WD My Book fubared! (Or so I'm told)

We really need to identify exactly which model it is; there is a whole series of models, ranging from simple USB devices to full NAS.
It is a WD My Book Essential Edition.
According to the install guide it is 'preformatted as a single FAT32 partition.'
 
Not all of the WD MyBooks use encryption, I would definitely recommend having the drive removed and attached to a PC to see if the data is recoverable.

Mark Gosdin
Yep, Mark !!
I`ve successfully done just that many times, and most recently, after removing the drive from the WD`s container, and I then transferred 10`s of thousand`s of MP3 music files(many years worth) from it(her sister`s MyBook) to my care giver`s baby lap top, that I installed a much larger & faster HD in sometime in the past.
No encryption issues encountered yet, and most likely, inexpensive HD recovery software, may work if encryption is present..
 
Went this morning to pick up my WD external drive from the tech, asked a few questions and didn't receive much in the way of satisfactory answers or encouragement. To me, that's sort of a signal right there that I need to move on to another plan.
All in all the charge was merely $15 so not too bad I guess.
I was able to glean that it contained an IDE HDD vs SATA which is still greek to me but I thought since I've learned more here since starting this thread than anywhere else I'd pass it on.
I have read the links posted above and watched quite a few youtube vids and while the bad logic board appears to be a fairly common problem with these units there has apparently been successful repairs and/or subs to recover the data from the drive.
If anyone here has more recommendations or suggestions please feel free to pile em on here because I appreciate everyone's interest in helping.
 
From what I recall, IDE is an older hard drive, SATA is a newer hard drive. They have different connectors , as I recall. For me , that is mostly all that is pertinent. The kit I bought years ago came with a connector for IDE hard drive , and a connector for SATA hard drive. You just plug the connector into the hard drive, and the other end of the connector is a USB, you plug that into a usb port on your computer. Then you check your computer to see if the hard drive shows up and is readable. Really a very simple procedure.
https://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-IS...75&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+hard+drive+adapter+kit

In your case, of course, you need to remove the actual hard drive from the enclosure.
 
Went this morning to pick up my WD external drive from the tech, asked a few questions and didn't receive much in the way of satisfactory answers or encouragement. To me, that's sort of a signal right there that I need to move on to another plan.
All in all the charge was merely $15 so not too bad I guess.
I was able to glean that it contained an IDE HDD vs SATA which is still greek to me but I thought since I've learned more here since starting this thread than anywhere else I'd pass it on.
I have read the links posted above and watched quite a few youtube vids and while the bad logic board appears to be a fairly common problem with these units there has apparently been successful repairs and/or subs to recover the data from the drive.
If anyone here has more recommendations or suggestions please feel free to pile em on here because I appreciate everyone's interest in helping.

My outboard USB to hard drive adapters, will connect up to either SATA, or 3.5 IDE full size, or the smaller 2.5 Hard drives..
IDE, is the older, and slower hard drive technology, whereas SATA is more recent.

You should be able to find, and purchase USB to hard drive adaptors on Amazon, Tiger Direct, etc. , just make sure it can do both, or, at least IDE.

And if your hard drive is still spinning when hooked to a adaptor, I would think you should be able to externally play, or transfer your music files..
Heck, you, or someone you know with a little computer knowledge, could even put that drive in an older, but functioning Desk top computer connected to a secondary IDE drive port on the mother board, and access the files that way, a IDE connection cable is all that`s needed.

I easily transferred the music from 2 of those failed WD MyBooks external drives to two different owner`s main computer`s, after removing the hard drive from it`s enclosure and hooking/connecting it up.

The USB to IDE adaptor, in my housekeeper`s case, to her lap top, and installed the other MyBook drive in another friend`s older desk top that she used for recording her band..

If you lived near me, and wanted to let me do it, I`d be more then happy to do the transfer/recovery, NC, while you waited, or to just drop it off.
Good luck, and I wish you success, whatever route you take.

Kind regards, Billy Ferris
 
From what I recall, IDE is an older hard drive, SATA is a newer hard drive. They have different connectors , as I recall. For me , that is mostly all that is pertinent. The kit I bought years ago came with a connector for IDE hard drive , and a connector for SATA hard drive. You just plug the connector into the hard drive, and the other end of the connector is a USB, you plug that into a usb port on your computer. Then you check your computer to see if the hard drive shows up and is readable. Really a very simple procedure.
https://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-IS...75&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+hard+drive+adapter+kit

In your case, of course, you need to remove the actual hard drive from the enclosure.

Yes !! to all the above.. :bigok:
 
[...] IDE, is the older, and slower hard drive technology, whereas SATA is more recent.

And if your hard drive is still spinning when hooked to a adaptor, I would think you should be able to externally play, or transfer your music files..
Heck, you, or someone you know with a little computer knowledge, could even put that drive in an older, but functioning Desk top computer connected to a secondary IDE drive port on the mother board, and access the files that way, a IDE connection cable is all that`s needed.

