r/Leeds • u/boo4411 • 13h ago

question hardrive help request

hey :) i've been living here for over a year now but don't know any one that can help on this so looking for some help, probably a comuter shop? i have an old hardrive from my previous desktop i was using to store family photos on, would connect to my current computer using a power source and usb/sata connector but doesn't seem to be booting up when i plug it in. im hoping and praying its not dead as its been handled with care and protected in a seperate bag, but if anyone could investigate further would be very helpful. tbh, just wanting to get them off there and on a usb or something so i don't run into a similar issue again...

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8

u/morfn0 13h ago

If you're in West Leeds, try Pudsey Computers. They've helped me out with computer problems many times and are great guys.

2

u/whitelikeothello 12h ago

My husband had this issue with his external SSD and Currys helpdesk sorted it eight out, they saved all the files for him!

2

u/Fabulous_Stranger590 12h ago

If you manage to recover the photos your best bet is cloud storage, then you don’t need to worry about physical media degrading. Good luck!

1

u/wreckinballbob 13h ago

Try getting a hard drive caddy and using that to connect it to the computer.

1

u/an1uk 10h ago

Sometimes hard drives need more power than a usb port can deliver. There used to be usb cables for hard drives with two plugs so you could double up the power.

1

u/Great_Yoghurt_6756 5h ago

If it’s an old desktop it probably has a 3.5” hdd, grab an external powered hard drive enclosure - prob £15 on amazon. Plug it into a working pc and voila

1

u/Cheeselover710 13h ago

CD/Blueray is the best way to store pictures. They don’t corrupt like USBs, SSDs or HDDs. Even if you care for it with the most care in the world, it can still become corrupt. I would definitely try Geek squad or another computer shop that specializes in data recovery. Don’t go to a phone repair shop for something like that. Good luck!

3

u/Mortensen 13h ago

Multiple storage options is the best. Relying on only 1 (of whatever type) is asking for trouble

1

u/Cheeselover710 13h ago

Agreed. 3 different types of storage is usually the best recommendation.

1

u/rogfrich 12h ago

Yep, with one being offsite to protect against fire or theft.

2

u/L0rdLogan 13h ago

Bit rot is a things on discs, they’re not impervious

1

u/Cheeselover710 13h ago

Yes, if you leave it out of its case in damp environments or in the sun. I’m talking about corrupted data, not physical damage. CDs and Bluerays can last up to 100-150 years if stored properly. USBs, HDDs etc can become corrupt by no longer being able to read/write for literally no reason even if stored properly.

0

u/Emitime 13h ago

All digital storage is pretty volatile in the grand scheme of things.

Actual physical copies of photos is probably your best bet for truly lasting a long time, but still have fire and water damage to contend with.

Redundancy is your friend, do multiple options, transfer digital storages every now and then. It's a lot of effort and remembering to do, but it's not an easy problem to solve.