[Solved] WD external hard drive problem

The pictures & videos were collected & saved over some ten years & only kept on the WD drive, no where else.
So if I cannot recover them they are sadly lost forever.

 

Since the files aren't overwritten, most of it should be recoverable.

First, you have to create a drive letter for the unallocated space. Go into disk management, right click on the unallocated space, and choose "new simple volume". Choose whatever drive letter that shows as available, but do not format the drive. Make sure there is a dot on "Do not format this drive", then click ok. Once that is done, post the disk management screenshot just as you did before.

 

Right clicking it just takes me to a general disc management help page rather than option you mentioned?

 

I hope that's not because that drive is password protected. Restart the computer and try it again. Be sure you're right clicking on it and a menu should appear.

 

Strange thing that I did not mention...……..the section that was described as " unallocated" in the image I gave you is now described as " Windows RE tools healthy OEM partition " . Despite restarting right click gives no options. Everything else listed there does however?

Must get to bed now. Thanks for helping.Speak tomorrow I hope.

 

In the morning post another screenshot of disk management.

 

Good morning Seth. Here is the DM box as it is now...…………..

 

Good morning.

Your screen shot has 2 sections. The top section shows the drives using lines, and the bottom section shows the drives in boxed windows. In the last shot you posted, there are more drives in the boxed section that I need to see. Go back to disk management, and use the scroll line to the right of the "boxed" drives and scroll down to see the other drives. You can also expand that boxed section by clicking on the horizontal line that separates the top and bottom section, hold the left mouse key down, and "drag" that line up to expand the bottom section. Now post that screenshot.

 

Here is the expanded bottom section & the " unallocated " part can now be right clicked...…….might be good news?

 

Ok good.

Right click on the unallocated space, and choose "new simple volume". Choose whatever drive letter that shows as available, but do not format the drive. Make sure there is a dot on "Do not format this drive", then click ok. Once that is done, post the disk management screenshot just as you did. If that goes well, we'll get you to run a recovery program.

 

Did as you said. Selected drive G. Made sure " do not format ". Clicked next...……...message read " You need to format drive G to use it " ??

 

Then get this message

 

.

 

I got that last message right at the end, having selected simple volume, G , no format, next, format needed message, cancel

 

Ok well you'll have to quick format it then, as the recovery program you're going to use won't be able to recover from that drive. A quick format won't erase your files. All it does it create a new "address table" for the drive. When that address table is written, the recovery program will be able to see and recover from that drive.

Go ahead and try that process again, but this time format it and be sure there is a dot on "Quick Format". Following that, post one last screenshot of the drive.

 

Right clicking it no longer gives option for new simple volume?
What was " unattached " is now showing as G ?
Screen shot

 

That's ok. You'll still need to write an address table to it (quick format).

Close disk management and go into file explorer (the yellow folder at the bottom of the screen). Click on "This PC" and you'll see the g drive. Double left click on the drive and you'll get a message to format it. Format it and be sure there is a dot on "Quick Format". Following that, post one last screenshot of the drive.

 

"You'll still need to write an address table to it (quick format)."
Is this something I need to do first, now? If so what do I do?
Even with quick format ticked it is still warning me that all data will be removed...…….. do I proceed??

 

A quick format won't erase your files. All it does it create a new "address table" for the drive. When that address table is written, the recovery program will be able to see and recover from that drive.

 

So I proceed as in message 37, yes ?