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Thread ID: 130351	2013-04-06 21:58:00	External Drive Query?	B.M. (505)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1335707	2013-04-06 21:58:00	I have this USB 500GB Seagate external HDD here belonging to a friend of a friend that I’ve been asked to recover files from . Well my computer can’t even see the drive, but an Easeus Data Recovery programme can see the drive, but nothing on it . Now I’m wondering if the drive may be Apple formatted and I know nothing about Apple . I’m also wondering if plugging an Apple drive into a Windows system could cause problems? I don’t have anything Apple to plug it into so how can I tell what format this drive is in and if it is readable . Is there a Windows programme that can view Apple HDD’s? I should make it clear that I am only guessing it may be an Apple drive as I seem to recall the owner breaking a couple laptops and her parents buying her an Apple . So I guess the question is what is the protocol when one finds oneself in this situation? :thanks	B.M. (505)
1335708	2013-04-06 22:01:00	You want something like www.catacombae.org	nedkelly (9059)
1335709	2013-04-06 23:12:00	Yup it's probably been formatted as HFS+ (Apple's file system) You can read off it by installing the bootcamp driver, although that can a bit hit and miss. I never got it working on my laptop. Tried again later and it worked fine :p Nedkelly's utility is good, but I have found that it's not very good at dealing with I/O or other errors. Use it to have a look around the drive but if it keeps encountering errors try install the HFS driver from bootcamp and using a decent rovery method. HFS Bootcamp drivers - forums.macrumors.com	The Error Guy (14052)
1335710	2013-04-07 00:17:00	You may need HFS+ for Windows then from Paragon, but its not free. I might have a key somewhere that I bought.	nedkelly (9059)
1335711	2013-04-07 01:27:00	Might add, the paid paragon software nedkelly refers to allows read AND write access, the catacoombe software and the apple HFS bootcamp driver are both read only.	The Error Guy (14052)
1335712	2013-04-07 04:44:00	Thanks guys, I'll let you know how I get on. :thumbs:	B.M. (505)
1335713	2013-04-08 22:15:00	No luck guys . No matter what I try the drives aren’t noticed by any of my PC’s I plug them into . You might as well just plug in the USB cord on its own . The drives green light lights, and I can hear the drives spinning, but that’s it . I guess if the computer can’t even see the drive one won’t be able to read what’s on it no matter what programme you use . I should add I have no problems with my own External Drives which by coincidence are the same brand . Anyway, I’ve given the drives back and suggested she gets the IT man at the school where she works to take a look as they run Apple . If I hear any more I’ll report back, but thanks anyway . :thumbs:	B.M. (505)
1335714	2013-04-09 00:51:00	With those USB enclosures, where possible I connect directly via SATA. Of course with the damn WD Mybook's you can't (Hardware encryption) and some drives are too hard/impossible to get into without the cases, but I can I'll use SATA. Eliminates a few passthrough problems with the USB/SATA interface.	The Error Guy (14052)
1335715	2013-04-09 05:46:00	With those USB enclosures, where possible I connect directly via SATA. Of course with the damn WD Mybook's you can't (Hardware encryption) and some drives are too hard/impossible to get into without the cases, but I can I'll use SATA. Eliminates a few passthrough problems with the USB/SATA interface. Yes, I have done that on a couple of occasions with success, but they were both NTFS drives. It seems the USB/SATA interface can fail and it’s not the drive at all. In this case I chickened out because of the "Apple" aspect and the fact that I was constantly reminded that all the owners University Assignments and Photos were on it and she hadn’t backed anything up. :rolleyes: I think I may have offended the messenger by saying it probably didn’t matter because if the owner hadn’t backed anything up she was too stupid to go to University anyway. :( However, problem now belong elsewhere, although I don’t like giving in. :D	B.M. (505)
1335716	2013-04-14 09:10:00	Well, wouldn’t you f’n know it, the cat came back so to speak. :rolleyes: Yes, this delinquent HDD has arrived back on my desk. The IT guy at the school had a go at it and declared it stuffed. He had managed to get into the case, but had broken all the holding tabs doing so and stuck it all back together with cellotape. That’s ok, they are shits of things to get into. Anyway, I plugged it back into my computer and nothing, as before. So I took it out of its case and hooked it up direct to a SATA connection. Nothing, no sign of recognition under Windows. I then ran that Catacombae HTFs that nedkelly alerted me to :thumbs: and blow me down but by running the “Find HTF Device” facility it not only found the drive, but the tree structure on it. It then got better, because the important files were .docx (Word) which I could open and save with Word and the pictures .jpg which any photo viewer could open. Ok, there are a lot of files that I can’t read but they seem to be data and system files? Never mind, things are looking up, so I’ve purchased a SATA – USB case off Trade Me and hopefully I can plug the HDD drive into that and she will have an external drive that works. (Then she can back-up what she needs.) ;) As a matter of interest and for what it’s worth, I think this is the third USB external drive I’ve had that has failed because of the interface, not the drive. Maybe worth keeping in mind? I’ll let you know the outcome.	B.M. (505)
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