Solved My freeagent 750gb just died , suggestions welcomed

Well the title pretty much says it all my freeagent 750bg external drive just died for no apparent reason so now Im worried about what my options are.

I know seagate wont repair and I know data recovery will cost a ton , so my question is whether i should try something else i.e. like taking the drive out of the old case / fan and putting it into new one ?

I know that would void my warranty but in all honesty i dont care , I just want to access that data , does this sound like a good idea or could I damage the drive in there in way that might perevent data recovery as a last option ?

thanks

snoko

Hello!

My first comment is not to try anything for just a few moments. Unplug the drive. The more you fiddle, the more damage that occurs to the data. What do you mean by died? Does it no longer show up in Windows, makes a clicking noise, shows as empty.

Thanks!

Richard

niemiro said:

Hello!

My first comment is not to try anything for just a few moments. Unplug the drive. The more you fiddle, the more damage that occurs to the data. What do you mean by died? Does it no longer show up in Windows, makes a clicking noise, shows as empty.

Thanks!

Richard

Click to expand...

It wont turn on - no light at all or fan sound .

I tried the same charger on my other freeagent and it work , so it can be that.

thanks,

snoko

snoko said:

niemiro said:

Hello!

My first comment is not to try anything for just a few moments. Unplug the drive. The more you fiddle, the more damage that occurs to the data. What do you mean by died? Does it no longer show up in Windows, makes a clicking noise, shows as empty.

Thanks!

Richard

Click to expand...

It wont turn on - no light at all or fan sound .

I tried the same charger on my other freeagent and it work , so it can be that.

thanks,

snoko

Click to expand...

Hello!

It sounds like it is the housing at fault. Once you have argued the warrantee, and stuff like that.

At that point, you can very carefully look fro screws on the external hard disk case. Inside there should be a metal hard disk drive. It will look something like this:



Under no conditions try to open that up.

Switch your computer off. Look at the bottom for hard disk drive bays. Remove the hard disk drive holder. Remove any screws/lugs from the holder. Slip in the hard disk drive, and then put the screws/lugs back in again.

Plug in a power cable, and the SATA cable. Power comes from the PSU. SATA comes from the motherboard. If you haven't done this before, ask a friend, or supply the make and model of your system, and we can offer you more help.

Boot into Windows, and look in Computer. If there is issues with data recovery, do NOT copy anything to that drive, and wait for more instructions. Do not even look at the drive, if there is issues with data recovery.

Thanks, and good luck!

Richard

niemiro said:

snoko said:

niemiro said:

Hello!

My first comment is not to try anything for just a few moments. Unplug the drive. The more you fiddle, the more damage that occurs to the data. What do you mean by died? Does it no longer show up in Windows, makes a clicking noise, shows as empty.

Thanks!

Richard

Click to expand...

It wont turn on - no light at all or fan sound .

I tried the same charger on my other freeagent and it work , so it can be that.

thanks,

snoko

Click to expand...

Hello!

It sounds like it is the housing at fault. Once you have argued the warrantee, and stuff like that.

At that point, you can very carefully look fro screws on the external hard disk case. Inside there should be a metal hard disk drive. It will look something like this:

Under no conditions try to open that up.

Switch your computer off. Look at the bottom for hard disk drive bays. Remove the hard disk drive holder. Remove any screws/lugs from the holder. Slip in the hard disk drive, and then put the screws/lugs back in again.

Plug in a power cable, and the SATA cable. Power comes from the PSU. SATA comes from the motherboard. If you haven't done this before, ask a friend, or supply the make and model of your system, and we can offer you more help.

Boot into Windows, and look in Computer. If there is issues with data recovery, do NOT copy anything to that drive, and wait for more instructions. Do not even look at the drive, if there is issues with data recovery.

Thanks, and good luck!

Richard

Click to expand...

