External Hard Drive suddenly not recognized

[Daphamy]

Im really sorry to be asking this again, i have seen the question asked before. But maybe my situation is lil different? Maybe, maybe not.

So about 2 weeks ago my CD drive wasn't working right. Then my external harddrive (I've had it for a year) all the sudden wasn't recognized. I know you cant ask permission to fix it (or something like that) when I go to repair it. I wouldn't be freaking out so bad if it didnt have my whole life on it. My mac gave me another problem awhile back saying the memory was full, thats the only reason i got it.

When I looked at the disk utility to fix it, its there, it comes up as 2 TB WD media. The info it gives me as follows.

Disk descrip: WD MEDIA
Connection bus: USB Connection
type: External
SMART status: Not supported
Partition scheme: Unformatted
Write status: Read/Write

Version: Mac OS X 10.5.8
HD version: Western Digital My book 1TB Mac edition USB 2.0 external HD

Any ideas if i could save my information on the comp?

 

[MacForScience]

Im really sorry to be asking this again, i have seen the question asked before. But maybe my situation is lil different? Maybe, maybe not.

So about 2 weeks ago my CD drive wasn't working right. Then my external harddrive (I've had it for a year) all the sudden wasn't recognized. I know you cant ask permission to fix it (or something like that) when I go to repair it. I wouldn't be freaking out so bad if it didnt have my whole life on it. My mac gave me another problem awhile back saying the memory was full, thats the only reason i got it.

When I looked at the disk utility to fix it, its there, it comes up as 2 TB WD media. The info it gives me as follows.

Disk descrip: WD MEDIA
Connection bus: USB Connection
type: External
SMART status: Not supported
Partition scheme: Unformatted
Write status: Read/Write

Version: Mac OS X 10.5.8
HD version: Western Digital My book 1TB Mac edition USB 2.0 external HD

Any ideas if i could save my information on the comp?

Ok, so I have to eliminate a couple dumb options:
1.) Is the drive actually mounted meaning in disk utility the option to mount the volume is grayed out?

2.) Did you repair permissions on your internal drive?

3.) Did you try a different HD?

4.) Did you try a different USB cable

Other possible things:
Did you verify permission or verify the disk? (there is a difference)

Have any other USB device been behaving oddly?

Cheers

 

[Daphamy]

1.) Is the drive actually mounted meaning in disk utility the option to mount the volume is grayed out?
yes, Everything once i go into disk utility is grayed out when it comes to my harddrive.


2.) Did you repair permissions on your internal drive?
no i didn't would that maybe help?

3.) Did you try a different HD?
yes, my dad has a HD that worked perfectly. Its a Widows/mac compadible because he doesn't have a mac.

4.) Did you try a different USB cable?
No i didn't. I will try this right now.

Other possible things:
Did you verify permission or verify the disk? (there is a difference)
hmm, i didn't know there was a difference. But the verify permission is gray.

Have any other USB device been behaving oddly?
Actually no. My harddrive was acting a bit oddly a few days before it crapped out. It kepy making a loud noise like it was trying super hard, then anytime id save something it would say i removed the disk when i didnt. and then the day before anytime i was doing something on the computer it would keep doing that over and over.

 

[Daphamy]

Ok, so I have to eliminate a couple dumb options:

4.) Did you try a different USB cable

Just did. This time it didn't pop the error message up. went into
DU and both the verify disk and verify permission is gray.

 

[Daphamy]

unformatted?

so still no luck. One thing i've noticed is it says 'unformatted' not corrupt. Is there any way i can reformate it for my computer without losing anything on the HD? The only reason i didnt throw it out and forget about it is because i dont have anything backed up else where. I'm desparate to try and get it fixed. even if its just for 20 mins so i can get the stuff off of it.

any sites u would recommend I try to get it reformatted? any ideas on what went wrong in the first place?