# My 2yr old dropped my external hard drive!



## P3 Photography (Sep 29, 2010)

I have all my clients photos on this hard drive(I know shame on me for not backing them up) and it was dropped yesterday! It does not register with my computer and makes a funny sound when first plugged in(like the disk spins a couple times and then stops). Any info on how or who to send it to, to retrieve the data? I have looked on line at the "guarantee" places but not sure about that. Some ppl around here say they can TRY to fix it, and the TRY part make me nervous! Any thing that I should NOT do to it? 
Thanks in advance!


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## KmH (Sep 29, 2010)

Don't do anything to the drive. Absolutely nothing.

Stick with the major online sources for data recovery. Places like salvage data.com

These are not an inexpensive services.

Good luck!


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## Derrel (Sep 29, 2010)

DVD backups are around 49 cents each. A second hard drive is even cheaper per gigabyte,and faster too. Lesson learned. The hard, expensive way. Bummer for you.


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## oldmacman (Sep 29, 2010)

P3 Photography said:


> I have all my clients photos on this hard drive(I know shame on me for not backing them up) and it was dropped yesterday! It does not register with my computer and makes a funny sound when first plugged in(like the disk spins a couple times and then stops). Any info on how or who to send it to, to retrieve the data? I have looked on line at the "guarantee" places but not sure about that. Some ppl around here say they can TRY to fix it, and the TRY part make me nervous! Any thing that I should NOT do to it?
> Thanks in advance!



I've dropped an external drive before and it looked like it was powering, but the drive cable became dislodged in fall. Opening the enclosure and reattaching the cable was all I needed to do. I'm not saying you are in the clear, but it is worth a shot. That happened two years ago, and I am still using the drive.


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## icassell (Sep 29, 2010)

In that scenario, it is unlikely you have lost data.  I agree with KmH -- get a data recovery service.  Then go get multiple backup drives (and a RAID).


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## P3 Photography (Oct 1, 2010)

it's not just the usb/SATA connection so looks like I have to go the expensive route! Thanks for the info and YES Lesson Learned!!


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## phiya (Oct 2, 2010)

I'd say go for carbonite online backup if you can.  It's easier and more reliable than a second drive on site.


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## KmH (Oct 4, 2010)

But slower than mollases on a cold, freezing morning.


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## supraman215 (Oct 4, 2010)

Always 
Store
Important 
Data 
In
TWO
Physical 
Locations/Drives

If you're a pro this can't be a question. You can't lose someones wedding pictures.

Online, is cheap, secure, jungle disk, Mozy, carbonite. Mozy and Jungle disk are unlimited. Who cares if they are slow. It only takes a long time the first time then it's incremental.

This should be a lesson to everyone who thinks they are good to go storing all their pictures on an external RAID drive next to their laptop, desktop. DVD is fine as well as mentioned by Derrell But it's kind of a pita to keep up with especially since you can only store around 4.7gb per disc, and you have to sit there and actually do it, vs an online service where you set it and forget it (checking periodically to make sure it's working). All discs should be checked after their written and all other kinds of backups should be checked periodically. Better to find out your backup is not working before your main data source dies.


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## Cannonman (Jul 18, 2012)

P3 Photography said:


> I have all my clients photos on this hard drive(I know shame on me for not backing them up) and it was dropped yesterday! It does not register with my computer and makes a funny sound when first plugged in(like the disk spins a couple times and then stops). Any info on how or who to send it to, to retrieve the data? I have looked on line at the "guarantee" places but not sure about that. Some ppl around here say they can TRY to fix it, and the TRY part make me nervous! Any thing that I should NOT do to it?
> Thanks in advance!



The same exact thing happened to me.  I did some research called a few companies and spoke to Don from Tri-State Data Recovery & Forensics in New Jersey.  He was very knowledgable and the prices were very reasonable.  Since I was in Philadelphia I just drove over to his lab and had him diagnose the drive.  He explained what had happened, examined the drive in his clean room, ordered the parts to repair the drive, and about a week later recovered all my data!  Seek out a professional data recovery service if this happens to you.  Don takes drives nationwide and he is highly recommended @ southjerseydata.com

William


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## o hey tyler (Jul 18, 2012)

Cannonman said:


> P3 Photography said:
> 
> 
> > I have all my clients photos on this hard drive(I know shame on me for not backing them up) and it was dropped yesterday! It does not register with my computer and makes a funny sound when first plugged in(like the disk spins a couple times and then stops). Any info on how or who to send it to, to retrieve the data? I have looked on line at the "guarantee" places but not sure about that. Some ppl around here say they can TRY to fix it, and the TRY part make me nervous! Any thing that I should NOT do to it?
> ...



If they haven't fixed their hard drive over the past 2 years, I'm sure they'll appreciate the advice.


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## HughGuessWho (Jul 18, 2012)

Cannonman said:


> P3 Photography said:
> 
> 
> > I have all my clients photos on this hard drive(I know shame on me for not backing them up) and it was dropped yesterday! It does not register with my computer and makes a funny sound when first plugged in(like the disk spins a couple times and then stops). Any info on how or who to send it to, to retrieve the data? I have looked on line at the "guarantee" places but not sure about that. Some ppl around here say they can TRY to fix it, and the TRY part make me nervous! Any thing that I should NOT do to it?
> ...



Smells like SPAM to me.


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## Cannonman (Jul 22, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> Cannonman said:
> 
> 
> > P3 Photography said:
> ...




Just ran across the thread and thought I would share my experience.  Maybe someone else will need the advice


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## KmH (Jul 22, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> Smells like SPAM to me.


No links were posted so that makes it pretty hard to call it SPAM. No doubt, digging up a nearly 2 year old thread, rather than just starting a new one is pretty poor netiquette, and a very common SPAMmer tactic.

But FWIW, Cannons go boom, and Canons go click.


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