Hi Richard,

This is what I've been actually been looking at , one of the things - not that its an issue esp if its the housing ( assuming you mean case / fan by this ) is that theres a good chance I will probably have to break the bottom 2 tabs to open open it.

Once i do that the rest opens up quite easily apparenly buts its getting past that bit that bothers me , not unless you think it would comprise the hard drive in any way ? ( Im assuming not ).

I asked on seagate forum about Sata cable too because im not exactly sure about the connection Id need given Ive never done this - and to be frank - dont like the idea of giving to an independent store to do . ( unfortunately being disabled , doesnt put high on the friend list either , so no can do there )

I did have look on ebay cheap cables and saw some generic looking kit like this ..
USB 2.0 TO SATA IDE CABLE FOR HDD WITH UK POWER ADAPTER on eBay (end time 17-Jan-11 06:55:33 GMT)

I dont if this would be any use , but Id rather pay more and get something offical I knew it was fullproof rather than waste time or spend more until I right one,most of the brands I heard that work seem to be american ones ( im in the uk ) but if im powering it up through the pc it shouldnt matter i guess.

I did notice those sata cable came with a power unit too, does that mean I can attach it externally as I dont see the point , if I am meant to attach it internally , unless it just makes the cpu attachment a lot easier.

thanks again,

snoko

I will just get a second opinion from another helper, and will be right back

Hi snoko,

I once had an external hard drive that developed an intermittent fault. Sometimes it was recognised, other times it wasn't. I tried another USB lead, but it wasn't that. Turned out that there was a fault with the interface circuitry in the enclosure. Replacing the enclosure solved the problem.

If you can manage to remove the HDD from its present enclosure and install it in a suitable replacement enclosure, it is quite possible that you should be able to recover your data.

Dwarf said:

Hi snoko,

I once had an external hard drive that developed an intermittent fault. Sometimes it was recognised, other times it wasn't. I tried another USB lead, but it wasn't that. Turned out that there was a fault with the interface circuitry in the enclosure. Replacing the enclosure solved the problem.

If you can manage to remove the HDD from its present enclosure and install it in a suitable replacement enclosure, it is quite possible that you should be able to recover your data.

Click to expand...

Hi ,

You mean basically removing my old drive and putting it into new case ?

Thats was actually my first thought , as I just assumed thats why folk where opening up their external hard drives in the first place .

But one problem with this is that my model seems to be discontinued for that size ( 750 gb )

Does it make any difference then if I use a newer case i.e. for the newer version of the same model like the 1 TB ?

Otherwise i could just remove the HD from my twin seagate and try sticking the older on in , instead.

thanks

snoko

No, I meant an enclosure in which you can install your own HDD. You will need to get one that is suitable for your HDD (2.5" or 3.5") and with a suitable interface to suit the drive (IDE/PATA or SATA).

If you have room inside your system, it might be worth seeing if you can access it by connecting it up internally.

Hi snoko,

Welcome to Vista Forums!

Dwarf's suggestion is probably the best option to try, especially if you want to keep this as an external USB hard drive.

Richard's suggestion is interesting. It depends on whether or not you have a computer with an extra drive bay of the proper size, whether or not the motherboard has a spare (or any) SATA connector, and you will probably need to install drivers for this new hard drive before it will work (and may need to make some BIOS changes so the SATA drive can be recognized if it is currently using only IDE drives) - but if you can do this and if it does work, then that means the hard drive is OK, you can backup the data (if you have someplace else to put it), you can use it in that other computer for the time being, and that Dwarf is almost certainly correct that you need a new USB enclosure and then you'll be fine. If you decide to go this route, post back as I just gave a very top-level view of what might be needed (and we'd need more information about the drive and the computer), but we can provide more detailed instructions with that additional information and it might turn out better if you await those instructions before proceeding.

I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Lorien said:

Hi snoko,

Welcome to Vista Forums!

Dwarf's suggestion is probably the best option to try, especially if you want to keep this as an external USB hard drive.

