[SOLVED] Dead unresponsive 1Tb Western Digital USB external drive.

ocpaul20 · 07-05-2015, 07:33 AM

I have a 1TB Western Digital external USB drive which has decided to not register itself and there is no record of the USB device on my Debian Linux computer. Not from dmesg, not from lsusb, not a peep when I plug it in or unplug it. I guess it is dead as I have tried in Win XP too.

Does this mean that the hardware has failed so that the USB interface no longer works inside the drive? (tried a different cable too) I can feel it spin up so that part is working.

Is there any way I can kick it into action to allow my computer to 'see' it as a USB device?
Maybe I can play around with the libusb library and python?

If it is officially dead, what can I do if I break open the plastic case. There wont be a SATA socket in there to connect the hard drive to. Do I just have to chuck it out in the bin?

Any ideas folks.
Thanks.

TobiSGD · 07-05-2015, 07:40 AM

External disks are just internal disks enclosed into a case with a SATA-to-USB chip. If you remove the disk from the case you can use it as internal drive or just put it into one of the many available cases for external use.

ocpaul20 · 07-05-2015, 08:13 AM

Ok thanks for the help there, so I can try to disassemble the drive but what about poking the drive with software? Although obviously if the problem is hardware then I need to take it apart to have any chance of making it work. I suppose I would be not doing anything other than the OS is doing when it tries to interrogate the device when it is plugged in.

TobiSGD · 07-05-2015, 09:29 AM

When you see no signs of the device using dmesg there is not much you can do with software, likely the electronics in the case are malfunctioning.

rokytnji · 07-05-2015, 10:09 AM

If it is dropped and hits the floor. It morphs into a new door stop.
The platters shatter even though the lights turn on so it looks like it is working.

Parted Magic iso is what I use to decide if it has become a door stop or not.
https://partedmagic.com/programs/

Edit: Forgot to mention. I pull out the drive out of the enclosure like was mentioned by TOBISGD and install it internally on a desktop computer before testing with parted magic live iso tools. Those tools can be used in other distros. I just find it easier and quicker to go with something that has all those tools already included. The price of a six pack of beer can be gone without to buy a wrench for a tool box.

ardvark71 · 07-05-2015, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokytnji

The platters shatter even though the lights turn on so it looks like it is working.

I remember a day when platters used to be made out of aluminum (or some metal like that.) I used to work for HMT Technologies back in 1999 and 2000 and my department was responsible for polishing the metal disks that later became hard drive platters.

Regards...

John VV · 07-05-2015, 12:30 PM

Quote:

I guess it is dead as I have tried in Win XP too.

i would not use XP to test it

it would be like trying to " charge " your Tesla EV WITH Gasoline

XP will only see it if your drive is the Microsoft OWNED / Patented / Copyrighted NTFS format
yes it will see fat 16 and 32 but would you really format a 1 tb drive to FAT ???

XP never supported NON microsoft drive formats

so first
WHAT format is this drive ?

fatmac · 07-05-2015, 12:51 PM

Might just be a bad internal cable connection, suggest you open the external drive case & test, then if that's not the problem, try the disk in another machine or external drive case, or try another disk in the external drive case.

ocpaul20 · 07-06-2015, 04:48 AM

The disk had partitions for fat and ext3 as I wanted to use it on Windows as well.

I have removed the disk from its case and it registered in dmesg as follows:

Code:

