I am having trouble accessing my main photo drive (external drive - L drive).
I've run CHKDSK several times, with differing responses. One time it will respond by saying it cannot access L drive at all, the next time it will say L drive file system is RAW (unformatted), and then another time it will say the file system is NTFS.
1st question - How can my drive spontaneously change back and forth from unformatted to NTFS?
When CHKDSK says the file type is NTFS it also says: Cannot lock current drive. CHKDSK cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. CHKDSK may run if this volume is dismounted first. All open handles to this volume would then be invalid. Would you like to force a dismount <y/n>
I open Task Manager and CPU usage says 99% System Idle Process and 1% Task manager. If I force a dismount then CS3 and Capture 4 can recognize and access L drive. If a dismount is not forced, then CS3 and Capture 4 go into "Not responding" mode. L drive is only 1.5 years old (WD My Book drive)
2nd question - any thoughts or suggested remedies?
Sorry for being so long winded! Thanks in advance!
Please keep answers as simple and techno-free as possible as I'm a techno-dud!
Bill - I've never seen a problem like this, but maybe I can help?
The drive can't actually be changing from NTFS to raw. Something about how the computer sees the drive must be changing instead. Unfortunately, I can't tell if that makes it a hardware or software issue. Is this a USB/Firewire drive? Have you tried changing ports, changing cables, or changing what computer it's hooked to?
The fact that sometimes the drive isn't accesible at all makes me think it's a hardware problem with the drive, cable, or port. Software would probably tend to always behave the same way in this case I would think - but that's just speculation.
This is a USB external (WD My Book 500 GB). I'll hook it to my laptop and see if it behaves differently. Thanks David.
EDIT - I hooked the drive to my laptop. PS recognizes the drive but cannot access any files. I got an error message saying that the drive needed to be formatted before use. I assume this is not a good sign.
My question - If I reformat this drive and copy all my backed up data back to it, should I be able to trust this drive again, or should I trash the drive and just buy a new one?
Bill - Have you tried chkdsk on your laptop? Does it recognize the drive as formatted? It's possible that the file table got trashed. If it's something like that, continuing to use the drive shouldn't be a problem. If you have a good backup system in place, I'd try to format and continue to use the drive if your data can be restored. It's also possible to restore the files on the drive if that's the problem, but it would probably take some sort of recovery software.
Again, that's only speculation - I'm not really any sort of expert on this stuff...
Is it making a clicking noise? I just had my third WD Caviar 500 drive crash yesterday. I need to send two of them in for recovery now. If you can access the data at any point I'd get the data off and find a new drive. I've been working on this same problem all day. I feel your pain. Look here:
Bill,
I have a number of external hard drives from various manufacturers. The Maxtor and Acomdata units operate flawlessly. The Western Digital 1TB that I tried was a dog. It had similar issues to those you describe. They were almost too numerous and varied to list. Every time I booted my computer the drive did something different. WD replaced it twice under warranty and each replacement gave the same results. The last replacement is still in the box. I'd never trust it for any valuable files.
My advice is try and recover your data (I used GetDataBack by Runtime Software) and scrap the hard drive.
Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. I tried the drive again on my laptop an now it won't even recognize it. When I try to go to it it tells me the drive must be formatted before use. I have a complete back-up so at least my data is safe. I guess I will try to re-format it and see what happens, but I will also buy another HD to use as a second back-up so that if it happens again I will be able to just trash the drive and not worry about it. Thanks again.
I can't help with that specific problem, but it sounds like you did the right thing with multiple backups. Off the top, it sounds like a corrupted system file to me. Seeing as you have he backups, I'd go for the re-format and try some file tranfers to test the reliability/functionality of the hd. 500 gigs borders on dirt cheap these days.
I have been using strictly WD Passport drives and I use two computers, so I have 4 seperate full backups: one on each computer and one on each Passport. I've never had any issues so far, but hard drive failure is inevitable. Periodically I back up my portfolio to dvd as well.
Having multiple backups certainly takes a load off when this stuff happens, doesn't it?!
Having a similar, but not the same, problem with my external under Windows XP. While I haven't yet solved the problem to my satisfaction, in researching solutions one of the things that appeared in a number of forums regarding external HD problems was that the connecting cable was of poor design or manufacture and the problem had nothing to do with either the drive or the computer.
Thanks David. I had heard similar things about the USB cable, etc. but in my case I think it's the HD itself. I've now tried the drive on 2 computers using 3 separate cables and still having a problem.
In fact, I have a new HD formatting as I type this. I am going to back-up my current back-up, then reformat my original drive and try to re-install my files once again and see if that'll work. Hopefully it will. If so I'll then have have original image data and 2 separate back-up drives which will make me feel a bit more at ease.
Posted by Fred Stearns on July 7, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Bill,
I have a WD 500 GB My Book that failed last fall. Somewhere in the meanwhile, I bought a new computer with a Firewire port. When it finally occurred to me, I checked and found that this My Book did indeed have a Firewire connection. That worked fine. With nothing else to go by and this drive not working on two computers, I figure that the USB port had failed. I also understand that you can take the drive in these external modules, remove then and mount them in the external drive boxes that some computer stores carry as the HD itself is often the same, whether it is sold as an internal or an external drive, just the packaging is changed. The salesman at the store where I bought my last My Book (I hope I didn't goof as it is a 1 TB HD) confirmed this. As this would cut into his commission, I think he may be right. I hope never have to put that to the test and see if that is indeed true.
Posted by Jerry Greer on July 10, 2008 at 12:03 AM
Bill,
Buy a Drobo and be done with it all! I'm ordering mine tomorrow!
Posted by Scott Nelson on July 10, 2008 at 12:55 AM
I could be wrong about this, but can't you remount your file system using Partition Magic, without data loss?
Discussion
13 repliesI've run CHKDSK several times, with differing responses. One time it will respond by saying it cannot access L drive at all, the next time it will say L drive file system is RAW (unformatted), and then another time it will say the file system is NTFS.
1st question - How can my drive spontaneously change back and forth from unformatted to NTFS?
When CHKDSK says the file type is NTFS it also says:
Cannot lock current drive. CHKDSK cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. CHKDSK may run if this volume is dismounted first. All open handles to this volume would then be invalid. Would you like to force a dismount <y/n>
I open Task Manager and CPU usage says 99% System Idle Process and 1% Task manager. If I force a dismount then CS3 and Capture 4 can recognize and access L drive. If a dismount is not forced, then CS3 and Capture 4 go into "Not responding" mode. L drive is only 1.5 years old (WD My Book drive)
2nd question - any thoughts or suggested remedies?
Sorry for being so long winded! Thanks in advance!
Please keep answers as simple and techno-free as possible as I'm a techno-dud!
The drive can't actually be changing from NTFS to raw. Something about how the computer sees the drive must be changing instead. Unfortunately, I can't tell if that makes it a hardware or software issue. Is this a USB/Firewire drive? Have you tried changing ports, changing cables, or changing what computer it's hooked to?
The fact that sometimes the drive isn't accesible at all makes me think it's a hardware problem with the drive, cable, or port. Software would probably tend to always behave the same way in this case I would think - but that's just speculation.
Sorry I can't be more help...
EDIT - I hooked the drive to my laptop. PS recognizes the drive but cannot access any files. I got an error message saying that the drive needed to be formatted before use. I assume this is not a good sign.
My question - If I reformat this drive and copy all my backed up data back to it, should I be able to trust this drive again, or should I trash the drive and just buy a new one?
Again, that's only speculation - I'm not really any sort of expert on this stuff...
Troup
Is it making a clicking noise? I just had my third WD Caviar 500 drive crash yesterday. I need to send two of them in for recovery now. If you can access the data at any point I'd get the data off and find a new drive. I've been working on this same problem all day. I feel your pain. Look here:
http://www.fixya.com/support/t344209-western_digital_500gb_book_essential
I have a number of external hard drives from various manufacturers. The Maxtor and Acomdata units operate flawlessly. The Western Digital 1TB that I tried was a dog. It had similar issues to those you describe. They were almost too numerous and varied to list. Every time I booted my computer the drive did something different. WD replaced it twice under warranty and each replacement gave the same results. The last replacement is still in the box. I'd never trust it for any valuable files.
My advice is try and recover your data (I used GetDataBack by Runtime Software) and scrap the hard drive.
I can't help with that specific problem, but it sounds like you did the right thing with multiple backups. Off the top, it sounds like a corrupted system file to me. Seeing as you have he backups, I'd go for the re-format and try some file tranfers to test the reliability/functionality of the hd. 500 gigs borders on dirt cheap these days.
I have been using strictly WD Passport drives and I use two computers, so I have 4 seperate full backups: one on each computer and one on each Passport. I've never had any issues so far, but hard drive failure is inevitable. Periodically I back up my portfolio to dvd as well.
Having multiple backups certainly takes a load off when this stuff happens, doesn't it?!
Having a similar, but not the same, problem with my external under Windows XP. While I haven't yet solved the problem to my satisfaction, in researching solutions one of the things that appeared in a number of forums regarding external HD problems was that the connecting cable was of poor design or manufacture and the problem had nothing to do with either the drive or the computer.
In fact, I have a new HD formatting as I type this. I am going to back-up my current back-up, then reformat my original drive and try to re-install my files once again and see if that'll work. Hopefully it will. If so I'll then have have original image data and 2 separate back-up drives which will make me feel a bit more at ease.
I have a WD 500 GB My Book that failed last fall. Somewhere in the meanwhile, I bought a new computer with a Firewire port. When it finally occurred to me, I checked and found that this My Book did indeed have a Firewire connection. That worked fine. With nothing else to go by and this drive not working on two computers, I figure that the USB port had failed. I also understand that you can take the drive in these external modules, remove then and mount them in the external drive boxes that some computer stores carry as the HD itself is often the same, whether it is sold as an internal or an external drive, just the packaging is changed. The salesman at the store where I bought my last My Book (I hope I didn't goof as it is a 1 TB HD) confirmed this. As this would cut into his commission, I think he may be right. I hope never have to put that to the test and see if that is indeed true.
Buy a Drobo and be done with it all! I'm ordering mine tomorrow!