Backup Dying Hard Drive

**dpDesignz** · 22-09-2016, 08:06 PM

I have a Seagate 3TB external drive which has started dying. The blue light on the top flashes steadily and I can access the hard drive and see the files, but I can't copy or move them.

Does anyone know of a way I can backup this entire drive before it fully dies? I have access to a linux system and have a new drive to move the data to, I'm just not sure how to.

Any tips and software suggestions (preferably free if possible) would be much appreciated

**wainuitech** · 22-09-2016, 08:45 PM

You can try making an image of it, then drop that image onto the new drive. Depends on whats wrong with it. Had to do that with customers failing drives, sometimes it works other times it doesn't.

**dpDesignz** · 22-09-2016, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by wainuitech

You can try making an image of it, then drop that image onto the new drive. Depends on whats wrong with it. Had to do that with customers failing drives, sometimes it works other times it doesn't.

Thanks wanuitech!

Why image vs clone? Wouldn't clone work better for what I'm wanting? I'm just wanting to move the files. It's just an external drive to another external drive.

Also any suggestions on software? I'm trying Macrium but open for suggestions

**wainuitech** · 22-09-2016, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by dpDesignz

Thanks wanuitech!

Why image vs clone? Wouldn't clone work better for what I'm wanting? I'm just wanting to move the files. It's just an external drive to another external drive.

Also any suggestions on software? I'm trying Macrium but open for suggestions

Trying to clone from a USB (source) drive many times, some software cant do it, only direct connections Eg. SATA

I use Active@disk Image, create an image, as cloning if there's corruptions often fails, where as a image copies corruptions and all. I know you can image to a USB drive, but cant remember if you can image from one, I normally don't do it that way (from a USB drive)

Good example of imaging verse Cloning --- was one drive, had been cloning for close to 4 hours then failed at roughly 90%

It Imaged fine on the second attempt.

Edit: Some partitioning software will copy from USB Drives.

**dpDesignz** · 22-09-2016, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by wainuitech

Trying to clone from a USB (source) drive many times, some software cant do it, only direct connections Eg. SATA

I use Active@disk Image, create an image, as cloning if there's corruptions often fails, where as a image copies corruptions and all. I know you can image to a USB drive, but cant remember if you can image from one, I normally don't do it that way (from a USB drive)

Good example of imaging verse Cloning --- was one drive, had been cloning for close to 4 hours then failed at roughly 90%

It Imaged fine on the second attempt.

Thanks heaps! Will give that a go

**wainuitech** · 22-09-2016, 09:12 PM

Just a thought -- You also have to have someplace to put the image if doing it that way, then it gets dropped on the blank drive.

**dpDesignz** · 22-09-2016, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by wainuitech

Just a thought -- You also have to have someplace to put the image if doing it that way, then it gets dropped on the blank drive.

I'm going to try track down a drive. It's jut under 2.6TB so far. It's creating a volume snapshot currently

**dpDesignz** · 22-09-2016, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by wainuitech

Just a thought -- You also have to have someplace to put the image if doing it that way, then it gets dropped on the blank drive.

Reflect ended up erroring out and Active@ shows the disk is empty.

I think I may have lost everything

**wainuitech** · 22-09-2016, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by dpDesignz

Reflect ended up erroring out and Active@ shows the disk is empty.

I think I may have lost everything

The partition table may have crashed failed. Generally is unlikely you have lost the lot. you may just need to run data recovery software over the Seagate drive.

Suggest you install http://www.easeus.com/datarecoverywi...y-software.htm Aim it at the USB drive. the free one will handle 2GB But will show if its recoverable.

Use the Deep Scan.

Expect it to take a while though, started one yesterday, was scanning a deleted partition, just under 1 TB ---- 27 hours later - recovered.

As long as the drive can be seen you may have to look for this: ( of course it will be called something different & be the full size of the drive)

Click image for larger version.

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**1101** · 23-09-2016, 10:20 AM

sometimes, using a Linux based recovery/clone just works when a MS based recovery/clone wont. Lin being less fussy than Win .

I think Paragon is Lin based & free , it has a basic file copy function Ive used many times . That might be worth a try
https://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/

I'd think this drive needs a full data recovery by the sound of things. Since the drive is detected & partially readable, there a good chance data recovery will work.