My seagate freeagent can´t be found by the computer.

[Greg King]

What do you mean? If you have it hooked up correctly, SATA data and power, all you should have to do is go into your Disk Management console and initialize the disk.

Right click on My Computer > manage > Disk Management

Find the newly installed internal hard drive in the list, right click on it and follow the few steps.

 

[hiyman]

What do you mean? If you have it hooked up correctly, SATA data and power, all you should have to do is go into your Disk Management console and initialize the disk.

Right click on My Computer > manage > Disk Management

Find the newly installed internal hard drive in the list, right click on it and follow the few steps.

I took the drive out of my Seagate external drive and I want to check if the drive works. I want to hook it up to my desktop but the connections are different. I know a few other people on here did that and I was wondering how they did it.

 

[doubleyoo]

I have been reading through this thread, which is just about the only thread on the subject I have been able to find and I am starting to lose hope that my drive will work again. Here is my problem, I hope that some of you can offer some advice. I have the 320gb freeagent desktop drive and sometime within the last 24 hours it has given up on living. The only thing that happens when I plug it in is the flashing orange light. There are no beeps or clicks or anything coming from the drive or my computer (i'm on a mac). I will even hold the drive up to my ear when I plug in the power and there isnt even the slightest noise coming from the entire case. Just that damn flashing orange light. I have tried plugging it into other computers and its the exact same thing. I have about 250 gigs worth of files on it and like an idiot I use the drive as the primary location for those files instead of a backup. Anyway, am I screwed? does the complete lack of any noise mean that it is completely dead? Should I try taking it out and putting it in another case? Oh and I have had the drive for less than 2 months. Any input is will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[delonge_hoppus]

Seagate 500gb of Doom

This is definately the worst buy I've ever had the misfortune of paying out for.

I've had the same problem as a lot of you guys and I just wanted to post my frustration with it. I bought mine maybe 5 months ago and it's been brilliant. I use it as a backup to my laptop but up until December I just kept putting things on it instead of my computer and now my drive ceases to be recognised.

The light stays on but nobodys home. It occasionally likes to beep at me but doesn't power down or anything. I was wondering if someone could give me a quick summary of my options bareing in mind that I'm not 100% sure I have the skills to dissmantle it and locate the data and stuff myself without alot of help.

I know people have already been through alot of what i'm asking but if anyone can summarise it would be good. Thanks loads.

Simon.

 

[Nick1696]

You are screwed!

If you are not able to disasibal the drive your best bet is to pay a computer shop to try to retrieve your data and that will cost a lot!!! I would try to remove the drive from the case and put it in the extra HD slot of a desk top. But your drive sounds as if it has the same simtams as mine did and that means that you are SCREWED you will haft to pay some one a few grand to take the disks out in a clean room and put them in to a new drive!

So those are your options.

Good luck

 

[interpretasl]

I'm stuck too

I got the same thing. Seagate Desktop and my wife unplugged it from one computer and attempted to plug it into another and that was all it wrote. I hear, what I think is the fan, and an attempt to read the drive, but both of my computers, laptop and desktop, aren't even seeing the drive.

It's still under warranty, but I've got all kinds of "stuff" on it.

Any suggestions?

 

[Rob Williams]

I still can't believe there are so many problems with these drives. interpretasl, if you are brave, you could tear it open manually and recover data that way. The smarter thing might be to call Seagate up and ask them what to do. Maybe if you send them your drive, they'll just put it in a new enclosure and your data will remain intact.

 

[trebius]

Dead controller or dead drive?

I too have just been stung by this terrible design! Had mine for only a couple of months and it was working fine, despite my hammering if with fairly heavy useage, but a few days ago it finally decided to break on me. It gives me that dreaded Delayed Write Failed message and won't let me access any files on it, although I can usually see the directories and some of the files if I try and access the drive. I've tried it on two computers with the same result so I'm pretty certain it's the drive. Does that sound like a controller issue or an issue with the drive itself? I'm tempted to try opening up the enclosure to steal the drive to use as another internal sata drive but I don't particularly want to void the warranty if the drive itself is already dead!

trebius.

 

[Kougar]

That msg would be due to the drive itself.

A friend of mine owns a Freeagent drive... it routinely spins itself down after so many minutes as a power saving measure, and Windows gives him that exact same error message. He discovered that it was a "feature" of these drives... the "Freeagent Pro" versions are the only ones that let you keep the drive from powering itself down.

 

[trebius]

The last time I checked my drive was set to a 15 min power save shutdown and as the error occurs seconds after the drive is connected I don't believe this to be the cause of the problem. Even if it is the software to change it won't recognise the drive after the delayed write failed error in any case and so there's not much I could do to change it. When connecting the drive the XP autorun scans the files and folders as it does when any new storage is detected but halts after it has scanned some of the files and then a few seconds later gives a Delayed Write Failed message, usually pertaining to the MFT. If I try and access the drive after this I can usually see all the folders but can only see files inside the folders that were successfully scanned during the initial autorun and even then can't open any of them. This again leads me to suspect the controller rather than the drive. I'm just loathe to crack open the enclosure to access the files I have stored on there if there's a possibility that the drive is faulty and won't be of any use even if I install it internally. On the other hand I'm not sure I even want a replacement if the same thing is going to happen to it in a few months time! Oh the agony of choice...

