Other External products

[tom_moore]

Problem: Drive description has changed and/or when trying to access the drive Windows gives an error code

or message the drive is corrupted

Other Symptoms: Windows will not run an “Error Check” (Scan Disk) or any other diagnostic on the problem

drive. SeaTools will not run all tests or will “Pass” the problem drive on the tests it will run. Reloading the drive

software will abort or cannot reach the problem drive.

Possible Soluction: This worked for my One Touch 4 USB drive on my Windows XP Professional, Service

Pack 3 system when I had the problems outlined above. It is important to note that I NEVER

PASSWORD PROTECTED OR LOCKED this drive using that software option!

Disconnect ALL USB devices, EXCEPT the problem drive>Cold boot your system & bring Windows up in

SAFE MODE > go to>My Computer>Right Click Drive>Properties>Tools>Error-checking>Hit the

Error-checking Button & a box will come up>Check The Options For: “Automatically fix file system errors”

and “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors” >Hit the Start Button>If Scan doesnt start immediately,

then RESTART (warm boot system)>When system comes up Scan should start before loading Windows>

Windows will now rebuild the Directory structure of the problem disk>After the Scan completes windows

should come up in Normal mode

 

Remmember, you have to be in SAFE MODE! In NORMAL MODE Windows loads all its TSR's and Drivers and

you just can't get to the drive. Since all Independant Software Utility Programs need these drivers, they are useless. 

I stumbled on this method after 2 days of research, frustrating every other option & 2 minutes before re-formatting my

disk & wiping all my data. Windows took 30 minutes to reconstruct my 500gig One Touch 4 & return it to normal.

But I didn’t loose one bite of data & the disk is like new. I hope this works for you!!! GOOD LUCK

Tom Moore

[AlanM · Accepted solution]

Thank you!

[MrButkus]

If your external drive gives you a drive letter, but says it's corrupt

START - RUN - type in    cmd   In the box type

chkdsk_G:_/f_/r   (don't type in the underscores, just to show spaces)

Replace the G: with your drive letter.  This will take 5 hours and fix it.

Rarely,  the box will come up with "some sectors still have errors"

Do it again and that should fix it.   It is POSSIBLE to lose data from bad sectors on the HD

I found out my Firewire to my OT4 was bad after it getting "corrupt" for the third time. 

Not sure if it was my added on PCI card or the Maxor connection and my Vista.

I changed to USB and 3 months with no problem.

[tom_moore]

Thank you for your reply to my post. I fully agree with your comments. It is better to release the hounds

of knowledge, than getting a bite in the rear from the hounds of fear……lol. The only thing more frightening

than the BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH is the DRIVE IS CORRUPTED error message. Your advice to back up

data to more than one drive is prudent. BitDefender Security Systems estimates 43 percent of all computer

users suffer a total loss of irreplaceable data every year. Storage has never been more affordable, which

puts the imperative of a second drive within reach of most serious users. I would add one caution though,

the market is LOADED with large capacity drives at tempting prices, since you only get what you pay for,

you must ask yourself how much is the security of your data worth. For most users this question is a “no

brainer”. I would advise readers before buying any drive to remember the old adage; Better far to do one

thing pre-eminently well, than to dabble in forty, then spend a few dollars more & buy a drive manufactured

by a company that specializes in media storage with a prooven track record of reliability & customer support.

I would like to clarify one thing I neglected to say in the solution I posted to the forum on 01-02-10 regarding

the problem I had with my One Touch 4 (500gig)drive. I DO NOT attribute the problem I had to the drive.

At the time I bought the drive I was using Norton 360 Security Suite & used it for storing Norton Backup

(Ghost) files. When I changed security software I used Norton’s online uninstall facility to remove the

complete Norton 360 Security Suite from my system. The OneTouch 4 WAS attatched to the computer

during the uninstall process. Later I found a Norton folder left on the OneTouch 4 & manually deleted it.

In hind site probably a foolish move & my best guess is Norton locked the drive on its way to the RecycleBin.

This seems a logical security safeguard on Norton’s part. I wanted to make the details clear so forum

members wouldn’t assume a hardware failure. For over 20 years in countless computer builds I have used

Seagate internal drives exclusively. In the age of the laptop I have come to rely on the Maxtor One Touch

series. I have never experienced a hardware failure with a Seagate or Maxtor drive. This is my personal

experience. Since our shared objective is the reliable storage of our data, I wanted to clarify this point.

Thank you,Tom Moore