Dropped external HD

Yeah, I'm an idiot. But on my defense: who was the genius that thought that vertical-external HD were a good idea? So I dropped it, while reading.
Now I do have access to the files, I can recover them, but when I write on it, it fails after 400 Mb or so. Then, windows cannot write or read on it.
I wonder, after recovering my data, is there a way to format it, so I can use it? May be those disk repair software?
Thanks for the help.

 

If you go to my computer, right click on the ext hard drive, click on properties, go to the tools tab, the first option should be error checking.

 

If you're desperate for the data - I believe there are specialised companies that recover your data. (May be very expensive though - a few thousand a few years ago)

How did you drop a standing HDD? My 2 HDDs are standing - nice an save...

 

The data is not the point (I think I can get it). I wonder if the drive will work again.
Thanks.

 

Download and Run "Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostics".

If it comes up with errors, time to recover the data, and clean the whole disk with Eraser, before dumping it or sending it for service.

 

So is the general opinion that the HD is ruined, no way to recover some of it?

 

If you can back the data up, then what's to recover?

Do you mean to recover part of the disk so that it can be used? You can always try to partition the disk up so that it won't use some of the disk (that's damaged) if that's what you want.

But there is absolutley no way to say right now, you have to try first!

 

My advice

Get the data off NOW!!! before doing any attempt at repairing the drive. If the repair goes wrong there is a high chance it will kill the drive in the process.

Once all the data is off the drive run the tools on it to test it.

 

Yup - exactly. I wish I had followed this advice when I dropped my external. Fortunately anything of any real importance was already backed up.

 

Yeah, that's the plan. I'm recovering the data as we speak. I wonder if I'll be able to use the disk again though. And if new data (after partition and format) will be safe on it. Any idea of software or processes that I could use to make this happen (make the disk work fine again)?

 

I'd get this program:

http://www.hdtune.com/

There are 2 versions- however you can run the pro mode in trial mode for 15 days. There is a error scanning feature on it (as well as a lot of other great tools)

I made the mistake of dropping an internal HD that had failed- I was on my way over to a friends house who had a way to pull all the data off of it (there were a LOT of pictures of my daughters first year) and well- long story short- I had the whine and click of death. I now (by orders of my wife) have to ship it off to have the armatures replaced and the data recovered (which includes cracking open the HD and accessing the arms and platters- which has to be done in a clean room) By the way- a lesson learned- I now back everything up once a month. Because being lazy cost me almost $800 (for the recovery)

 

Thanks a lot Dallasin. Did you used HD tune to do some repairing also?

 

I did not- because of the issue I had I couldn't even get the OS to load up. It would hang up just after the Vista loading screen (the one with the little bar at the bottom that moves as if it's loading).

As of right now- I just use HD tune to benchmark my current HD.