If you lived near me, and wanted to let me do it, I`d be more then happy to do the transfer/recovery, NC, while you waited, or to just drop it off.
Good luck, and I wish you success, whatever route you take.

Kind regards, Billy Ferris

Bill, thank you for that.
I do actually think the hard drive is still spinning (at least while the kit is together) because I can hear it spin up to speed when I plug it in and I can feel it spin if I squeeze the enclosure a little.
I plan to open the enclosure up this evening to see just what is inside and if it looks like some of the units I've seen in the videos. I may take some pics of what it all looks like and post them here.
 
I was able to glean that it contained an IDE HDD vs SATA which is still greek to me

As the others have said, IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) is an earlier, lower performance disk interface.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_ATA#IDE_and_ATA-1

SATA is a serial interface version of ATA (SATA=Serial ATA)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA

A look at the WD Product Brief finds no mention of encryption, so you may just be able to plug the drive into a secondary IDE port on an older PC, or use a USB adaptor; I bought one a few years back to allow me to hoover up the files from a Humax SATA drive on an old, IDE-based machine. The adaptor cost me a few quid (£3.58, delivered), and has SATA, 2.54mm and 2mm pitch IDE interfaces.

http://products.wdc.com/library/legacy/dual-option/2879-001168.pdf
 
Bill, thank you for that.
I do actually think the hard drive is still spinning (at least while the kit is together) because I can hear it spin up to speed when I plug it in and I can feel it spin if I squeeze the enclosure a little.
I plan to open the enclosure up this evening to see just what is inside and if it looks like some of the units I've seen in the videos. I may take some pics of what it all looks like and post them here.

Very good Sir.
I`m totally self taught in all this computer/audio stuff, and if I can help you, I will give it the `ole high school drop out try !! HA !!
 
I had a MyBook go bad after less than a year. I was able to plug the drive into a USB-based SATA controller, the only controller out of several I had on hand that could "see" the drive. Nothing encrypted about the contents at all, I should add.

It was the drive that mostly failed, and it took over a full week to get those files off of that drive since it was running in such a crippled state. WD's consumer drives have turned to shit in recent years. I won't touch them anymore, and I used to swear by them. (So as the saying goes, now I only swear at them.) This one was a WD Black.

I temporarily moved those files over to a Seagate Central but within a couple of months (not trusting Seagate either), set up my NAS with a pair of enterprise HGST drives and it has been running continuously since then (2014, I believe). These days, I would only ever store files on enterprise drives. They cost a lot more, but they have proven to be more reliable than the crap consumer drives out there. (I have since dumped every other WD drive in the house and replaced with Crucial SSDs.) Since HGST was bought out by WD, I'm kind of wary about buying any more drives from them. But, WD's pricey enterprise drives have some promising reviews, so those may be my go-to when I build out a new NAS this year.

My backup plan includes storing files on two separate cloud services for redundancy, in addition to at least two local copies (one each on two different devices). And wouldn't you know it, that damn Seagate Central is still working just fine?? :D
 
(I have since dumped every other WD drive in the house and replaced with Crucial SSDs.)

:thumbsup:, :beerchug:, :bigok: !!
I walked away from spindle HD`s, starting around 5 year`s ago.
All my computers are happily running various brand`s SSD`s now, even changed out my security camera system`s 1 Terabyte spindle to a Crucial SSD, when that storage capacity level in SSD became reasonably priced.

Ripped WAV. music files(currently 406Gig.) is backup stored on a 1 Terabyte off board Crucial SSD, using a USB 3 to SATA adaptor.
Good stuff, IMHO/E.
 
View attachment 1379937 View attachment 1379940 View attachment 1379942 View attachment 1379949 View attachment 1379951 Took the guts out this morning and this is what I have. I'm pretty sure I know the HDD but which board is what?

dosmalo, the big heavy device is the hard drive.
You can unplug the cables plugged into it now, and remove the bracket that`s screwed to it, if you wish.

After all these items are removed, you now have a regular spindle based IDE hard drive, and it`s ready for whatever file extraction method that will be used, if the HD is functional..

Do not bang it hard, or drop it, and keep from touching the exposed hard drive`s circuit board, or connector pins, after you remove the cables, to prevent any static discharge damage to the drive`s onboard controlling circuits..

Good luck Sir.
 
My cheap usb adaptor looks something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SATA-Hard-Disk-Cable-Converter/dp/B009C6O1BM

[nb. Not a recommendation, merely an example]

My 3 different makes, and time frame`s of purchase, all came with a off board power supply( one non-switching, and one a lap top brick style, and the most recent USB 3 to SATA only) has a hefty feeling medium sized wall wart), which can be very handy, or crucial, if interfacing the drive to a laptop`s USB port.
Just saying..
 
Back
Top Bottom