External Drive Troubleshooting Steps

 WINDOWS

Check the Power Cable

• Check the power cables are well seated in the external drive (applies  only to 3.5” external drives), and also the AC socket you are connected to.
• Do no have the drive connected through a USB hub.. ensure it is connected directly to the PC or laptop. Similarly make sure the adapter is connected directly to an AC outlet, and not via an extention cord.
• If this is a 2.5” external drive, ensure the Y-cable is connected securely to the drive, and if necessary use both USB connectors . This will provide extra power. If you are connecting to a PC, use the USB ports at the back of the PC, and not any ports at the front. Again, do not connect via a USB hub, connect the drive directly.

Check the Data Cable

• If you are connecting to a PC (ie not a laptop) then ensure you are connecting to the USB ports at the back of the system, and not any at the front.
• Do not connect via a USB hub
• If this is a 2.5” product try using both USB connectors on the Y cable
• Try using a different USB port.

Check Disk Management
Even though you cannot see the drive on your desktop or in My Computer, we should check to see if the drive is recognised in Disk Management.
Right click on My Computer, and select Manage.
From the Computer Management window select Disk Management from the menu on the left.
In Disk Management check if you can see the drive.  If you can look at the partition on the drive then as new it will be labelled as FAT32, and should have a drive letter. It should also show the capacity of the drive, and be labelled Healthy.
If the drive does not say Healthy, or shows the file format as RAW, then the partition has become corrupt. It could also be corrupt if the bar above the drive is black and shows as Unallocated.
In this instance right click on the drive and select Delete partition. We can then right click on the drive again and select create partition. Follow the Wizard to create a Primary partition.
NB the drive will now have an NTFS partition on it, which whilst fine with Windows, will be unusable on a Mac. If you intend to use the drive with both a Windows PC and a Mac, then follow the link below to obtain a FAT32 formatting tool.
http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?fat32format.htm

Check the drives status in Device manager :
Right click on My Computer, and select Manage.
From the Computer Management window select Device Manager  from the list on the left.
From the device list, expand the entry called Disk Drives. If the drive is detected by the system,
then there will be an entry here for your external drive.
If it is not listed under disk drives, expand the Other Devices entry and check if there is an entry for an Unknown Device.
Right click the Unknown Device and select Properties.
Under the General tab, it will probably state ‘This device is not working properly’ followed by either Code 28 or Code 10.
Code 10 would suggest a potential power supply issue (3.5” external drives”). If you have a second external drive with an equivalent power supply then you may try the second power supply.
If you do not have the option to try a different power supply, verify the problem by connecting to a different USB port, or if possible by connecting to a second PC.
If you still receive the same error code, then we would suggest creating an RMA and returning the drive under Warranty.
Code 28 would suggest a driver error.
Right click on the ‘drive’ entry in Device Manager and select Uninstall.
Remove the external drive, reboot the computer and reconnect.
If you receive the same error, do you have the opportunity to connect it to a second PC ?
If the drive fails on the second PC with the same error, then we would suggest raising an RMA and returning the drive under Warranty.

MAC
Check the power cable

• Check the power cables are well seated in the external drive (applies  only to 3.5” external drives), and also the AC socket you are connected to.
• Do no have the drive connected through a USB hub.. ensure it is connected directly to the PC or laptop. Similarly make sure the adapter is connected directly to an AC outlet, and not via an extention cord.
• If this is a 2.5” external drive, ensure the Y-cable is connected securely to the drive, and if necessary use both USB connectors . This will provide extra power. If you are connecting to a PC, use the USB ports at the back of the PC, and not any ports at the front. Again, do not connect via a USB hub, connect the drive directly.

Check the data cable

• If you are connecting to a PC (ie not a laptop) then ensure you are connecting to the USB ports at the back of the system, and not any at the front.
• Do not connect via a USB hub
• If this is a 2.5” product try using both USB connectors on the Y cable
• Try using a different USB port.

Check the Drive Partion using Disk Utilities

On a Mac PC the Disk Utility is used to verify that the drive is recognised by the system. Hitachi external drives (exc G-Technology products) are preformatted in FAT32 so that they can be used on both Windows and Mac PCs.
Click Go on the top menu bar, then choose Utilities, and Disk Utility.
If the drive had not appeared on the desktop, or if Disk Utility is showing  that the drive is formatted in a file system that is not recognised, then you can reinitialise the drive from within Disk Utility to a format that  the Mac will recognise.
Check System Profiler
The Mac System Profiler will show you whether the external drive is physically detected by the Mac.
Click on the blue Apple Menu in the top left corner of your desktop.
Select ‘About this Mac’ or ‘More Info’
When the System Profiler opens, click on ‘USB’
If your external drive is not listed, as a final step are you able to connect the external drive to a second Mac machine? If the problem follows the drive to the second Mac Pc, then the device may be faulty and you should request an RMA to return the drive under Warranty.

