My Maxtor Basics 1 terabyte external USB 2.0 drive no longer mounts. I have been through all the usual stuff with tech support (including disk management and device management) and I've tried it on multiple computers. Although the green light comes on when it's plugged into USB, apart from that it's not talking to the computer. There has been no strange noise, clicking, smoke or smell. Maxtor tech support say it's a failed drive. A data recovery company I phoned said it's probably damaged firmware but the data on the disk is probably safe. I'm nervous about sending it to a data recovery company because I seem to be looking at about GBP £179 minimum or maybe many, many hundreds more. Is it likely to be a matter of simply soldering something here or replacing something there, ie a job that I could take to a local geek? Or should I be looking to take this to a major data recovery centre? I'm in London, UK.
posted by skylar on Aug 26, 2009 - 7 answers

Help me decide: Synology 409 vs. Seagate Black Armor 440 for my next NAS? [more inside]
posted by monkeybutt on Jul 25, 2009 - 4 answers

500GB internal SeaGate hard drive disappears from Windows, Linux, and the BIOS. What can I try before I pay to have the data recovered? [more inside]
posted by Avenger50 on Jul 3, 2009 - 10 answers

Do any retailers have the Seagate Momentus 7200.4 hard drive in stock? If not, should I just give up and buy a 5400.6? [more inside]
posted by alms on Apr 20, 2009 - 6 answers

My PC is no longer recognising one of my SATA hard drives. [more inside]
posted by ArmyOfKittens on Feb 25, 2009 - 11 answers

Can anyone tell me what kind of power adapter this Seagate 3.5-Inch Pushbutton External Hard Drive uses? [more inside]
posted by devilshgrin on Dec 9, 2008 - 6 answers

Can I temporarily swap out the controller board on my seagate hard drive without voiding the warranty? [more inside]
posted by grandsham on Oct 23, 2008 - 5 answers

BackupFilter: My boss has a Seagate FreeAgent external drive attached to her Macbook Pro. Using the drive manager software that came with it, I set up scheduled backups for her on MWF at noon. Problem is, it doesn't follow the schedule and won't back up at all. [more inside]
posted by sjuhawk31 on Oct 8, 2008 - 7 answers

My Seagate FreeAgent external HD may have been damaged in a move. Making clicking noises and not being detected by my computer. [more inside]
posted by Mr_Crazyhorse on Aug 19, 2008 - 9 answers

Can you tell me if this is a good harddrive and a good deal? Or even better, how would you go about finding out if its good? Thanks. From dealnews: Seagate 1TB Serial ATA 3.0Gbps Internal Hard Drive + $8 s&h ZipZoomfly.com cut its price on the Seagate 1TB Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive, model no. ST31000340AS, to $149.99. With about $8 for shipping, that's a $10 drop since last week and the lowest total price we've seen for this drive. This drive features a 32MB cache (more than most) and runs at 7200 rpm.
posted by irie1972 on Jul 30, 2008 - 8 answers

Where could I purchase a bunch of Seagate's Seashell plastic hard drive cases? [more inside]
posted by estherbester on Jul 8, 2008 - 5 answers

Can/should I re-use the enclosure for a hard drive I have outgrown as a housing for a new hard drive, or should I just buy new? Either way, what should I be buying? [more inside]
posted by Admiral Haddock on Jun 2, 2007 - 7 answers

Why does the drive letter for my external hard drive keep changing? [more inside]
posted by Joleta on Feb 28, 2007 - 10 answers

Every time I boot up my Intel Imac, I have to unplug and then replug my external hard drive in order for it to mount. It's a 160GB Seagate SATA internal that I put in an iRocks 3.5 enclosure (USB). When I open up Disk Utility, the drive is not displayed in the left column (until I unplug, then plug). It's just storage for my EyeTV files, but still annoying to have to do that every time. Ideas?
posted by drewcopeland on Sep 30, 2006 - 3 answers

Attempting to plug my old hard drive into an enclosure, but I don't know what this port is or how it connects. Pictures inside. [more inside]
posted by sian on Jun 23, 2006 - 5 answers