Richard's suggestion is interesting. It depends on whether or not you have a computer with an extra drive bay of the proper size, whether or not the motherboard has a spare (or any) SATA connector, and you will probably need to install drivers for this new hard drive before it will work (and may need to make some BIOS changes so the SATA drive can be recognized if it is currently using only IDE drives) - but if you can do this and if it does work, then that means the hard drive is OK, you can backup the data (if you have someplace else to put it), you can use it in that other computer for the time being, and that Dwarf is almost certainly correct that you need a new USB enclosure and then you'll be fine. If you decide to go this route, post back as I just gave a very top-level view of what might be needed (and we'd need more information about the drive and the computer), but we can provide more detailed instructions with that additional information and it might turn out better if you await those instructions before proceeding.

I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Click to expand...

Hi,

here the ext drive I have http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...0aRCRD&locale=en-US#tTabContentSpecifications

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 12/22/2010, 23:31:53
Machine name: YOUR-F23DF9768C
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp.080413-2111)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: DIXONSXP
System Model: Advent 4211
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N270 @ 1.60GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 1014MB RAM
Page File: 412MB used, 2027MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode


AND here is my COMPAQ PRESARIO Desktop specs.

System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 12/22/2010, 23:41:59
Machine name: SNOKO-PC
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_rtm.061101-2205)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Compaq-Presario
System Model: RR505AA-ABU SR2125UK
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.8GHz
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Page File: 786MB used, 3525MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 6.00.6000.16386 32bit Unicode


Obviously the desktop is the more relevant one .


thanks,

snoko

Lorien said:

Hi snoko,

Welcome to Vista Forums!

Dwarf's suggestion is probably the best option to try, especially if you want to keep this as an external USB hard drive.

Richard's suggestion is interesting. It depends on whether or not you have a computer with an extra drive bay of the proper size, whether or not the motherboard has a spare (or any) SATA connector, and you will probably need to install drivers for this new hard drive before it will work (and may need to make some BIOS changes so the SATA drive can be recognized if it is currently using only IDE drives) - but if you can do this and if it does work, then that means the hard drive is OK, you can backup the data (if you have someplace else to put it), you can use it in that other computer for the time being, and that Dwarf is almost certainly correct that you need a new USB enclosure and then you'll be fine. If you decide to go this route, post back as I just gave a very top-level view of what might be needed (and we'd need more information about the drive and the computer), but we can provide more detailed instructions with that additional information and it might turn out better if you await those instructions before proceeding.

I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Click to expand...

hi,

posted those details you wanted in my last post -just so know

thanks,

snoko

Aah, I missed the additional info about the desktop as it was an edit and edits don't create e-mail alerts and I use e-mail alerts to tell me when there's new info in a thread. Thanks for that. Hopefully I will be able to use that info to tell if the hard drive will fit into the desktop without problems. Give me some time to research it now that I have most of what I need (I think - I didn't check your info in detail yet but on the surface it seems like it'll be enough).

I'll be back to you soon (hopefully today if all goes well).

Hi snoko,

First, here are the instructions on how to open the desktop and how to insert a second SATA drive for your model: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00843492.pdf. Since it covers SATA drives, I'm assuming your system can handle SATA drives - which answers that question. Here's some additional general information on adding a SATA hard drive to HP computers: Replacing the Hard Drive Compaq Presario SR2125UK Desktop PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)=. I could not find the size of the drive bay anywhere, so you'll have to compare the sizes of the drives to make sure the new one fits in the the bay - it should be obvious as the sizes vary enough that you can tell the difference at a glance. You will not be able to use the wrong size if that's the situation (there are no conversion devices to make a smaller drive fit and obviously a larger one won't fit).

If you're using build 6000 (currrently as opposed to when you got it), then you haven't upgraded to SP1 let alone SP2 or installed any of the interim Windows updates (if you were on SP2, I believe the build would be something like 6002 something - I don't have your version so I'm not certain about the rest of the code). I recommend you do this before you proceed as this may affect whether or not the current drivers for the drive work on the system (and because it should be done for security and performance reasons as well).

