external HDD bricked!

[halledise]

i keep all my old backups + movies, pictures, &c on a 1TB Seagate usb3.0 hard drive.
i was transferring files yesterday when i received the message 'disk not ejected properly'
MacBook still recognises the external drive on the desktop, yet cannot see any files, even though 600GB are used with 380GB free.
none of the searches i've done on the net have revealed any solutions.
tried disk utility, first aid. etc etc etc
in a word - help!!!

 

[deeddawg]

With hard disks, describing any sounds or lights or lack thereof is usually a help.

#1 - try it with a different computer
#2 - call Seagate
#2a - if it's not spinning up at all, put it in a plastic bag with just the cable sticking out (to minimize condensation) and put in your freezer a couple hours then try and see if it spins up. If so, immediately get anything off of it you want to save.

Probably a good chance the drive's dead. It happens. Get another and start new backups sets to it.

 

[halledise]

With hard disks, describing any sounds or lights or lack thereof is usually a help.

#1 - try it with a different computer
#2 - call Seagate
#2a - if it's not spinning up at all, put it in a plastic bag with just the cable sticking out (to minimize condensation) and put in your freezer a couple hours then try and see if it spins up. If so, immediately get anything off of it you want to save.

Probably a good chance the drive's dead. It happens. Get another and start new backups sets to it.

i've done #1 - nothing.
#2 - no point - it's a mac issue not theirs.
it IS 'spinning up' except no data is visible.
thanks anyway for your input
[doublepost=1534994173][/doublepost]i used to have a friend who was a fan of linux.
last time this kind of thing happened he was able to rescue the files.
alas, he died

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Try this.
It might help.
It might not do anything.
Trying this won't HURT anything.

What to do:
1. Power the Mac down. all the way off.
2. Disconnect the problem drive.
3. Reboot and get to the finder.
4. Connect the problem drive.
5. Now... wait... just.... wait a while.
6. Just leave it be around 30 minutes.

Again, it may help, perhaps not.
The finder may find the drive is connected, but won't mount, and then try to repair the directory or drivers.

If that doesn't work, there are other alternatives, such as "data recovery software".

I would have to concur with deeddawg above, that the drive may have suffered some kind of hardware failure, or perhaps a failure the controller board.

Or... it could be corrupted disk drivers.

What I've done as a last-ditch effort with a corrupted drive partition that resisted all attempts to repair it: WARNING -- risky procedure:
1. ERASE the drive (yes, erase it) but DO NOT USE "secure erase" . DO NOT zero out the drive, just do a "quick erase".
2. The drive will now have a new, empty directory and clean drivers. BUT -- the data will still be "out there on the platters", because we did not "zero out" the data.
3. Use data recovery software (such as "Data Rescue") to "attack" the drive.
4. The data recovery software will "work around" the "empty" directory. It will "go right to the platters", scavenge around, and find and re-construct the files.
5. You WILL need a SECOND drive to receive the recovered files.
6. You WILL lose all file names and previous folder hierarchies. This is "par for the course" with data recovery. That means A LOT of work rebuilding file names, etc.
This worked for me when nothing else would, but again, only done with knowledge that it could have "lost everything".

A word of advice for the future.
The reason you "lost" all this stuff is because you didn't have the drive backed up.
Yes, backing up is work.
But don't do it -- and you get where you are now.
Go forth, and learn from this day.

 

[deeddawg]

i've done #1 - nothing.
#2 - no point - it's a mac issue not theirs.

I'm not sure why you're convinced the issue is the mac when the drive exhibits the same problem on two different computers.

@Fishrrman gives some good advice.

Good luck.

 

[DeltaMac]

Did you try a different USB cable?

 

[Pndrgnsvc]

my 2¢...

I would give DiskWarrior a go. It's great at resolving problems relating to directory corruption.

 

[halledise]

OP:

Try this.
It might help.
It might not do anything.
Trying this won't HURT anything.

What to do:
1. Power the Mac down. all the way off.
2. Disconnect the problem drive.
3. Reboot and get to the finder.
4. Connect the problem drive.
5. Now... wait... just.... wait a while.
6. Just leave it be around 30 minutes.

Again, it may help, perhaps not.
The finder may find the drive is connected, but won't mount, and then try to repair the directory or drivers.

If that doesn't work, there are other alternatives, such as "data recovery software".

I would have to concur with deeddawg above, that the drive may have suffered some kind of hardware failure, or perhaps a failure the controller board.

Or... it could be corrupted disk drivers.

What I've done as a last-ditch effort with a corrupted drive partition that resisted all attempts to repair it: WARNING -- risky procedure:
1. ERASE the drive (yes, erase it) but DO NOT USE "secure erase" . DO NOT zero out the drive, just do a "quick erase".
2. The drive will now have a new, empty directory and clean drivers. BUT -- the data will still be "out there on the platters", because we did not "zero out" the data.
3. Use data recovery software (such as "Data Rescue") to "attack" the drive.
4. The data recovery software will "work around" the "empty" directory. It will "go right to the platters", scavenge around, and find and re-construct the files.
5. You WILL need a SECOND drive to receive the recovered files.
6. You WILL lose all file names and previous folder hierarchies. This is "par for the course" with data recovery. That means A LOT of work rebuilding file names, etc.
This worked for me when nothing else would, but again, only done with knowledge that it could have "lost everything".

A word of advice for the future.
The reason you "lost" all this stuff is because you didn't have the drive backed up.
Yes, backing up is work.
But don't do it -- and you get where you are now.
Go forth, and learn from this day.

methinks you misunderstand the issue.
1. my mac is fine
2. the external HDD IS recognised.
3. total space and used space show with command+i
4. none of the data is visible however.
5. it is a backup HDD.
6. do not appreciate your last comment - 'Go forth, and learn from this day'
7. i've been using macs since the days of system 7, thus i do kinda know what i'm doing
8. i'll try Pndrgnsvc suggestion of disk warrior and if that doesn't work i'll track down someone with a linux system. that worked a few years ago when i had a similar issue with another external HDD

 

[Fishrrman]

If the drive mounts on the desktop, but "opening it" shows no (or a reduced number of) files, then I would think the directory is damaged.

The files may be "there" (in the sectors, but not recognized by the directory), or, they may not be there at all. Or they may be there, but "all munged up".

Perhaps you ought to give "DiskWarrior" a try -- it's the champ at repairing/reviving damaged directories.
Even if DiskWarrior rebuilds the directory, it might be time to move everything to a "fresh" drive, and keep this one as a "second copy".

Been using Macs since around System 4.3 or so, myself.
First Mac was a Macintosh SE (dual drive), early 1987 (Apple // before that).