Data Recovery Services . . . just in case

[HardenedSoul]

Does anyone know of a competent data recovery specialist in Bangkok?

I ask because one of my 3 TB WD My Book Essentials external hard drives has gone on the blink.

It's not recognised in Windows 7 and while it does appear in the Disk Management list, I'm told the disk space is "unallocated" and I get a prompt suggesting that I initialize the disk.

No thanks - I'm not kissing goodbye to 2 TB of premium British and American TV shows under any circumstances

I removed the disk from the Western Digital enclosure, bolted it into a 3rd party enclosure and tried EaseUS data recovery - full version - but although it recovered the near 2 TB of data, it's in a format I don't recognise.

Anyway, after much research as to why this would be the case, it transpires that Western Digital have taken it upon themselves to install a form of hardware decryption in the "Essentials" and "My Studio" line of external hard drives. If you remove the drive from the enclosure and connect it directly to your PC, you can't access the data. It turns out that the encryption is done by a chip on the USB-SATA bridge which - as it says - facilitates information on the drive to be read via convenient USB.

If, as in my case, this USB-SATA bridge is faulty - it is because it's got scorch marks on it as if it's overheated - the data is unreadable.

It goes without saying that Western Digital will not sell you a replacement part but other folks like these guys will

I'm going to order the offending part but just in case the fix doesn't work, does anyone know of a decent data recovery specialist in Bangers?

Sorry to bang on but you just know there'd have been two pages of well-meaning but unnecessary suggestions urging me to try this and try that so i thought I'd just say what I'd done so you guys could cut to the chase

[NeverSure]

This is a long shot, but does the drive have jumpers on it? If it does, is it set to "slave?" If not, try that. It may take a few seconds for the drive to be recognized if that works. Next, try every setting except "master." Hook it directly to a desktop if you can. If possible, plug it into one of the sockets from the north bridge.

[BB1950]

Data recovery services are very expensive!

On the external hard drive that you have which is 3TB, Is that a single partition formatted at 3TB or is it more than one partition?

Due to the limitations of Windows MBR the maximum disk size is 2TB. 64 bit versions of Windows can use the larger disk native even with 512 byte sectors by using GPT. Disks exceeding 2TB must use GPT which extends the limit significantly, A 32 bit version of windows generally will only see the protective MBR on a GPT disk. Windows XP has no support for GPT.

WD uses larger sectors as one way to solve the problem. Or course, that being said, some external drive manufacturers combine a GPT loader in with their drives which will allow 32 bit I/O on a drive greater than 2TB.

Information on Windows Disk support can be found here.

This is plain rediculous as SATA drives do not use master/slave configurations as there is a data cable for each drive, it was only for the IDE interface:

This is a long shot, but does the drive have jumpers on it? If it does, is it set to "slave?" If not, try that. It may take a few seconds for the drive to be recognized if that works. Next, try every setting except "master." Hook it directly to a desktop if you can. If possible, plug it into one of the sockets from the north bridge.

One thing is for certain about hard drives: They will fail eventually, so always have a backup of critical data!

Edited February 3, 2014 by BB1950

[steve187]

harddrives are getting too big and too unreliable, i have just had a 2tb replaced under warranty and have a 1.5tb and 3 x 1tb drives being used as door stops. as stated above some computers will not recognize drives bigger than 2tb

Edited February 3, 2014 by steve187

[JesseFrank]

If you're sure that the chip is the problem, why not buy a new essentials and swap the disks so you can copy over the data ?

[stormnight]

Not sure if we can post links to a company, so i have sent you a private message.

If you are relative good with computers, you can download an Ubuntu live DVD/CD, it might be able to access the disk.

[p_brownstone]

I have used a shop in Panthip Plaza for Data Recovery and they did a great job.

Top floor - where the big IT Store is (forget the name) - don't go into the store, turn left down a corridor, about 50 meters on the left is a double-fronted shop with yellow signs (again - sorry I forget the name). They speak quite good English and will only charge you if they are able to recover Data.