Your BIOS don't seem to match what is available as most recent on the HP Web site for your system (and I'm not even sure what the name of the HP BIOS is). However, here is the page for Phoenix Award BIOS and they indicate an update is applicable to version 6.00. BIOS Flashers from Award, AMI, Phoenix. I'm frankly not certain if you should install this update or use the most recent version for your HP system: P5LP-LE Motherboard BIOS Update Compaq Presario SR2125UK Desktop PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)=. You probably know what you did, so I leave that up to you. Perhaps it may be best to leave this alone unless you have a problem with the installation and come back to it at a later date.

As far as firmware, drivers, and/or software for the drive, I can't find anything that provides information on how to install or find them for use as an internal drive (I found the software for an external drive but you probably already have that and I don't think it will work internally); however, they offer a program that presumably checks drives and provides that information (though I'm not 100% certain it will work if the drive is installed internally, but it's the best I could find): It's here: Where can I get the most popular downloads for my hard drive?. If that doesn't work, then your best bet is to contact Seagate Technical Support and ask them where to find what you need (if it is available): Contact Us | Seagate or perhaps Contact Us | Seagate if you are in the UK.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Dwarf said:

No, I meant an enclosure in which you can install your own HDD. You will need to get one that is suitable for your HDD (2.5" or 3.5") and with a suitable interface to suit the drive (IDE/PATA or SATA).

If you have room inside your system, it might be worth seeing if you can access it by connecting it up internally.

Click to expand...

Hi all ,

I got my pc working fine ( though it still sounds bad )

what i dont understand about this is, if it was the enclosure , ( my pc - not the external thats at fault ) why my external wont with my netbook ?

regards,

snoko

Hi snoko,

It's good to hear the pc is up and running - great work! I didn't realize there was a problem with the pc - just with the external hard drive (or do you mean it works with that drive installed in it)? Is this problem/question resolved? What do you mean by "it sounds bad"? Grinding noise, clicking noise, or what? And are you talking about the drive that was once external or a different drive in the pc?

Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand the last question in your most recent post. What won't your external do with the netbook? Actually, maybe I don't understand how the situation was resolved. Did you replace the external enclosure and it works with the pc but doesn't work with the netbook? If you moved the drive to the pc internally, don't you just have an empty external case with no drive in it and so so how does the netbook fit in? If it works in the new pc but didn't work anywhere else including the netbook when in the external case, then chances are good it was the case that was the problem (and that would mean you'd most likely have problems no matter what computer it was attached to). Can you please clarify what you mean?

Thanks!

Lorien said:

Hi snoko,

It's good to hear the pc is up and running - great work! I didn't realize there was a problem with the pc - just with the external hard drive (or do you mean it works with that drive installed in it)? Is this problem/question resolved? What do you mean by "it sounds bad"? Grinding noise, clicking noise, or what? And are you talking about the drive that was once external or a different drive in the pc?

Click to expand...

yes, i used a downloaded version of installation disc rather than offical so I just bought original as you recommended.

the pc makes grinding noise and fan whirling .

Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand the last question in your most recent post. What won't your external do with the netbook? Actually, maybe I don't understand how the situation was resolved. Did you replace the external enclosure and it works with the pc but doesn't work with the netbook? If you moved the drive to the pc internally, don't you just have an empty external case with no drive in it and so so how does the netbook fit in? If it works in the new pc but didn't work anywhere else including the netbook when in the external case, then chances are good it was the case that was the problem (and that would mean you'd most likely have problems no matter what computer it was attached to). Can you please clarify what you mean?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

No, i havent replaced enclosure yet from the hdd in my pc ( maybe its me thats confused )

I meant that if it was just the enclosure - as dwarf originally suggested - why that external drive doesnt work on another computer like my netbook instead ?

