Win11DataSavior, RAISE is another inexpensive tool. It is produced by the same people who produce UFS Explorer, arguably the gold standard of data recovery:
https://www.raisedr.com/
I suggest you watch the pro data recovery forums, in addition to the user forums.
The difference between pro tools and second tier tools is that the latter spend a lot of time with SEO to improve their position in Google’s search results. They also send their shills to forums like this one. The developers of pro tools spend their time writing software. Pro tool developers also have the advantage that they receive feedback from data recovery pros whereas the second tier tools rely on feedback from general users.
Very much agree with what this brother said in several ways, this seems to be the most comprehensive answer: if you can manually fix your rusty USB port, then things might get easier, you can use data recovery software on your own to try to recover the data from your WD hard disk; But a simpler and more efficient way to minimize the risk of data loss is to seek the help of a data recovery specialist, which is certainly not free. If the data on your WD hard disk is very important, then I suggest you find a trusted local data recovery pro.
However, if you can afford the risk of losing your data, it’s a good idea to try it yourself - after all, your data doesn’t look overwritten, and the chances of getting it back are pretty good. Good luck bro!
Is your hard drive a standard 3.5” or 2.5” SATA drive? If so, you can use a SATA-to-USB adapter or a docking station to connect it directly to your computer. Based on what you described, the drive wasn’t properly recognized by the PC, which often happens when the controller board is damaged. Since no new data has been written to the drive, it’s highly likely that your old data is still recoverable. You can use software like TestDisk (open-source), iBoysoft Data Recovery, or other file recovery programs to recover your pictures and other files.
