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ItaliabellaFlag for United States of America

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DATA Recovery

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to recover data from a faulty hard drive. I would like to clone the HD before starting the data recovery process.

does any on recommend a fantastic software to clone hard drive bit by bit. if free even better thank you for windows OS.

Thank you,
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dbrunton
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If it's faulty then you will have trouble cloning it.

Can you describe the fault in more detail?  Or what the drive is doing?
I agree with the above. Better to try recovery with GetDataBack or like product
https://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm
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alanccw

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I know you asked for Windows, but I would not consider using anything but ddrescue run from a Linux Live (Jnstall) DVD.

dd(resuce) has never failed me in twenty plus years, unless the drive is physically damaged, in which case you are looking at serious money for a professional service if the data is worth it.


Alan.
I like Roadkil.net's Raw Copy - http://www.roadkil.net/program.php?ProgramID=22
From the description:
This program copys a disk as a raw image from one drive directly to another. This utility is designed for people who have faulty drive and want to transfer the data directly to another drive without doing a file by file copy. This saves the need for operating system re-installs and allows drives with an unknown file system to be copied (including from console game machines, data recorders, mac etc). The program has a built in data recovery function which will attempt to recover data from bad sectors to ensure all the available data is restored from the drive. This program is designed to run under NT/XP/2000 or later operating systems. It will run under windows 95/98/Me operating systems but only windows logical drives can be copied.

In my experience, Raw Copy works VERY well... however, it cannot read drives larger than 2 TB.
My normal process for this is to install a drive into an external dock device, mounted on a Linux machine.

Then use the dd command to make an exact, bit for bit, copy of the drive.

Then run recovery tools from either Linux or Windows or Mac. If the filesystem on the disk is supported natively by Linux, I always use Linux recovery tools.
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Yesterday when I plugged the faulty external USB drive into my computer it was detected, i was able to see the data, I could see the file and folder structure but when I was clicking on them, everything was freezing and nothing was opening. In addition, the message " application not responding " was appearing. Now the drive is not even detected by the computer. So how can I clone a drive that I don't see :)? It's an external USB drives. I run a data recovery software that I have a t home and after 15 minutes it told me that there is a "sector corruption ".

What do you think ?
Now the drive is not even detected by the computer …  I run a data recovery software that I have at home and after 15 minutes it told me that there is a "sector corruption ".

The first area of the disk with the file table and boot records appears to be damaged.  

At this point, it is not likely any regular data recovery software will find anything.

How important is the data? The more important it is, you can use a local Data Recovery company. They are not cheap, so if the user is able to let go of the data, then just get a new drive.
you posted   ""It's an external USB drives''  which model?
 is it connected to usb 2 or 3 port?
Three comments:

1)  As you are experiencing, a faulty drive may get worse the longer it runs.  Keep this in mind as you try to recover anything from it.

2)  You may be experiencing problems with the USB-SATA electronics in the external drive.  I'd open up the case, remove the drive, and install it as the second drive in a working computer.  Data recovery programs (such as GetDataBack) will have much better likelyhood of success when there's not USB-SATA interface to go through.

3)  Really just repeating #1.  The more you try to recover this drive, the more likely it will fail further.  Consider how valuable the data is and whether or not you'd be willing to pay for professional recovery services.  If you wouldn't then keep trying!
Now the drive is not even detected by the computer.

This is not clear - is the drive seen in:
Device Manager?
Disk Management?
My Computer?
None of the above?

Each one has different implications for recovering the data.
Brand and model of external USB hard drive please.
It's a 2TB external USB3 western and digital hard drive.
When I click this computer it doest show up anymore.

Tonight I will check if it shows up of device manager.

Thank you everyone,
is this your drive?   https://www.amazon.de/Elements-Portable-External-Hard-Drive/dp/B00D0L5BH8
then i have bad news for you : the usb interface is integrated into the disk logic board, so opening it won't help

if you have another one, post exact model, or picture, or link( look on the WD drive site)
when the drive is in that condition, the more you use it the less chance that even a data recover place will be able to recover data, Obviously the drive is failing, before it fails totally take it to some data recover place if the data is valuable to the user, the cost of recovery may out way the cost of losing the data.
hello everyone and i am sorry for the delay. I was waiting on the lady and finally today she reappeared and she told me that she is abandoning the data. So i want to thank you everyone for all the very important information shared about this project but for the moment we are done.

I am opening a new ticket about a printer issue i must resolve by Thursday if anyone can help

thank you again,