There is chance too i maybe had plugged as similar adapter in with the same volts as i have so many , and on recollection maybe an incident where i tried to force one into port of the ext till realising it was the wrong one .

I thought there wouldnt be any difference really in my ignorance and there isnt apart i.e. other than 1 amp between western digital and seagent , though perhaps thats enough ?

The single seagent charger that was working isnt now too - sigh

thanks

snoko

snoko said:

Lorien said:

Hi snoko,

It's good to hear the pc is up and running - great work! I didn't realize there was a problem with the pc - just with the external hard drive (or do you mean it works with that drive installed in it)? Is this problem/question resolved? What do you mean by "it sounds bad"? Grinding noise, clicking noise, or what? And are you talking about the drive that was once external or a different drive in the pc?

Click to expand...

yes, i used a downloaded version of installation disc rather than offical so I just bought original as you recommended.

the pc makes grinding noise and fan whirling.

Ah, so the pc issue really refers to another thread and I seem to recall that one - though I'm sorry I didn't remember it was yours (I work on a lot of different ones). I recall that issue now and I'm glad that you used an official copy and that it worked as I suggested it would. Please be VERY careful of downloading anything from file sharing and/or torrent sites (unless specifically instructed to do so by a professional as there are some rare cases where it is OK) because not only does what you get differ from the original and often not work as you want, but these sites are havens for malware and hackers who will take advantage of the situation to infect or hack into your computer and do untold damage or make changes you sincerely don't want. And sometimes the only solution is a clean install and even changing all your account numbers, usernames, and passwords everywhere since they may all be compromised.

The fan running isn't really too big an issue. If it is making a loud noise as well, the blades may be out of alignment or it may be a bit overworked. What is the temperature inside your system - I'm trying to see if there's a reason for the fan to be running so much and then we can track down the cause of the heat or the reason it is running if it isn't truly required. In the meantime, clear out the intake and exhaust vents and use canned air to blow out the dust from inside the casing to make sure it isn't being caused by restricted air flow.

The hard drive making a grinding noise usually isn't a good sign (but sometimes it's just natural - it depends on how bad it is and how often it occurs). We can run diagnostics on the hard drive to test it to see if there is an obvious problem. To test your hard drive, try HD Diagnostic (http://www.carrona.org/hddiag.html) or this test: Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp (http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287).

Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand the last question in your most recent post. What won't your external do with the netbook? Actually, maybe I don't understand how the situation was resolved. Did you replace the external enclosure and it works with the pc but doesn't work with the netbook? If you moved the drive to the pc internally, don't you just have an empty external case with no drive in it and so so how does the netbook fit in? If it works in the new pc but didn't work anywhere else including the netbook when in the external case, then chances are good it was the case that was the problem (and that would mean you'd most likely have problems no matter what computer it was attached to). Can you please clarify what you mean?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

No, i havent replaced enclosure yet from the hdd in my pc ( maybe its me thats confused )

I meant that if it was just the enclosure - as dwarf originally suggested - why that external drive doesnt work on another computer like my netbook instead ?

Some hardware is simply not compatible with other hardware or other types of computers (or it may be the BIOS or the connectors or the drivers or something else). I'm not sure, but suspect that one of those or perhaps something similar may be the reason. In any event, it does work in the desktop so we know the drive is functional and if you want to use it again as an external drive, then it would seem that the solution is to purchase another external hard drive enclosure that fits and is compatible and you should be good to go.

If it was the external enclosure, then the hard drive inside it would most likely have problems working with any computer to which the external drive and enclosure was attached.

There is chance too i maybe had plugged as similar adapter in with the same volts as i have so many , and on recollection maybe an incident where i tried to force one into port of the ext till realising it was the wrong one .

