I have an Iomega 250GB external HD and have had it for almost a year, however around a week ago while using it on my laptop it stopped loading and being recognized on the computers I've connected it to (via usb port). It turns on, lights up (except the light that blinked when information was being accessed/transferred) and makes the same noise as when it worked, however it is virtually unrecognized as no letter drive or 'new hardware detected' icon appears.
I could not help the situation, so i decided to unscrew the enclosure and inspected the interior (did not move any wires or anything) and i noticed the usb connection port on the external hd seems to move around when the usb cord is inserted, however it may have always done that as it was my 1st time inspecting the interior.
I have some legal documents and academic files I did not backup elsewhere, therefore I would like get other's take on this, concerning if the data is gone for sure or I should opt to look into repair (if possible at all). I realize external hd's have relatively short life spans but am looking into alternatives to retrieve the data.
Any comments would be appreciated, thanks.
I could not help the situation, so i decided to unscrew the enclosure and inspected the interior (did not move any wires or anything) and i noticed the usb connection port on the external hd seems to move around when the usb cord is inserted, however it may have always done that as it was my 1st time inspecting the interior.
I have some legal documents and academic files I did not backup elsewhere, therefore I would like get other's take on this, concerning if the data is gone for sure or I should opt to look into repair (if possible at all). I realize external hd's have relatively short life spans but am looking into alternatives to retrieve the data.
Any comments would be appreciated, thanks.