Patrick

[keeniau96]

Not in Bangkok but here in Phuket, only one in Thailand that is truly world class with clean box if disassembly is required (usually not). Know them well, PM me if you want contact.

[fstarbkk]

http://www.phuket-data-wizards.com/

Saved my company from a major potential fiasco. Very professional and methodical. Charges were reasonable IMO.

Ask for Gregory.

[HardenedSoul]

If you're sure that the chip is the problem, why not buy a new essentials and swap the disks so you can copy over the data ?

Because I don't want to spend 5,000 baht on a new essentials when I can buy the chip from the link in the OP for $40. Moreover, I'm loathe to give Western Digital any more of my hard-earned money. If the chip works, I'll try Seagate going forward.

harddrives are getting too big and too unreliable, i have just had a 2tb replaced under warranty and have a 1.5tb and 3 x 1tb drives being used as door stops. as stated above some computers will not recognize drives bigger than 2tb

My 64-bit Windows 7 OS recognises 3 TB just fine.

Thanks for the suggestions and PMs, gents. Much appreciated.

[NeverSure]

This is plain rediculous as SATA drives do not use master/slave configurations as there is a data cable for each drive, it was only for the IDE interface:

This is a long shot, but does the drive have jumpers on it? If it does, is it set to "slave?" If not, try that. It may take a few seconds for the drive to be recognized if that works. Next, try every setting except "master." Hook it directly to a desktop if you can. If possible, plug it into one of the sockets from the north bridge.

One thing is for certain about hard drives: They will fail eventually, so always have a backup of critical data!

Sorry, my bad. Brain fart. Some newer sata drives have jumpers but only to force them to run slower ie SATA speeds have changed from 1.5 to 3.0 to 6 Gigabits per second and it might be necessary to change a jumper to get a new drive to run in a 1.5 socket. But that's off topic.

Sorry again.

Considering the burning, I would buy an identical external HDD and swap the drives and see if it would work. He's going to need a new external anyway.

Edited February 3, 2014 by NeverSure

[rakman]

Just my $0.02, but you're toast, well at least the data is. With the encryption chip, the data can only be decrypted by the chip. I suspect in the factory the encryption keys are installed in the chip. So getting a new chip won't work, unless it has the same keys. And I expect they're using AES-256 bit encryption or possibly AES-256 double encryption.

That's why the drive could be "salvaged" but the data is encrypted.

Break out your Beowulf super computer, with a million nodes and it might only take a few years to get your TV shows back.

You might have a nice drive to use once its reformatted.

[SoFarAndNear]

This is a long shot, but does the drive have jumpers on it? If it does, is it set to "slave?" If not, try that. It may take a few seconds for the drive to be recognized if that works. Next, try every setting except "master." Hook it directly to a desktop if you can. If possible, plug it into one of the sockets from the north bridge.

Sorry, but I had to laugh when I read this.

3TB IDE hard drive

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[HardenedSoul]

Just my $0.02, but you're toast, well at least the data is. With the encryption chip, the data can only be decrypted by the chip. I suspect in the factory the encryption keys are installed in the chip. So getting a new chip won't work, unless it has the same keys. And I expect they're using AES-256 bit encryption or possibly AES-256 double encryption.

That's why the drive could be "salvaged" but the data is encrypted.

Break out your Beowulf super computer, with a million nodes and it might only take a few years to get your TV shows back.

You might have a nice drive to use once its reformatted.

Your $0.02 was way overpriced

It turns out that the replacement USB-SATA bridge DID work and I'm delighted to report that 2.02 TB of the finest US/UK TV shows are being recovered - with no loss whatsoever - to a brand new 4 TB hard drive.

Total cost of recovery . . . $59 and 20 minutes on youtube.

. . . and not a Beowulf super computer in sight.

Anyway, if anyone has a similar problem with a WD hard drive in the future, it's worth looking these guys up http://parts.com.hk/1/ before enlisting data recovery professionals

They're in Hong Kong. Parts are mailed straight to your door - no duty

[KittenKong]

If nothing else this will certainly convince me to never buy a WD external drive. Glad you got it sorted.