I have no way of determining if this is/was the cause; however, forcing things in a computer and using the wrong power adapter (with a different configuration and output characteristics) can cause problems and even damage (possible permanent damage). If a laptop, try it without the battery installed to see if that makes a difference. Testing for this is more than just the hard drive and probably requires a computer repair technician or a service call with the manufacturer (with a full explanation of what was done and as much information as possible about the "wrong" adapter that was used - possibly even including it so they can see for themselves).

I thought there wouldnt be any difference really in my ignorance and there isnt apart i.e. other than 1 amp between western digital and seagent , though perhaps thats enough ?

Amperage is only one factor - there are other differences in adapters. See my prior paragraph.

The single seagent charger that was working isnt now too - sigh

By "not working" do you mean it doesn't power the PC or just doesn't recharge the battery or doesn't show any lights or other indications of "life" at all? There are many reasons this could occur - another bad adapter, internal connection problems, battery problems, power supply problems, issues with the power strip or UPS into which the adapter is plugged (try plugging it directly into the wall socket as a test), the computer requesting more power or a different type of power for some reason than the adapter is designed to provide, and quite a few other reasons. This too is extremely hard to diagnose and if occurring in the same computer where you're having the power supply issues, they may be related. Again, unless you have parts to swap out to test (and even that may not be enough), then your best bet is a reputable computer repair shop (as two defective chargers suggests it is something other than the charger) or returning it to the manufacturer for service.

thanks

snoko

Click to expand...

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Lorien said:

snoko said:

Lorien said:

Hi snoko,

It's good to hear the pc is up and running - great work! I didn't realize there was a problem with the pc - just with the external hard drive (or do you mean it works with that drive installed in it)? Is this problem/question resolved? What do you mean by "it sounds bad"? Grinding noise, clicking noise, or what? And are you talking about the drive that was once external or a different drive in the pc?

Click to expand...

yes, i used a downloaded version of installation disc rather than offical so I just bought original as you recommended.

the pc makes grinding noise and fan whirling.

Ah, so the pc issue really refers to another thread and I seem to recall that one - though I'm sorry I didn't remember it was yours (I work on a lot of different ones). I recall that issue now and I'm glad that you used an official copy and that it worked as I suggested it would. Please be VERY careful of downloading anything from file sharing and/or torrent sites (unless specifically instructed to do so by a professional as there are some rare cases where it is OK) because not only does what you get differ from the original and often not work as you want, but these sites are havens for malware and hackers who will take advantage of the situation to infect or hack into your computer and do untold damage or make changes you sincerely don't want. And sometimes the only solution is a clean install and even changing all your account numbers, usernames, and passwords everywhere since they may all be compromised.

The fan running isn't really too big an issue. If it is making a loud noise as well, the blades may be out of alignment or it may be a bit overworked. What is the temperature inside your system - I'm trying to see if there's a reason for the fan to be running so much and then we can track down the cause of the heat or the reason it is running if it isn't truly required. In the meantime, clear out the intake and exhaust vents and use canned air to blow out the dust from inside the casing to make sure it isn't being caused by restricted air flow.

The hard drive making a grinding noise usually isn't a good sign (but sometimes it's just natural - it depends on how bad it is and how often it occurs). We can run diagnostics on the hard drive to test it to see if there is an obvious problem. To test your hard drive, try HD Diagnostic (http://www.carrona.org/hddiag.html) or this test: Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp (http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287).

Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand the last question in your most recent post. What won't your external do with the netbook? Actually, maybe I don't understand how the situation was resolved. Did you replace the external enclosure and it works with the pc but doesn't work with the netbook? If you moved the drive to the pc internally, don't you just have an empty external case with no drive in it and so so how does the netbook fit in? If it works in the new pc but didn't work anywhere else including the netbook when in the external case, then chances are good it was the case that was the problem (and that would mean you'd most likely have problems no matter what computer it was attached to). Can you please clarify what you mean?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

No, i havent replaced enclosure yet from the hdd in my pc ( maybe its me thats confused )

I meant that if it was just the enclosure - as dwarf originally suggested - why that external drive doesnt work on another computer like my netbook instead ?

