HDD not recognized by xp

Help!

While running, my external storage drive lost connection to XP. It
was plugged in and running fine. I keep photos, os-backups, programs,
etc. on it. It was making this repeated revving-up and then 'click'
on failure to connect to XP. XP does not recognize it at all.

Then, on re-boot, if the drive is running at startup, the OS hangs
until I turn the drive off; (so the OS must be detecting something
there, right?)

if I plug it in after the re-booting process, it appears as if the
storage drive is trying to communicate with the OS but cannot get
through. (same rev-up and click sound). This reaction occurs on 2
separate systems, so I do not think it's an OS or other problem with
the laptop its running on.

I have no way of diagnosing it without a connection, and there is no
connection. I'm stumped. Any ideas??????? (the drive is a maxtor
diamond-max 300gb)

Jim

Previously jim wrote:
Help!

While running, my external storage drive lost connection to XP. It
was plugged in and running fine. I keep photos, os-backups, programs,
etc. on it. It was making this repeated revving-up and then 'click'
on failure to connect to XP. XP does not recognize it at all.

Likely drive hardware failure. Looks like another Maxtor that died
from heat, as they are so well known to do.

Then, on re-boot, if the drive is running at startup, the OS hangs
until I turn the drive off; (so the OS must be detecting something
there, right?)

if I plug it in after the re-booting process, it appears as if the
storage drive is trying to communicate with the OS but cannot get
through. (same rev-up and click sound). This reaction occurs on 2
separate systems, so I do not think it's an OS or other problem with
the laptop its running on.

I have no way of diagnosing it without a connection, and there is no
connection. I'm stumped. Any ideas??????? (the drive is a maxtor
diamond-max 300gb)

Use professional data recovery. Will cost money, but might get
you your data back. Mess around with it yourself some more,
and you will just drive the cost of recovery up and the chances
down.


Arno