 

[kwits]

Seagate FreeAgent Desktop 500gig: No longer detected

Good Day,

I have had my FreeAgent Desktop drive for about 6 months and have not had any problems until recently when I had to reset the power on the drive just before booting to Windows because the OS would not detect and mount the drive. Also, even when the drive was mounted after a few hours of use, it begins to fail with MFT write errors. I have run internal diagnostics on the drive and have not found any errors. I have also updated the drivers for my USB controllers but now the drive still is not detected when I plug in the USB cable. I have read this forum and am not sure what to do. I have bought another FreeAgent drive in hopes of copying over my data.

Regards,
Keith

 

[doob]

Im gutted!

just found the forum and thread and a previous post is like mine.
Grinding noise almost like 'the bearings have gone' If you turn it on its side the speed increases (vibrates a lot) and eventually stops...then a small electrical beep as if somethings trips out.Its like its trying to speed up
Yeh It did get knocked onto its side by accident (carpet too) earlier tonight but I didnt expect it to kill it.I must point out it stands on wood to not over heat,and no nothing is backed up.Just cant believe I bought my new computer today to transfer the 500gig of stuff onto it so it would be backed up.Music/photos/and loads of films. I dont think i can send it to seagate due to copyright laws with whats on the drive.7 yrs gone....gutted, absolutely gutted

Is it all gone???
Advise please.

 

[doob]

By the way its about 1yr old ,what a pile of crap wont be buying anything seagate again..

 

[doob]

well ripped it apart,the casing that is so Ive just got the hard drive itself connected.Same thing,its like it trys to get up to speed but cant,as if the motors knackered??? could this be a possibility (i know nothing about hard drives) also if anyone thinks I can recover the data can anyone in the UK recomend someone .
Many thanks in advance,
Oh yeh and only 4 screw on mine which were the metal housing covering the circuit board,everything else was cheap and nasty clip together crap.I am so sorry that I ever bought this drive

 

[Merlin]

well ripped it apart,the casing that is so Ive just got the hard drive itself connected.Same thing,its like it trys to get up to speed but cant,as if the motors knackered??? could this be a possibility (i know nothing about hard drives) also if anyone thinks I can recover the data can anyone in the UK recomend someone .
Many thanks in advance,
Oh yeh and only 4 screw on mine which were the metal housing covering the circuit board,everything else was cheap and nasty clip together crap.I am so sorry that I ever bought this drive

Any kind of storage we can use can have problems, we may buy a good item and in the next box of the same item ....well, it may be the lemon.
For best storagem burn to DVD/CD disks, if they are that important.
We all have lost files and media in some way....
And I have been at fault as well.... I need to burn files myself right now
Good luck in getting your files back....I'd like to have some of my files back as well.

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

 

[Kougar]

Doob, it would probably ruin your warranty but you can take the hard drive out of the thing, and plug it directly into a SATA port on your motherboard.

With any luck it will work for you if the drive controller in the external box is somehow bad... but if the problem is indeed the motor for the drive then this won't help. It's worth a shot if you want the data though... there should be some guides on doing this.

Found one: http://blog.thydzik.com/how-to-disassemble-a-seagate-freeagent-pro/

 

[doob]

Yeh its not the case or the drive controller. The rattles bigtime inside ,it trys to spin and does spin slowly but makes a bad noise and stops.If you then tilt it, it trys again,myself I think its knackered.

Ive had a look at a place that can recover data,but to be honest I think its just a harsh lesson learnt

 

[Merlin]

Yeh its not the case or the drive controller. The rattles bigtime inside ,it trys to spin and does spin slowly but makes a bad noise and stops.If you then tilt it, it trys again,myself I think its knackered.

Ive had a look at a place that can recover data,but to be honest I think its just a harsh lesson learnt

I think those spin on it's side...maybe if you try to take it out and use the SATA connection with computer,on a level surface.

I hope you can get your files back.

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

 

[doob]

Ive tried it every way up you can imagine.Its derinately goosed.

The recovery companys Ive looked at are very pricey so it would'nt be immediately if I do decide to go down that route....but a question if I did.

Does anyone know what their position is with regards to 'copywrite'
files that I have, mp3's,Movies etc? and I don't mean just a few.

This was one of my reasons for not bothering to get intouch with Sagem`

 

[Merlin]

Ive tried it every way up you can imagine.Its derinately goosed.

The recovery companys Ive looked at are very pricey so it would'nt be immediately if I do decide to go down that route....but a question if I did.

Does anyone know what their position is with regards to 'copywrite'
files that I have, mp3's,Movies etc? and I don't mean just a few.

This was one of my reasons for not bothering to get intouch with Sagem`

Well, this is a touchy question......If you did take it to the company and they got your files back, they could report you for having Copyrighted materials. A heavy fine or probation...or...just a warning like they did with someone at work for having movies.
Best thing to do is to just rent the movies, watch them and turn back in......there's only so many times you want to watch them anyway and you can have a clear consious.
Lawyers these days want to also take you to the cleaners.

Now feel better and just rent the movies.

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage: