How to Repair or Salvage an External Hard Drive (EHD), in many cases
- 1
First things first! Unplug any and ALL cables to the EHD that is not working. Examine the case for tips on how to open the case. You may need to slice open a warranty sticker, using the exacto knife. - 2
Using a screwdriver, carefully remove any screws. Gently open the case. You may need to pry some cases with a flat head screwdriver, but use gentle pressure. I would recommend opening the case over a sofa or something soft so the hard drive does not fall out and go "klunk" on the table or worse, the floor! - 3
IDE pinning
Gently remove the hard drive, and unplug the cables. There may be one or two cables, a flat ribbon cable and perhaps a power cable. If you are not sure whether you have an IDE or SATA drive, now is when you can examine the pinning. SATA drives have 40 pins in one row, and are small. IDE drives have 40 pins in two rows and measure close to 2 inches.
Purchase the compatible new enclosure according to the type you need. These can be found online (search on Google for external hard drive enclosures and add SATA or IDE to the search terms), or pick up a new case at a local electronics store. Cost is qround $30 depending on the desired bells and whistles. - 4
SATA pinning size
Once you have the new case, insert the hard drive you removed from the old case, carefullu lining up the pins. There will be a small tab on the ribbon cable connector to prevent you from inserting it upside down. Look at the pinning area on the hard drive and align it with the pinning on the cable. Gently push it in securely. Attach any other cables, and place the hard drive into the case. Close up the case, and plug in the power cable. Next plug in the USB cord and attach to your PC or laptop. Voila, your data is saved, in most cases.