Some hardware is simply not compatible with other hardware or other types of computers (or it may be the BIOS or the connectors or the drivers or something else). I'm not sure, but suspect that one of those or perhaps something similar may be the reason. In any event, it does work in the desktop so we know the drive is functional and if you want to use it again as an external drive, then it would seem that the solution is to purchase another external hard drive enclosure that fits and is compatible and you should be good to go.

If it was the external enclosure, then the hard drive inside it would most likely have problems working with any computer to which the external drive and enclosure was attached.

There is chance too i maybe had plugged as similar adapter in with the same volts as i have so many , and on recollection maybe an incident where i tried to force one into port of the ext till realising it was the wrong one .

I have no way of determining if this is/was the cause; however, forcing things in a computer and using the wrong power adapter (with a different configuration and output characteristics) can cause problems and even damage (possible permanent damage). If a laptop, try it without the battery installed to see if that makes a difference. Testing for this is more than just the hard drive and probably requires a computer repair technician or a service call with the manufacturer (with a full explanation of what was done and as much information as possible about the "wrong" adapter that was used - possibly even including it so they can see for themselves).

I thought there wouldnt be any difference really in my ignorance and there isnt apart i.e. other than 1 amp between western digital and seagent , though perhaps thats enough ?

Amperage is only one factor - there are other differences in adapters. See my prior paragraph.

The single seagent charger that was working isnt now too - sigh

By "not working" do you mean it doesn't power the PC or just doesn't recharge the battery or doesn't show any lights or other indications of "life" at all? There are many reasons this could occur - another bad adapter, internal connection problems, battery problems, power supply problems, issues with the power strip or UPS into which the adapter is plugged (try plugging it directly into the wall socket as a test), the computer requesting more power or a different type of power for some reason than the adapter is designed to provide, and quite a few other reasons. This too is extremely hard to diagnose and if occurring in the same computer where you're having the power supply issues, they may be related. Again, unless you have parts to swap out to test (and even that may not be enough), then your best bet is a reputable computer repair shop (as two defective chargers suggests it is something other than the charger) or returning it to the manufacturer for service.

thanks

snoko

Click to expand...

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

HI lorien ,

I think something got lost in translation here through my original description.

the pc itself ( even for those 4 wks i use " non -original "disc ) always had no issues with the extrnal hard drives i.e. the 2 Seagates I have , nor did the netbook which accepted them fine too.

When one of the seagates stopped working it wouldnt work in either the pc or netbook and light wouldnt come on. ( this was while i was using the non original disc id installed windows with )

But when i reinstalled offical version of windows the external drive, it still wouldnt work either.

Now Im confused how changing the enclosure of the hardrive in my pc is going to allow me to access the data i have ( i hope ) on the seagate , as the fact that seagate worked before on my netbook as well suggest to me its the seagate thats not working , or one big concidence that it stopped working on my netbook at the very same time it stopped on my pc.

I havent added or changed the hard drive of the pc at all , though its true i did want too . this has nothing to do with why my seagate isnt working ( at least as far as I know )

hope that makes sense bit better

snoko

I think the idea is to insert the seagate drive into the desktop PC (changing the enclosure in the desktop casing IF REQUIRED to accommodate the seagate drive) and see if you can access the data that way. There's no intention for you to change the enclosure of the existing drive in the desktop PC (you're right, that would do nothing). The other idea was to change the external drive enclosure and put the seagate drive into the the new enclosure to see if the problem was the enclosure and not the drive (but testing it first in the computer would verify it works and increase the chances that buying a new enclosure will solve external problem).

The issue with the wrong disk and the problem with the external drive are two different issues and I do not believe they are related. Let's forget that disk problem here in this thread (unless you think they are related - and if so, please explain how as I don't see the connection).

Does this make more sense and am I understanding you correctly now, or are we still on different pages?

Thanks!