It would be easier to resolder or replace the USB connector.
http://www.datarecoverytools.co.uk/2010/05/05/how-to-connect-and-recover-usb-only-
Micah_J, UVCView is indicating that the USB-SATA bridge is being correctly detected, and the fact that you can see the device in Disk Management means that Windows can see the drive behind the bridge. If Disk Management is correctly identifying the partition(s), then the MBR in sector 0 must be OK. However, when Windows asks if you want to format the drive, this usually indicates that critical areas of the file system have become corrupted, either due to logical errors, or physical errors (eg bad sectors).
I would scan your drive for bad sectors. Then I would clone it on a sector-by-sector basis and use data recovery software on the clone.
You may like to first examine the partition table and boot sector with Microsoft’s Sector Inspector:
http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/SecInspect.zip
Extract the above archive to the one folder and execute the SIrun.bat file. The procedure will generate a report file named SIout.txt which you can then upload to a file sharing service.
Hey, I hope i can get a quick and helpful response from this but this is what happened. So i bought my 1TB Western Digital External Hard Drive from a Best Buy. I had it for awhile and was working flawlessly and then a few months ago I was asked from Western Digital to update my firmware and smart ware. So i followed the steps and did what the directions said to do. Then i plugged it into my “Macbook” and it would not recognize. I really don’t think its broken because it lights up and doesn’t make any weird sounds. What my guess is, Is that something got messed up during the update or something. Also it shows up in my system profiler as “Vendor-Specific Device” and thats it. It doesn’t show up in my disk utility. Also in the system profiler description of its name it says it’s *not configured*. I don’t know how to configure it so it will recognize. I also lost the receipt so i can’t take it back to best buy i don’t think…
TecheGuy, it appears that your drive might be identifying itself with the Vendor ID and Product ID of the USB-SATA bridge chip inside the enclosure, rather than the Western Digital product name. AIUI, this confirms that firmware download failed or didn’t finish. In Windows, you could use Microsoft’s UVCView device viewer, but I don’t know of a similar utility for the Mac.
As for returning the drive to Best Buy, if that is not an option for you, then you could avail yourself of WD’s warranty support:
I having the same problems as others. My 320 GB external WD My passport hard drive when connected to my Windows 7 laptop gives an error message that “USB Device not recognized”. I tried the Y cable and no luck. I ran the Microsoft’s UVCView and it gave the below. Can anyone help?
—===>Device Information<===—
ConnectionStatus: FailedEnumeration
Current Config Value: 0x00 → Device Bus Speed: Low
Device Address: 0x00
Open Pipes: 0
*!*ERROR: No open pipes!
===>Device Descriptor<===
*!*ERROR: bLength of 0 incorrect, should be 18
bLength: 0x00
bDescriptorType: 0x00
bcdUSB: 0x0000
bDeviceClass: 0x00
*!*ERROR: Device enumeration failure
I have the same problem with My Passport Essential SE 1TB that is really frustrating me. I am using Vista and my drive is being recognised but i cannot access my data.
i have used secinspect to generate the following report:
===========================================================================
Target - [\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2](file://%5C%5C.%5CPHYSICALDRIVE2)
0 Cylinders
0 Heads
0 Sectors Per Track
512 BytesPerSector
12 MediaType
Error 1117 was encountered reading from [\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2](file://%5C%5C.%5CPHYSICALDRIVE2).
The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error.
the when i try to access a folder on the drive it’s giving an error saying “The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error”.
Then when when i use UVCView am getting the following:
—===>Device Information<===—
English product name: “My Passport 070A”
ConnectionStatus:
Current Config Value: 0x01 → Device Bus Speed: High
Device Address: 0x04
Open Pipes: 2
===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x81 → Direction: IN - EndpointID: 1
bmAttributes: 0x02 → Bulk Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes
bInterval: 0x00
===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x02 → Direction: OUT - EndpointID: 2
bmAttributes: 0x02 → Bulk Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes
bInterval: 0x00
===>Device Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x12
bDescriptorType: 0x01
bcdUSB: 0x0200
bDeviceClass: 0x00 → This is an Interface Class Defined Device
bDeviceSubClass: 0x00
bDeviceProtocol: 0x00
bMaxPacketSize0: 0x40 = (64) Bytes
idVendor: 0x1058 = Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
idProduct: 0x070A
bcdDevice: 0x1032
iManufacturer: 0x01
English (United States) “Western Digital”
iProduct: 0x02
English (United States) “My Passport 070A”
iSerialNumber: 0x03
English (United States) “575846314133305732353334”
bNumConfigurations: 0x01
===>Configuration Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x02
wTotalLength: 0x0020 → Validated
bNumInterfaces: 0x01
bConfigurationValue: 0x01
iConfiguration: 0x00
bmAttributes: 0x80 → Bus Powered
MaxPower: 0xFA = 500 mA
===>Interface Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x04
bInterfaceNumber: 0x00
bAlternateSetting: 0x00
bNumEndpoints: 0x02
bInterfaceClass: 0x08 → This is a Mass Storage USB Device Interface Class
bInterfaceSubClass: 0x06
bInterfaceProtocol: 0x50
iInterface: 0x00
===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x81 → Direction: IN - EndpointID: 1
bmAttributes: 0x02 → Bulk Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes
bInterval: 0x00
===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x02 → Direction: OUT - EndpointID: 2
bmAttributes: 0x02 → Bulk Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes
bInterval: 0x00
Can someone please help me. I am freaking out because i do not want to loose my data.
