Maxtor One Touch entry problems.

4Nmissile

I own a Maxtor 80G one touch external hard drive. I have never had problems with it and have never saved bad programs or files on it. I have not ever dropped it or damaged it. I have never hooked it up to my computer when I was on the internet either. I only use it as a back up. It is only 3 or 4 years old now. However, within the past month I have hooke it up to my laptop a few times but I can't get into it. I have never had problems getting into the drive until now. My computer shows it in "My Computer" as drive G and when I go in and check the drives it says that it is running fine. However, when I click on the "G" drive it won't open up and I get an error message that says,"G:\ is not accessible.

The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error."

I did a search for that message on google and it brought up a few sites. Most had people who said the drive was fine, but the door to get in was closed. They said that you needed a backdoor to get in and get the files on the drive. They then recommended a few sites and companies that get files off of drives that have been damaged, on fire or anything else where the user can't get in themselves. They also recommended using KNOPPIX from Linux if they did not want to go the expensive route of sending off their drive to a company. I do have KNOPPIX although I have not used it yet and am not sure quite how to use it. I have tried to load it up, but it is such a large program that it takes too long to boot on my laptop so I always end up shutting down the program (KNOPPIX). Do you have any advice or pointers on getting into my Maxtor or retrieving files from it?

Thelemech

How about uninstalling and then reinstalling the Maxtor One Touch Software? Can you scan the drive with an anti-virus or anti-spyware program? You could also download Ubuntu Linux Live Cd as a bootable Iso and see if you can access the drive with it.

kryyst

Do you have another computer you can test it on. That will rule out where the problem lies.

4Nmissile

I do not own another computer other than my laptop so testing with another is out of the question. There is a local computer shop that might test it for me, but I don't know if they would charge me. I don't think it is the software. I only installed it the first time I hooked up the drive to my computer a few years ago. Since then, everytime I re-install windows and have started from scratch on the laptop I just plug the drive itself into the computer. I don't install the software disk as the laptop has always auto-installed it as a drive. I have never tried scanning it. Whenever I have it connected it won't load up and it slows my computer down big time. Also, if the G drive icon shows up (which is 50/50) and I click on it then it stops everything trying to load the files in the drive. That is when I get the message saying "device error". I will try a scan though to see if it does anything. What is "Ubuntu Linux Live Cd" and where do I download it? Also, I should mention that I'm not familiar at all with Iso's or how to use them. I have never used the KNOPPIX Iso that I have either only tried to load it. It is such a huge file though that after about ten minutes of waiting I have always just shut it down. Aren't Iso's image files anyway? I have read that you have to burn them to a CD in order to use them unless you have a program like MagicIso that makes you computer think that the Iso isn't in fact an Iso. That is what I have read although I am not sure if it is true.

Thelemech

Here are some links

How to burn an Iso for free
http://icrontic.com/articles/burn_iso_disc_image_free

and a link to Download Ubuntu.

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Thelemech

4Nmissile wrote:

Whenever I have it connected it won't load up and it slows my computer down big time. Also, if the G drive icon shows up (which is 50/50) and I click on it then it stops everything trying to load the files in the drive. That is when I get the message saying "device error".

You may have an infected (spyware/virus{hidden in a backed up file}) or a dying external HD ... you did say it was 3 to 4 years old, though Maxtor usually is more reliable than that. How about installing the one touch software and see if that gives you access to the drive?

kryyst

IRight now I'd suggest as Thelmech mentioned install the one touch drivers and see if you can access it through windows. If that doesn't work go the linux route and boot up off a live cd and see if you can read the drive. That will at least rule out bad hardware if it works. If you still can't read it though, it sounds like it's a dying drive. Device I/O errors are generally just that, physical errors on the drive. Sometimes you can repair them and get around it. But they'll keep coming back.

The other unfortunate state is that the best way to fix them is to connect them as an internal drive to a real PC. Because that way you can get direct access to the drive without having to go through the USB interface and it's related drivers.

Realistically you may be able to save it. But the odds are against you.

4Nmissile

I tried scanning the drive with several programs. The only one that actually showed a scan though was AVG. All AVG showed was "Object: G:\
Result: Cannot open; not checked". I will try the software disk now and see what it does. If that doesn't work then I will try the Ubuntu. I will keep you posted on my progress. I was wondering though. You all recommend Ubuntu, which I will try, but what about the KNOPPIX? Is it a good one to use or should I just delete it from my laptop? What is the diference between KNOPPIX and Ubuntu?

4Nmissile

I tried installing the software, but it did not work. The Retrospect programs are all there but the drive is still giving me the I/O device error and not letting me in. I downloaded the Ubuntu and will try that to see if it works.

kryyst

Knoppix and Ubuntu are similar, there is no real advantage of using one over the other in this case.

