I have a Western Digital MyBook Studio Edition II 2TB Firewire 400 / 800 & eSata External Hard Drive. Label says WD P/N WD200000H2Q - 00. It contains a lot of family photos but I lost the power supply and then the drive itself got tidied away many years ago. Now, I have found it and I would dearly love to get it working again and recover the photos. WD support said the following 12 Volts 3.0 Amps 36 Watts power supply would work https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07HQ2VKPK and provided the relevant page for the software (https://support-en.wd.com/app/products/product-detailweb/p/242) but now I am wondering about incompatibility with Windows 11 and concerned that the drive itself may be stuck (heads/platters). Can the community help me get it working again, please? Thanks.
Hello, @choiceadvantage
It’s great that you’ve found your Western Digital MyBook Studio Edition II and are looking to recover your family photos! Here are some steps and considerations to help you get it working again:
Power Supply
The power supply recommended by WD (12 Volts, 3.0 Amps, 36 Watts) should work fine for your drive. You can purchase it from the link provided.
Compatibility with Windows 11
The MyBook Studio Edition II should be compatible with Windows 11, especially if you connect it via USB. However, since it uses older interfaces like FireWire and eSATA, you might need to ensure your current system supports these connections or use appropriate adapters.
Steps to Recover Your Data
Connect the Drive: Use the recommended power supply and connect the drive to your computer using USB, FireWire, or eSATA.
Check Disk Management: Once connected, open Disk Management in Windows 11 to see if the drive is recognized. If it is, you might need to assign a drive letter.
Data Recovery Software: If the drive is recognized but you can’t access the files, consider using data recovery software like Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery, or WD’s own recovery tools.
Potential Issues
Stuck Heads/Platters: If the drive has been unused for a long time, the heads or platters might be stuck. In such cases, professional data recovery services might be necessary.
Firmware Updates: Check if there are any firmware updates available for your drive on the WD support page
Hope this will help you.
Best regards,
florence023
Hi florence023. It does help a lot! Thanks for taking the time to respond. If the drive is not recognised, could I just take out the drive from the My Studio II and swap it into a modern 2.5 or 3.5 inch enclosure (as applicable)? Because then I figure I would be relying on the software that comes with the enclosure and that would overcome the My Book Studio II not being recognised by Windows 11 (if that is the case, given that the My Book Studio II itself is only listed as being compatible with Windows PCs and Laptops running XP or Visa or other legacy versions). If you agree, I think I would also have to ensure that the enclosure is compatible with the size and interface of the drive inside the My Studio II (e.g., SATA). Is that right? Is there anything else I have not thought about? The drive has been stored in a loose plastic bag in a cupboard, at room temperature (so in darkness usually at between, say, 16-21 celsius, except in summer where the ambient temperature may have risen to say 28 celsius) so I am hoping it is unlikely to have suffered dust and moisture that might cause a problem of heads getting stuck. Thanks a lot for your help.
