Working with large quantities of information? You know the panic moment when you realize that you need some data that you deleted a long time ago. This is the subject of this article : Deleted file recovery. First lets start with some general data recovery tips, valid for all type of data devices, PC’s, Mac’s, phones.
Most laptops and even desktop computers come with just one hard drive. In such case, a crashed hard drive can be a real disaster. Not only do you lose access to your operating system, but you also lose your pictures, documents, videos, application data, and everything else that was stored on the computer. A free partition editor, such as GParted, allows you to create extra partitions on a single hard drive and thus separate the OS and programs from data. The newly created partitions will be located on the same physical disk, but the extra layer of separation between them gives you a useful protection against damage caused by human error and malware.
It’s a bit simpler on a Mac, using an intimidating-sounding tool called target disk mode. You connect a nonworking Mac to a working Mac and treat that nonworking Mac like a big USB drive. This can be useful if, for example, you need to get files off a computer with a screen or keyboard that doesn’t work. Connect the two computers with a USB-C, Thunderbolt 2, or Firewire cable. On the broken Mac, turn it on, and press and hold the T key while it starts up. Or, if the Mac is already turned on, go to Apple (on the upper left of the screen) -> System Preferences -> Startup Disk -> Target Disk Mode.
Is the drive sounding normal but is not detected or detected with the wrong capacity? This indicates a problem with some area of the firmware. For drives manufactured a few years back, there was a DIY solution for it. However, modern drives with this problem need to be sent to a data recovery service center to be repaired.
There are two main causes of failure here, either a TVS diode (fuse) has shorted due to overvoltage, or a vital component on the PCB has failed. Hard drive PCBs often have two TVS diodes which act as fuses to protect your drive in the event of a power spike. There will most likely be two of these: one for the 5v and one for the 12v rail. If you accidentally plugged in the wrong power adapter to your external drive, or you experienced a power surge, a TVS diode might have sacrificed itself. If the shorted TVS diode is the only casualty and the rest of the PCB components are OK, then simply removing the shorted diode is enough to bring the drive back to life.
Before you bring out the heavy guns, make sure that it’s not a connectivity problem. First, swap USB cables and ports to rule them out. Still no dice? Now, check if it’s a problem with the external drive’s enclosure itself. Eject the external USB drive from your computer, and if it’s powered by an adapter, unplug it from the wall outlet. It’s highly recommended that you ground yourself with an anti-static wristband before attempting this to avoid injuring yourself or damaging your drive further. Next, crack its case open then check the physical cables that connect the hard drive to your USB output. Note: The connections can either be IDE (wider connectors) or SATA (small connectors). Check for any loose cables and make sure that they’re firmly connected.
Western Digital (WD) Elements Portable Hard Drive is a very popular kind of portable hard drive. With big capacity and fast data transfer speed, this portable hard drive is widely used for data storage & transfer. But data loss can happen on any kind of device including WD Elements Portable Hard Drive of course. There are many reasons behind data loss, but in most cases the data has not been lost permanently. Once you find the right solution, you can completely recover lost files from WD Elements portable hard drive. See more info on Western Digital hard drive data recovery.