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Corrupt External Hard Drive, or Does it Just Contain Corrupted Files from Transfer? How to Fix?

Hi,


I just had a 5 month old hard drive crash and burn. The day before it quit, when I realized it was making some loud clicking noises (it's swan song), I swiftly acted to back up my files on my seagate external hard drive.


I have since replaced the hard drive, and re-imported everything from the external drive. Unfortunately, I have come to find that all of my photos over many years are missing in the photo library, as well as many other documents, and that I cannot open photos that are still visible on my desk top, as they have been 'corrupted'. I suspect that all of my other photos and files have been corrupted as well. What in the world is going on, and most importantly how do I fix this crap?! These are years worth of precious memories I cannot afford to lose!!!


Thanks for the help! Much appreciated as I am desperate!

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.4), None

Posted on Feb 5, 2016 8:08 PM

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8 replies

Feb 5, 2016 8:55 PM in response to doggydruel

All drives will die, HD or SSD. Sometimes after 1 month, sometimes not for years. Critical data needs to be kept in at least 2 places, maybe 3. I use an external enclosure that holds any 2.5 in drive so I can keep as many backups as I want to have drives. I even stored my brother's family videos on archive-quality DVD disks in case all of my HDs and SSDs decide to de-magnetize.


If the only backup you made was of data that was already damaged, all copies are likely corrupted. Is there no other backup, TimeMachine or clone that can be used to reconstruct your photo library?

Feb 5, 2016 9:02 PM in response to steve359

There is a backup that dates back to August. Fortunately the most important images between then and now are also stored on another computer, so it is not a total loss necessarily.


How do I locate a time machine backup of the photo library? Supposedly I completed one on that same day I backed everything up and it was kept on 24/7 between August and January 31.

Feb 5, 2016 9:19 PM in response to doggydruel

I know clones more than TM. pondini.org is a collection of TimeMachine wisdom generated by one who knows so much more about than I.


TM keeps old copies of files, and these "back in time" copies can be reviewed, but these old copies are purged to make room for new data as TM determines. But TM may not recognize that it is associated with the new internal drive. And I do not want you to follow my advice on re-connecting TM to the new internal drive and risk losing the TM.


I will try to call in reinforcements who know how to make this work, but keep your TM drive safe, keep the newer photos safe. Prepare 2 new external drive to save a copy of your photo library. I use this enclosure http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MSTG800U3K/ and swap in 2.5 in drives, and you can use 2 different drives to make copies of your eventually-complete photo library.

Feb 5, 2016 10:06 PM in response to doggydruel

Ok I will try to do so.


Time machine was definitely kept on and backing everything up, but it already seems to have forgotten everything that was there before when it automatically connected to the new drive....hmmm


Also, my external hard drive appears defective as well in that it cannot restore the older, completely clean backup either from last August. So essentially I have lost all my photos and documents at this point.


Thanks so much for helping out and giving some advice. Hopefully this horrible problem can be solved.

Corrupt External Hard Drive, or Does it Just Contain Corrupted Files from Transfer? How to Fix?

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