Member Avatar for nafri

I own a maxtor 120gb 7200 ulta ata/133 hard drive. I have used it for the last 3 months without any problems. I am using it for video editing purposes and have large files on it. This morning, my computer would not recognize it. It comes back with E: not accessible. I checked the plugs. Nothing. I have a laptop XP and cannot run PowerMax since I don't have a floppy drive. I am new to PC world (ex Mac-user) and I am afraid that I might have lost 3 long months of work. Please help me!!!

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Dani AI

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Short, practical recovery checklist based on the thread so far (building on , and ). The priority is: do no harm to the data, check the enclosure/interface and the OS view of the disk, then attempt safe fixes or recovery.

  1. Hardware quick checks
  • Try a different USB cable, another USB port, or another PC. If the drive has its own power adapter, make sure it is firmly connected.
  • Listen for normal spin/noise. Clicking or no-spin strongly suggests a hardware fault—stop and consider professional recovery.
  1. Look at Windows (do not format)
  • Open Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) to see whether the disk/partition shows, has a drive letter, or is marked RAW/unallocated. If it is just missing a letter you can assign one; if it is RAW or shows errors, do not format.
  1. Safe file-system fixes and imaging
  • If the volume is visible with a letter and you get the parameter error, try a file-system check:
    chkdsk E: /f

    Replace E: with the actual letter. Note: if the partition looks RAW or files are critical, avoid running chkdsk before making an image—chkdsk can make some corruptions harder to recover.

  1. Recovery tools and next steps
  • If the partition table or file system is damaged, use partition-recovery (TestDisk) or file-recovery (PhotoRec, commercial tools) on an image, not the original disk.
  • If the USB bridge/enclosure is suspected, try the drive in a different enclosure or with an IDE/SATA adapter (warranty/voiding caveat).

If data is irreplaceable and the disk shows mechanical symptoms, stop and use a professional service. If not urgent, make an image first, then run recovery tools on the copy.

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Member Avatar for sa_shadow

Running an external hdd.....hmm.....through USB? Firewire? What?

Member Avatar for nafri

through usb

Member Avatar for Monte

Ok here could be the problem. Most likly your files are still on the hardrive so all is not lost. Try plugging your USB into another port on your computer. It should identify it, install the right drivers, and work. It will not be formatted UNLESS you tell it to in an option. So watch out. In the mean time, i'll try to find some guides for you.

Member Avatar for nafri

Thank God atleast I have not lost any files. I plugged into another port, reinstalled MaxBlast 3 and still the same message, E: drive is not accessible, the parameter is incorrect.

I appreciate all your help.

Thank you.

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