@fazbkar
Good Post! =D
That’s most likely everyone’s problem with the WD. Maybe i can sent it to a proper computer professional?
Smallboy, UVCView appears to be retrieving all the correct information from the bridge chip. I suspect the chip may be an Initio INIC-1607E. The information would be stored in an 8-pin serial EEPROM near the bridge IC. It is reporting a hexadecimal coded serial number of “575846314133305732353334”, which translates to “WXF1A30W2534”. I believe this would be the number on the box, not the number on the drive.
Sector Inspector, OTOH, is unable to read sector 0 of the drive behind the bridge. This would suggest that the drive is inaccessible. I suspect that it would not be visible in Disk Management, either. Device Manager, like UVCView, is probably detecting the bridge, but not the drive.
Does the drive actually spin up? Can you see its model name (WDxxxxx), full capacity, serial number, etc with a utility such as HD Sentinel or HDDScan?
HD Sentinel (DOS / Windows / Linux):
http://www.hdsentinel.com/
HDDScan for Windows:
http://hddscan.com/
midgetwars, professional data recovery would probably be very expensive for those cases where the actual drive is faulty. Some drives have the USB-SATA bridge built into the drive’s PCB, so connecting the drive to a SATA motherboard is not straightforward. It can be done, but you need to hack into the SATA Tx/Rx signal pairs on the drive and make your own SATA data and power cables. Even after all that, you may be thwarted by hardware encryption in certain models.
ckg005, I’m watching your thread at HDD Guru. I’m not a data recovery professional, but I have some ideas that may help you narrow down the source of the problem. Would you be prepared to do some very minor soldering?
same as me i don’t know!! if it has a virus!! i tried another computer and still does not recognize my device!!! an i bought it a few days now!!!
So after a month the conclusion of the WD support group is, that I have to send my My Book to a repair centre, which will cost me hundreds of euro’s, with uncertain results.
This is not good for the reliability of the brand. I warned them! I won’t buy a new My Book and I think I am not the only one. They better take it back and have it repaired themselves, while there is obviously something wrong with their external drives.
I thought I stored my dearest files in a safe place, but I had better left them where they were.
If UVCView is giving a complete report, then it’s not a connection issue. The way I would test for a connection issue is to remove the drive from the case and attach it to a USB cable. Then do an end-to-end continuity test with a multimeter on the 200 ohms range. Measure the resistance between each pin at the host (computer) end and the associated pin at the drive end. You can remove the drive’s PCB if necessary, and probe the pins where they are soldered to the PCB.
Here are the USB pinouts:
http://pinouts.ru/Slots/USB_pinout.shtml
If you intend to tap into the SATA Tx/Rx pairs, then here is how to do it:
http://www.datarecoverytools.co.uk/2010/05/05/how-to-connect-and-recover-usb-only-western-digital-drives-with-hd-doctor-suite/
The only thing I would add to the above article is that the signal pairs on the PCB are arranged in the same order as for a SATA connector, ie E71 - E74 match the Tx/Rx order in the following pinout:
In my case, i the beginning it seemed to be a connection problem, for when my computer didn’t recognize the WD, I just pulled out and in the cables, and then it usually worked again. But after a while this didn’t work anymore.
Then I run the diagnostics programm of WD, which recognized my WD, said everything was ok, but it registered zero MB, which cannot be true.
A data-recovery program can often get the lost data back, at least they advertise with this promise. WD has a list of firms, which are specialized in recovering data. I have to try it and send my WD to one of them. Analizing only will cost me E 200,- .
