External harddrive not working, burning smell, can I retrive my data or repair it?

[0ochello0]

I have a LaCie 500gb external harddrive that I use to back up my laptop and store large files. It has its own power supply and connects to my computer by USB. The other day I plugged it into the power supply and noticed it wouldnt turn on and there was an electrical burning smell coming from the plug on the harddrive. Is it possible that it is just the plug damaged and my data is still ok? Can I remove the data from the harddrive somehow? Would it be worth trying to get someone to repair it or should I just buy a new one?

I don't know alot about this sort of thing and any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks

 

[haikumar]

Yes Ur Harddisk Is Damaged Nothing will be retrive from It

 

[Rick]

Yes Ur Harddisk Is Damaged Nothing will be retrive from It

What a useless comment.

Anyway, your data may still be retrievable. External hard drives are two parts -- a regular ol' internal hard drive like the one you'll find in your computer and the enclosure (the fancy box which contains it).

Chances are, the electronics burned out on your external enclosure. That does not mean your hard drive is dead. You should look into taking apart your external drive so that you can remove the internal hard drive and either connect it to your computer or place inside another external hard drive enclosure (A cheap one costs less than $20).

But yes, there is hope.

 

[0ochello0]

Ah thank you so much Rick! Thats just what I was hoping to hear, I was feeling a bit upset after reading that last comment. It would be sad to lose everything just like that.
I don't have a desktop computer so I'll try to get a drive enclosure on ebay or something. I should be able to put it together, and if not I may have to come back!

Thanks again!

 

[Rick]

Ah thank you so much Rick! Thats just what I was hoping to hear, I was feeling a bit upset after reading that last comment. It would be sad to lose everything just like that.
I don't have a desktop computer so I'll try to get a drive enclosure on ebay or something. I should be able to put it together, and if not I may have to come back!

Thanks again!

Well, don't get too happy... Remember my motto: High hopes, low expectations.

As far as getting an enclosure, you'll need to figure out if your current drive is an IDE or SATA. Other than that, just about anything will work... Just make sure it is USB (if that's what you're using) and fits a 3.5".

Vantec makes some decent enclosures and are relatively affordable. Newegg.com is a great place to pick one up.