[36621.308857] usb 1-1.2: new high-speed USB device number 4 using ehci-pci
[36621.402268] usb 1-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=1058, idProduct=1042
[36621.402285] usb 1-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=5
[36621.402287] usb 1-1.2: Product: Elements 1042
[36621.402289] usb 1-1.2: Manufacturer: Western Digital
[36621.402291] usb 1-1.2: SerialNumber: 575834314138325331313732
[36621.402957] usb-storage 1-1.2:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[36621.403105] scsi7 : usb-storage 1-1.2:1.0
[36622.401179] scsi 7:0:0:0: Direct-Access     WD       Elements 1042    1015 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
[36622.401584] sd 7:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0
[36622.405965] sd 7:0:0:0: [sdd] Spinning up disk...
[36623.408010] ......ready
[36628.439282] sd 7:0:0:0: [sdd] 1953519616 512-byte logical blocks: (1.00 TB/931 GiB)
[36628.440274] sd 7:0:0:0: [sdd] Write Protect is off
[36628.440279] sd 7:0:0:0: [sdd] Mode Sense: 47 00 10 08
[36628.441253] sd 7:0:0:0: [sdd] No Caching mode page found
[36628.441257] sd 7:0:0:0: [sdd] Assuming drive cache: write through
[36628.456115]  sdd: sdd1 sdd2 sdd3 sdd4
[36628.459889] sd 7:0:0:0: [sdd] Attached SCSI disk
[36862.552413] usb 1-1.2: USB disconnect, device number 4
[36862.555868] scsi 7:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to offline device
[36862.555873] scsi 7:0:0:0: [sdd] killing request
[36862.555883] scsi 7:0:0:0: [sdd] Unhandled error code
[36862.555885] scsi 7:0:0:0: [sdd]  
[36862.555887] Result: hostbyte=DID_NO_CONNECT driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[36862.555889] scsi 7:0:0:0: [sdd] CDB: 
[36862.555890] Read(10): 28 00 06 1a 87 80 00 00 08 00
[36862.555899] end_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 102401920
[36862.555902] Buffer I/O error on device sdd1, logical block 12799984
[36862.556068] Buffer I/O error on device sdd1, logical block 12799984

it is definitely spinning but no sign of sdd drive. It mounted and then unmounted itself. Looks like a buffer or sector problem. Can anyone clarify please?

Code:

# lsusb
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0781:5567 SanDisk Corp. Cruzer Blade (memory stick)
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 413c:2003 Dell Computer Corp. Keyboard
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 0461:4d15 Primax Electronics, Ltd Dell Optical Mouse
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

TobiSGD · 07-06-2015, 06:58 AM

Attach the disk to the mainboard, then run the following command as root

Code:

smartctl -a /dev/sdd

Please post the output here.

ocpaul20 · 07-07-2015, 01:01 AM

Today when I tried it, it looks a little better. However, still a disconnect shown. The plug inside consists of 12 pins, then the other end of the USB cable I have connected, then 2 pins (possibly for a jumper?) Like this here.
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/6...lementsse1.jpg

dmesg

Code:

[14191.641999] usb 1-1.4: new high-speed USB device number 3 using ehci-pci
[14191.735756] usb 1-1.4: New USB device found, idVendor=1058, idProduct=1042
[14191.735760] usb 1-1.4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=5
[14191.735763] usb 1-1.4: Product: Elements 1042
[14191.735765] usb 1-1.4: Manufacturer: Western Digital
[14191.735767] usb 1-1.4: SerialNumber: 575834314138325331313732
[14191.736358] usb-storage 1-1.4:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[14191.736471] scsi6 : usb-storage 1-1.4:1.0
[14192.734255] scsi 6:0:0:0: Direct-Access     WD       Elements 1042    1015 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
[14192.734587] sd 6:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[14192.738918] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Spinning up disk...
[14193.741242] .......ready
[14199.764121] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] 1953519616 512-byte logical blocks: (1.00 TB/931 GiB)
[14199.765134] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off
[14199.765139] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Mode Sense: 47 00 10 08
[14199.766115] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] No Caching mode page found
[14199.766117] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Assuming drive cache: write through
[14199.776907]  sdc: sdc1 sdc2 sdc3 sdc4
[14199.780621] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI disk
[14208.727433] usb 1-1.4: USB disconnect, device number 3
[14208.928795] usb 1-1.4: new high-speed USB device number 4 using ehci-pci
[14210.344476] usb 1-1.4: new high-speed USB device number 5 using ehci-pci

Code:

root@debian:~# smartctl -a /dev/sdc
bash: smartctl: command not found

TobiSGD · 07-07-2015, 04:04 AM

OK, this is the first time I encounter such a disk, this disk does not have a SATA connector, but an inbuilt USB 3.0 connector. A short search on the net for the disks model number shows that there is a massive amount of people with problems similar to yours, up to the point that people provide information how to remove the USB connectors and solder on SATA connectors instead.
If you still have warranty return the drive, otherwise I wouldn't waste much time with that disk and buy a new one.

ocpaul20 · 07-07-2015, 07:23 AM

Thanks for all your help. I will mark the thread solved as I think we have probably gone as far as we can go without me getting the soldering iron out and having a go at it. I have learned not to buy WD external disk drive next time !! Shame as they used to be a good make.