WD my passport for Mac recovery

[ell]

Hi, just wondering if I have any other options here to get a image or recovery. I have a wd passport for Mac with the new style connector so I can't put it in my bench pc, it is detected in the bios as 2 usb devices: WD my passport 07481019 and WD SES device 1019. I booted to linux, not visible, then I tried ddrescue disc, its visible but cannot be mounted. Only recourse sending it off to clean room? Already suggested this because of the risks of further damage but she ok'ed me trying software recovery to make a image.

 

[Markverhyden]

Those are formatted with HFS+ out of the box. So have you plugged it into a Mac? What Linux did you try? Many versions will not automatically mount an HFS+ partition.

 

[ell]

Those are formatted with HFS+ out of the box. So have you plugged it into a Mac? What Linux did you try? Many versions will not automatically mount an HFS+ partition.

I don't have a real mac, only a vmachine. I did install the windows drivers for it though. What flavor of Linux should I try? I think my linux is knoppix. The ddrescue disc I use was parted magic.

 

[300DDR]

A VM should work. Did you open RS in Windows (it would be able to see it if it's good)? The fact DD can't see the device however, points to bigger issues. May not need a clean room, but may need to get sent out.

 

[lcoughey]

Likely just a basic recovery, if the heads aren't toast. We charge $350 CAD...about $220USD after reseller discount and exchange rate.

 

[Markverhyden]

As @300DDR said you can use R-Studio to scan the drive. It has what is needed to read HFS+ partitions. If you do not already have a license you can download and install a copy and run it under the trial license. The good thing is if you like it you can just buy the key and plug it in to recovery files. If the drive is making noises you need to stop messing with it and send it out.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Does it make a beeping, clicking or buzzing sound when you hold it to your ear and then connect the USB cable to your PC? Portable drives tend to end up with stiction (adhesion of the read/write heads to the platter) when they get bumped/dropped while running or unplugged without safely removing hardware. If it's not detected, it's moot and needs to go for recovery by a DR specialist. If it were detected, you could also browse and recover the files in Windows using MacDrive.

 

[ell]

A VM should work. Did you open RS in Windows (it would be able to see it if it's good)? The fact DD can't see the device however, points to bigger issues. May not need a clean room, but may need to get sent out.

can't open it in windows, it shows as my passport connected in lower right like it should but nothing in my computer or disk management.
R studio sees the drive but all options to scan it are greyed out. There is no noise, if there was I would refuse to work on it, I know what that means and I always tell customers I could make things worse and refer a drive recovery specialist if they are willing to pay, most are not. The light keeps blinking on the drive but no noise or vibration.

 

[lcoughey]

You are seeing the USB bridge but it seems that you aren't seeing the actual drive, from what I interpret. This suggests some sort of physical issue that needs to be corrected before any cloning and logical recovery can occur.

 

[HCHTech]

or unplugged without safely removing hardware.

Really? I've never heard of this having any possibility causing actual physical damage to a drive, just scrambling the file(s) that are being written at the time...

 

[Larry Sabo]

I'm not absolutely sure, but I think that Safely Removing Hardware causes the drive to spin down and the heads to park on the ramp, whereas if you just unplug it, there is a chance the drive will still be rotating with the heads on the platters. The little inertial of laptop drives can result in the heads still being over the platters when they stop spinning, resulting in stiction. I'll have to do a little research to be sure.

Edit: Here's one case where it caused stiction, but I need a more definitive answer.

Edit #2: Here's a description of a few ways a drive is triggered to spin down other than by Safely Remove Hardware. In that thread, one person mentions using 'hdparm -Y' to reliably force it to spin down, but who's going to use that?

 

[ell]

You are seeing the USB bridge but it seems that you aren't seeing the actual drive, from what I interpret. This suggests some sort of physical issue that needs to be corrected before any cloning and logical recovery can occur.

Yeah, kind of looks that way. I suppose all the newer portable drives have the new connectors now too.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I have found MS's explanation (USB Port Remains Active for Disabled or Safely Removed USB Device) of what exactly happens when one Safely Removes Hardware, and what registry changes can be made to disable the device completely to eliminate packet transfers to it.