Confirmed: USB interface issue (for mine)
I had the same problem of WD drive just stop working (light still on, drive was spinning, but computer did not recognize). Took it apart and tried different cables, power, computers, etc… Basically narrowed it down to USB with high certainty.
Whoever posted this link ( http://www.ransackery.com/western-digital-mybook-open-case-recover-data.htm)) on how to take apart WD, thanks. Can also use that link to show how to connect to computer and recover data.
Can also use Farkas’ link in above posts to rig it.
Cheap and easy method if you do not want to mess with it too much…get an USB 2.0 to SATA Converter Cable ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003MQG1UW/ref=oss_product)..) CHEAP.
More expensive but easier option, get a SATA dock ( http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Hard_Drives_External/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=A3287677&baynote_bnrank=0&baynote_irrank=1&~ck=dellSearch)..) There are cheaper docks out there than this so search for some if you end up getting a dock.
You will still have to take the WD casing and insides apart regardless, but that is not too hard. I got a dock (and the cable kit as a backup). I got a dock because of convenience - but the cheap cable kit would suffice.
It would be nice if it was easier to replace a USB interfaces though - I do not want to solder and all that (kudos to those that do though).
Lastly, if WD sells the board that has the USB connection on it where we can just replace it inside the casing, that would be good too. Not sure if they do or how much it would cost or part numbers, etc…
-TR
@Tr_____ The problem is, is that the hard drive is an inbuilt USB thing, how do we get around that?
midgetwars, even after you gain direct access to your drive via the SATA Tx/Rx pairs, as described in the article, you will still be facing a hardware encryption issue. This encryption is handled by the Initio INIC-1607E bridge chip.
If you are certain that the board is faulty, rather than the drive itself, I suspect you can use a replacement board, provided that you transfer two chips from patient to donor. However, that is only conjecture on my part. Anyway, if you can upload a detailed photo of both sides of the board, then I will be able to identify those chips for you.
One other thing to do in order to verify whether the Initio chip has sanity, is to disconnect the data or clock pin from an adjacent serial EEPROM chip (a photo would help). If the bridge chip cannot detect an external EEPROM, it will report the Product ID and Vendor ID of the chip’s manufacturer rather than the IDs of the device attached to it.
In short, it’s not a straightforward process.
I just ran the USB device viewer and got this: What does it all mean?
—===>Device Information<===—
English product name: "My Book "
ConnectionStatus:
Current Config Value: 0x01 → Device Bus Speed: High
Device Address: 0x01
Open Pipes: 2
===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x81 → Direction: IN - EndpointID: 1
bmAttributes: 0x02 → Bulk Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes
bInterval: 0x00
===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x02 → Direction: OUT - EndpointID: 2
bmAttributes: 0x02 → Bulk Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes
bInterval: 0x00
===>Device Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x12
bDescriptorType: 0x01
bcdUSB: 0x0200
bDeviceClass: 0x00 → This is an Interface Class Defined Device
bDeviceSubClass: 0x00
bDeviceProtocol: 0x00
bMaxPacketSize0: 0x40 = (64) Bytes
idVendor: 0x1058 = Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
idProduct: 0x1100
bcdDevice: 0x0175
iManufacturer: 0x01
English (United States) "Western Digital "
iProduct: 0x02
English (United States) "My Book "
iSerialNumber: 0x03
English (United States) “57442D574341553434353930373735”
bNumConfigurations: 0x01
===>Configuration Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x02
wTotalLength: 0x0020 → Validated
bNumInterfaces: 0x01
bConfigurationValue: 0x01
iConfiguration: 0x00
bmAttributes: 0xC0 → Bus Powered
MaxPower: 0x01 = 2 mA
===>Interface Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x04
bInterfaceNumber: 0x00
bAlternateSetting: 0x00
bNumEndpoints: 0x02
bInterfaceClass: 0x08 → This is a Mass Storage USB Device Interface Class
bInterfaceSubClass: 0x06
bInterfaceProtocol: 0x50
iInterface: 0x00
===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x81 → Direction: IN - EndpointID: 1
bmAttributes: 0x02 → Bulk Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes
bInterval: 0x00
===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x02 → Direction: OUT - EndpointID: 2
bmAttributes: 0x02 → Bulk Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes
bInterval: 0x00
It’s saying that the USB-SATA bridge board, or the bridge chip on the drive’s PCB, is healthy. It doesn’t say anything about the drive behind it, though.
