Working with huge quantities of information? You know the desperate moment when you realize that you need some information that you deleted a long time ago. This is the topic of this post : Ask me how to recover lost files from WD Elements portable hard drive. 1st lets start with some general data recovery tricks, valid for all type of data devices, PC’s, Mac’s, phones.
These days, it’s perfectly viable to do just about anything in the browser. You can write documents and edit Excel spreadsheets in Google Docs and the online version of Microsoft Office, Office 365, use Dropbox or OneDrive to organize your files, edit photos in Pixlr, and much more. Because the work you do using these online apps is stored in the cloud and backed by industry-grade data backup solutions, there’s virtually zero chance of you ever losing your progress. If you can build your entire workflow around online apps, you don’t even need to bring a laptop with you when traveling. Any public computer will allow to continue right from where you left off.
If this works, use the working Mac to make copies of the files you need most (photos, documents, etc.). Once you’ve done that, you’re free to wipe or repair the disk, hopefully getting that original laptop working again. To do this, restart the computer and hold down CMD+R until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe. From MacOS Utilities, select Disk Utility. Pick the topmost drive on the left, and select First Aid or Repair. If it works, this will solve lots of issues, including a wonky drive.
So, if your hard drive fails, you’ll need to take care to stop working on it immediately. Even if you’re not directly accessing the data on it, your computer is probably writing something to it thereby risking your shot at data recovery. Once the data is overwritten, there’s no any chance of getting it back. So shutdown the computer that is connected to the hard drive and unplug it.
If the TVS diodes don’t smell burnt and show the correct digits when measuring them, then the problem is the PCB itself. A replacement PCB is required, but not just a straight swap. There is an 8 pin ROM chip on most PCBs that contains unique firmware info that is required to start up the drive. This needs to be moved from the old PCB to the new in order for the replacement to work. Some hard drives, especially Western Digitals, do not have this 8 pin chip-the firmware is stored in the main controller which is virtually impossible to move.
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.
Sometimes, when we go to look for information in some of our hard drives and we do not find it, we believe that we erase it and we cannot recover it. In most cases, if you delete information from a device, it is not possible to recover it without the proper tools. The good thing is that we know that tool and we can help you, so we show you how to recover deleted files which were deleted long time ago – even you deleted them 2 or 4 years ago. See more info on Recover permanently deleted files.