4Nmissile

OK, I tried to open up Ubuntu but I couldn't. I used my MagicIso program to open up Knoppix in the past, however, it was only a 45 day trial version. When I went to load it and run Ubuntu it said that my trial was over. I don't have any other programs that will run it on here that I know of. Should I burn it to a CD and then load it up that way or can I just run it on my PC from within? Let me know and I will check if it will work on my Maxtor asap.

4Nmissile

Sorry it is taking so long to try out the Ubuntu. Between work, sleep and school it is hard to find time to burn the CD. I will do it tomorrow and try it out. I'll post what happened also.

4Nmissile

OK, I got the Ubuntu CD burnt however, I am lost. I booted it up and it shows 11 folders (.disk, bin, casper, disctree, dists, install, isolinux, pics, pool, preseed and programs) as well as 9 other files (autorun.inf, md5sum.txt, README.diskdefines, start.bmp, start.exe, start.ini, ubuntu (which is 0 bytes), ubuntu.ico and wubi-cdboot.exe. Where do I go in here? I clicked on the ubuntu.ico but it was just a preview of the image. I clicked on start.exe but it just loaded up Firefox and three other web programs that needed installed. Where do I go to search for a drive or see if I can get into my Maxtor external?

4Nmissile

It seems like whenever I think I will have time to try out Ubuntu I end up having loads of college assignments to do for the week. I have enrolled in five classes and so far the work load has been very heavy. Next quarter I will not take as many. Not trying to ramble about my problems here, just letting you all know why I have not been able to post on my own thread. I will try and get it going on here if I can although it might take a while or at least till I have a good amount of free time. I would like to thank all those who have been helpful with info and processes to help with my problem. I will try to keep this updated. Sorry for the delays.

kryyst

with Ubuntu up and running then plug in your usb drive and it should detect it and read it.

4Nmissile

I took the external to a local computer shop that does custom set-ups to go in to it. They said that they tried several different methods, but were unsuccessful in getting inside. The guy did say that he was able to see that there were files on it though and it seemed like the memory was OK, just that the connection board was the problem. They recommended that I send it off to one of those companies that can get files off even if the computer has been fried. They recommended one called Total Recall.

_k

Um if the data is really needed, besides the fact it is outside of RMA policy. You can just crack open the casing and hook it up to a USB cable to allow you to access the data on the drive if the hardware in the case is gone bad and save some money.

Leonardo

What K is saying is that what's contained inside the plastic shell is an ordinary hard drive. It is connected by an interface electronics card/board to the OneTouch system - the casing. You should be able to remove that hard drive from the casing and install it in another empty USB hard drive enclosure. You could also install it as a slave/secondary drive in your computer, or even easier, just connect your computer's CD/DVD drive's ribbon and power cables to the drive. Fire up the computer and perhaps you'll see the drive and it's contents.

just that the connection board was the problem

I'm assuming that means the interface between the hard drive and the OneTouch housing.

4Nmissile

That is what the computer shop tried doing. The casing was already taken apart by them with no luck in retrieving the files.

4Nmissile

This is a long time coming, but I ended up having to take it in to one of my professors. He has something that the government uses to get files off of computers. With that he was able to salvage the majority of what was on my Maxtor. Whatever it was that he used, he said it could get files off of hard drives that had been burnt, scratched, etc. The kind of thing Men in Black use

Straight_Man

Um, happy you got the files back. For future reference, try getting a WD MyBook for an external drive(I have one of those which is about 4 years old and going strong still). They are not the fastest but are quite durable.

I have a Seagate Technology external HD (GoFlex Desk) which is somehow defective-- it is about six months old, and I am working with Seagate tech support about it. They have the advantage of having separate USB and power circuitry modules which are pull-off-the-HD-module type of things. Seagate Tech support will be sending me a new one of those and it should be en-route today, to arrive Wednesday. If doing that fixes things, I should have my data intact on the external drive.

Seagate Technology bought Maxtor's HD division and supports them also now. That is how that relates to Maxtor. Side note: Seagate also now owns Samsung's HD division.

4Nmissile

Thanks for the info Straight_Man. The funny thing is a actually bought a WD external not long after I started talking to my professor about him getting my files off the Maxtor. I needed a drive to put the files on and the WD was highly recommended. The Maxtor was only a few years old, and I only used it a handful of times. I never dropped it or set anything on top of it. There is no reason in my mind why it wouldn't let me in or anyone else. Unless a portion of the internal hardware circuitry degraded out of some one in a million type chance. Good luck with yours.