My Hitachi product is broken. How can I get a replacement or request an RMA?

A: To check the warranty status of your drive, and if necessary create an RMA, please visit the Warranty section of our website.

Where can I find information on RoHS compliance and Hitachi GST drives?

A: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies provides a web site specifically for RoHS/WEEE information:
RoHS/WEEE If you have further questions regarding RoHS/WEEE, please contact our Corporate Environmental Programs personnel at eppc@hitachigst.com.

How do I make an exact copy my old hard drive and put in on the new hard drive?

A: There are several alternatives available depending on your hardware platform and operating environment.
PCs
Symantec Norton Ghost
Acronis True Image
Miray HDClone Many laptops only have one internal drive bay. One solution is to mount the drive into an external enclosure and clone the drive. Apricorn and CMS both offer reasonably priced packages.

The advantage of using an external enclosure is that you can use your original drive as additional storage once the cloning process is complete.
Mac
The most popular software is Carbon Copy Cloner by Mike Bombich:
Carbon Copy Cloner

My drive became locked with a password or I forgot my hard drive password. How do I gain access to my data?

A: Unfortunately, there is no way to bypass the security password feature of Hitachi hard disk drives. If the password is not known or has been misplaced, Hitachi will not be able to assist in gaining access to the data on the drive.

Where do I find drivers for my Hitachi drive?

A: All operating systems (OS) have hard disk drivers built into the OS by default. No additional drivers are required for the drive itself.

If you are being asked for drivers by the installation software or your drive is not detected during the OS installation, you may need to download the most current version of your controller or motherboard drivers. To obtain the most current version of your controller or motherboard drivers, please contact the manufacturer of your controller or motherboard or visit their web site for more information.

Is it possible to obtain a firmware upgrade for my hard drive?

A: Generally, firmware updates are provided only when a firmware update is required to resolve a specific issue. If your hard drive is working normally, there is no need to upgrade the firmware.
If you feel a firmware update is necessary or you have a question about firmware,
In order for us to determine whether a firmware upgrade will be beneficial, please be prepared to provide a complete description of your system configuration, along with a detailed account of the problems you are experiencing. We will need the serial number(s) and part number(s) of the hard drive(s) in question and the current firmware level.
To obtain drive and firmware level information by using Hitachi’s Drive Fitness Test:

1. Click on the Utilities menu and select Drive Info
   
2. Scroll down until the firmware level (“Microcode level”) is displayed.
   

For more specifics about operating DFT, consult the Drive Fitness Test User's Guide.

How do I partition and format my new drive?

A: Depending on the operating system being used, there could be multiple steps involved in partitioning and formatting a drive.
For more information, please see our Partitioning and Formatting Reference Guide.

Where can I purchase Hitachi Global Storage Technologies hard disk drives?

A: You can find purchasing information and sales links in the Where to Buy section of our web site.

How can I test my drive to see if it is defective?

A: If you are experiencing problems with your drive or would just like to test the drive’s integrity, download and run the Hitachi Drive Fitness Test.

If possible, we recommend that you backup any important data before running the test. Run the quick test first. If you are experiencing problems, but receive the result 0x00 try running the Advanced Test option. When you have completed the test, please contact the Support Center with the results and our agents will be able to assist you on resolving the problem.

Recover and Reset Password in Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2K/NT

Method 1: Take a rest, and try hard to remember the forgotten password

Sometimes, human beings are a bit “strange. You will not get the thing you need for urgency. Thus, a cafe, take a glance or even return after a few days, you may find that suddenly “remember” your Windows password.

Method 2: Try Blank Password Administrator Login Backdoor

In Windows XP (not Windows Vista as Administrator account is not enabled by default), is built in Administrator user account that has administrative rights, enabled by default, and no word password to protect access of the account was. If you have not changed the administrator password, and then try to connect to Windows XP without a password.

