.) the drive will shut itself down after about 30 seconds~, or b.) the second I try to access any file on it, the drive goes unresponsive.

From what I can tell the partitions are healthy when it boots, or so disk management says so. I just can't get to any of the files. The second I click any file it goes unresponsive.

Is there anyway for me to recoop the sensitive pictures without having to pay alot of $? If I have to, I will, just kinda the sole reason I bought this 'exceptional backup drive'.

Also, it shows up in device manager aswell, but then goes away after about 45 seconds-a minute. If I unplug and plug it back in, it'll work for a few seconds, but happens again.

[DeathKnight]

Seagate's Rescue Data Recovery service comes with that drive's warranty.

https://www.seagate.com/products/rescue-data-recovery/

[acroig]

Originally Posted by CurrentlyPissed

So if I unplug the drive, get into windows, and then plug in the drive, windows will see the drive, it populates like normal, but either A.) the drive will shut itself down after about 30 seconds~, or b.) the second I try to access any file on it, the drive goes unresponsive.

Looks like drive is losing power? Have you tried plugging a different power cable from PSU to it?

[CurrentlyPissed]

Originally Posted by acroig

Looks like drive is losing power? Have you tried plugging a different power cable from PSU to it?

Originally it was an external drive, I suspected the devices power adapater/board, that's why I took it from the enclosure, and directly installed it into the PC (since it's just a standard 3.5" drive).

There was no change in habit.

As far as warranty, I'm currently arguing with Seagate as they are refusing to even accept it as warranty due to me removing it from the enclosure, despite me living in a right to repair state.

[acroig]

Originally Posted by CurrentlyPissed

Originally it was an external drive, I suspected the devices power adapater/board, that's why I took it from the enclosure, and directly installed it into the PC (since it's just a standard 3.5" drive).

There was no change in habit.

As far as warranty, I'm currently arguing with Seagate as they are refusing to even accept it as warranty due to me removing it from the enclosure, despite me living in a right to repair state.

Ah I see, crap.

[CurrentlyPissed]

Originally Posted by acroig

Ah I see, crap.

It's such bullshit. I really was expecting this to be the enclosure failure, not the hard drive with the way it was responding. I really didn't want to send off the hard drive as it has the only copies of 90% of our kids pictures. My fear is, could get lost, damaged, unsuccesful recovery, whatever, just alot of variables, so if I could have just removed it from the enclosure, and clone it I'd just write off the hard drive loss and move on. But I can't get the damn thing to stay on.

Still making the right to repair argument with Seagate, we will see. I have the enclosure, and it was taken apart carefully, but there are some obvious signs. (there is no warranty void if remove sticker either). So I should have probably just buttoned it back up and sent it in.

In hindsight, I should just have had this external backup cloning an internal drive, that way there was 2 sources of security. But this enclosure was rated really good and I needed something easy for the wife to access. It's great for her to dump photos off her phone onto as it has a front USB hub that she can plug directly into the drive.

[Hapatingjaky]

I would try a separate enclosure, I can send you my Vantec Nexstar dual USB 3.0 dock and give you my recuva key and you can give it a shot.

PM your ****.

[CurrentlyPissed]

Originally Posted by Hapatingjaky

I would try a separate enclosure, I can send you my Vantec Nexstar dual USB 3.0 dock and give you my recuva key and you can give it a shot.

PM your ****.

Thank you for the offer Hapa, but unfortunately I dont think it's the enclosure as I have removed it and installed it directly into the PC (since it's a standard 3.5" drive), and it acts the exact same.

[koralis]

This was a Seagate Backup Plus Hub (it uses a desktop Seagate Barracude Compute SMR drive), only about 7 months old

SMR drives are the devil. Some are bad, others are HOORRIBLE. There are basically two classes... one the drive takes care of a certain amount of the "paperwork" to make it mostly seem like a regular drive, albeit slow.

Others are designed to operate in sequential mode and need a system, enclosure, etc to handle all of the logic in open and closing regions, etc.


I wouldn't be at all surprised if this drive is of the latter variety. As a "backup" drive, sequential access is expected. Basically, it's a really complicated tape drive. However, you won't be able to use them just plugged into a normal system.

[Flyordie]

Originally Posted by CurrentlyPissed

It's such bullshit. I really was expecting this to be the enclosure failure, not the hard drive with the way it was responding. I really didn't want to send off the hard drive as it has the only copies of 90% of our kids pictures. My fear is, could get lost, damaged, unsuccesful recovery, whatever, just alot of variables, so if I could have just removed it from the enclosure, and clone it I'd just write off the hard drive loss and move on. But I can't get the damn thing to stay on.

Still making the right to repair argument with Seagate, we will see. I have the enclosure, and it was taken apart carefully, but there are some obvious signs. (there is no warranty void if remove sticker either). So I should have probably just buttoned it back up and sent it in.

In hindsight, I should just have had this external backup cloning an internal drive, that way there was 2 sources of security. But this enclosure was rated really good and I needed something easy for the wife to access. It's great for her to dump photos off her phone onto as it has a front USB hub that she can plug directly into the drive.

Legally, they can't deny warranty just because you opened it up. The onus is on seagate to prove you broke it. Thats federal law. Missouri has no right-to-repair laws sadly. Basically, just re-assemble, plug it in, make sure it powers up and acts just like it did before you disassembled it.

On a side note- If they do say send it in and deny it- they SHOULD give you the option to pay for the recovery. If they go that route- you could maybe pay but note you intend to fight the warranty denial and file a complaint with the FTC?