Seagate External USB "inaccessible due to I/O device error"

[manasi]

Hi all

I use a Seagate 250 GB external USB drive to back up my images.

Earlier, while I was trying to copy a file to it, it hung. After safely removing the device, I tried accessing it

again several times only to get an error that says that the G drive is inaccessible due to an I/O device error.

Also, it doesn't autorun on its own anymore & when I try to right click on the G drive icon in my computer (which

takes a LONG time to appear), it makes the window hang.

 

Fortunately I'd backed up much of it on DVDs but there's enough in there to make me get to the data.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

Manasi

[john gettis]

Try rebooting the computer if you have not already. You may also want to try a different cable and usb port on computer. If you have access to another computer you may also want to try that. I had a similar problem and was able to get most of the data off the drive but not all of it. Hope this helps John

[manasi]

Thanks John.

I've already tried everything you suggested except the different cable bit. I even took the drive to a computer

support shop. He tried to access it in a few different ways but was not able to.

 

How were you eventually able to access your drive/data ?

 

Some weeks ago I was able to retrieve data from a 16 GB CF card using "Photo Rescue". It took a long time (8

hours) but fortunately retrieved 99% of my files. I'm wondering if I should try that on this drive as well.

The biggest problem here in Pune, India are the long power cuts. The power back up doesn't last longer than a

couple of hours :(

[rivi]

Hi, download a Linux LiveCD (e.g. from <a href="http://software.opensuse.org/">SUSE</a>, but it does not really

matter what distributor you choose, neither is "KDE" or "gnome" a question you'd be interested in). Burn the CD

and boot it. It will come up with a running Linux. When you plug the USB-drive, it <i>may</i> be able to mount

the drive, even if read-only. Then you can copy what there is to another drive. To say it straight ahead: it is

not very likely to work.

 

More in-depth options are to take the drive out of the USB-case, and plug it directly as IDE or SATA (whatever

applies) to your motherboard. This eliminates the USB-layer in between and may it make easier for the OS, Win or

Lin, to access and mount the drive. I admit this is a last option to try before throwing the drive away, but then

forensic software, if you have some to try, may have it easier to access the drive.

[rnt]

Try a different external box. It may be the USB electronics, not the drive. Your computer support guy may have one of those handy little "interface USB to any drive" gizmos that he can use to check the drive itself. See www.newegg.com for many options. Tom's suggestion of putting the drive on the IDE bus is a good one too.

[manasi]

Thanks Thomas & Robert.

 

I'll try the 'USB interface Gizmo' (if I can find it). If that doesn't work, it'll be DataRescue & if that doesn't work it'll be the IDE bus stunt.

I use a Windows XP professional (sorry I didn't mention that earlier).

[rnt]

The Gizmo...

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232002