Method 3: Reset password from another user account with administrator credentials

If you can not connect to Windows using a special user account, but you can access another account that has administrative credentials, follow these steps on how to do the trick:

1. Log on to Windows by using another administrator account that has a password that you remember. You may need to start Windows in the safe mode.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type “control userpasswords2″, and then click OK.
4. Click the user account that you forgot the password for, and then click Reset Password.
5. Type a new password in both the New password and the Confirm new password boxes, and then click OK.

Method 4: Windows Password Recovery Tool 3.0

1. Download and burn the ISO file on to a CD or USB flash drive
2. Boot from the CD or USB flash drive
   

   NOTE:
   To reboot your PC with a CD/DVD disk, it’s necessary to change your computer’s setting to make it boot from the CD/DVD.

3. When the CD/DVD or USB disk boots, you’ll see Windows Password Recovery Tool 3.0 is initializing .
4. Select Windows installation to be processed
5. Select the user name whose password you want to reset and click “Reset” button to reset the password.
6. A message is displayed. Click “Yes” to confirm your action. Or, click “No” to undo your selection.
7. “Success” message is displayed after the user’s password has been successfully reset.
8. You have changed your forgotten password to a blank one. Remove the Windows Password Recovery Tool 3.0 bootable CD/DVD or USB Flash Drive and click “Reboot” button to reboot the computer. Now you are able to log into your computer without a password! .
9. Remove the CD or USB flash drive and reboot the computer.

Method 5: Windows Password Key 8.0

1. Download and burn the ISO file on to a CD or USB flash drive
2. Boot from the CD or USB flash drive
   

   
   

3. When the CD/DVD or USB disk boots, you’ll see Windows Password key 8.0 is initializing .
   
4. Chose Windows installation to be processed
   
5. Look the user name whose password you want to reset and type its number to reset the password.
   
6. A message is display. Type “Y” to confirm your action. Or, type “N” to undo your selection.
   
7. “Success” message is displayed after the user’s password has been successfully reset. You have changed your forgotten password to a blank one. Remove the Windows Password key 8.0 bootable CD/DVD or USB Flash Drive and click “Reboot” button to reboot the computer. Now you are able to log into your computer without a password! .
   
8. Remove the CD or USB flash drive and reboot the computer

Method 6: Windows Password Recovery 6.0

Mac Data Recovery After Time Machine Backup Media Failure

Image by Guillermo Esteves via Flickr

Backup is the best possible way to prevent data loss. For this purpose, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard provide inbuilt backup utility- Time Machine. It works with Time Capsule and various external USB (Universal Serial Bus) hard drives. The utility enables you to create incremental backup of the files, which you can restore later. This backup tool enables you to restore entire system, several files, or even single file. If data loss occurs, you can restore all your critical data and prevent need of Mac Data Recovery solutions through third-party applications.

Time Machine is a complete backup tool, which has a great set of features. Some of the most common features of this backup utility are as given below:

1) Do not need regular attention- The tool works with Mac computer and external hard drive. You need to just connect your external drive and assign the drive to Time Machine. It automatically creates backup of entire system, including applications, accounts, system files, photos, movies, music, preferences, and documents.

2) Takes you back in time- If you have deleted your critical files from hard drive, just enter your Time Machine browser and you can see how your system looked on the date that you are browsing. With this feature, you can easily Recover Mac Data from Time Machine backup

3) Backs up every hour- Following initial backup of entire system, the tool automatically creates incremental backup every hour, copying the data that has modified since last backup. The backup process is preformed in background, so that you can work while Time Machine creates backup.

4) Easy Migration- While setting up new Macintosh system with old data, Time Machine helps you to simplify the process. You can use Migration Assistant for copying backup data to new machine, or use 'Restore System from Time Machine' option in Utilities menu on Mac OS X installation disc.

Time Machine safeguards your valuable data in every situation, but what if the backup media fails? In such cases, you can not restore data from backup and come across critical data loss situations. At this point, you are required to opt for Mac Recovery solutions to get your lost data back.

Data Recovery Mac is possible through third-party Mac File Recovery Software. The applications are specifically designed to thoroughly scan the damaged media and retrieve lost data from it. With read-only conduct and rich graphical user interface, the applications are quite safe and easy to use.

Stellar Phoenix Macintosh Data Recovery is the best ever made and the most advanced tool for assured recovery of lost Mac data. It recovers data from HFS, HFS+, HFSX, HFS Wrapper, and FAT file system volumes. The software is designed for Mac OS X 10.6, 10.5, 10.4, and 10.3.9.

Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Mac-Data-Recovery-After-Time-Machine-Backup