# LaCie External Hard Drive won't start up



## Nunusaur (Feb 10, 2012)

Hello,

I happen to have stumbled upon this site while searching online for support, thought I'd give it a go. I've been using a LaCie External Hard Drive for the past... 3+ years? I had no problems with it, until yesterday. The last time I used it, it was functioning perfectly. I removed it safely as always. Then the next day, when I tried to turn it on... it kept making a spinning noise, as if it's trying to start (this goes on for about 2-3 seconds, and the blue light appears), then it stops and restarts again. It doesn't connect to the computer at all. I tried searching up online and a LOT of people said that it has to do with the Power Supply/Adapter. And a lot had described the exact same problem, and a new Power Adapter solved it for them.

My mom took it today, to the store that we bought it at... and one of the storekeepers tried to connect it with another Power Adapter, it worked fine for a minute or so (apparently), but it stopped again and repeated the same thing. He says that (apparently) our Power Adapter is just fine, because he connected it to another External Hard Drive and it didn't give any problems.

I'm really worried at the moment, because as stupid as this may have been of me, I didn't back up the files that I had in this Hard Drive >.< This is a lesson learnt for me and I'll for sure back up my files from now on. But in your opinion, do you believe that the files may have been damaged? I truly hope not. And in your opinion, what could be causing this problem? My mom is willing to buy a new Power Adapter to see if it works with it. But before we do, I'd like opinions from you guys.

As for the information about which model I am using, then as nooby as this may sound, I'm not sure how to check. But it's the 1 TB one. It looks like this -> http://www.prlog.org/10174051-new-l...sign-by-neil-poulton-usb-20-7200rpm-32mb.html

Thanking you in advance.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

If it didn't work with a different power adapter at the store, it's not going to work with a different power adapter at your house. If the hard drive in the enclosure has a standard interface, take it out, and connect it directly to a motherboard or a SATA/IDE to USB connector.


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## Nunusaur (Feb 10, 2012)

DoubleHelix said:


> If it didn't work with a different power adapter at the store, it's not going to work with a different power adapter at your house. If the hard drive in the enclosure has a standard interface, take it out, and connect it directly to a motherboard or a SATA/IDE to USB connector.


I'm not quite sure how to do that, but I'll take that into account and ask someone who knows this stuff. Do you believe that the files could possibly be damaged though? >.< I didn't accidentally knock it anywhere or whatsoever, it's always been on the table so I'm not sure how could anything have happened to it. But I really do hope that's not the case.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

You probably have to break the enclosure to get it out. 

It's possible the files are corrupt. There's no point in guessing or assuming until you've tried to connect the bare drive outside of the enclosure.


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## Nunusaur (Feb 10, 2012)

DoubleHelix said:


> You probably have to break the enclosure to get it out.
> 
> It's possible the files are corrupt. There's no point in guessing or assuming until you've tried to connect the bare drive outside of the enclosure.


When the guy at the store connected it, it did show that 450 GB of the drive was taken up. So if the files could have been corrupt, would that still show? But I'll try to search up on how to connect the drive to a motherboard or something, hopefully it'll work. Thank you for your advice.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

Corrupt files take up space just like good files do. 

As I said, speculating is pointless. The drive might be fine. Or everything might be gone. Both are possible. You won't know until you connect the drive.


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