Data Recovery Blog

3 Ways to find the serial number of WD Drive

Articles / 2010-07-02

There are 3 ways to find the serial number of your WD drive:

Option 1 – If you are using Windows

Use Windows Data Lifeguard Diagnostics. The software can provide the serial and model number of the WD drive in your system. The software will work for all of the following types of drives: EIDE, and Serial ATA. It also works with many USB 2.0 and FireWire external drives.

Option 2 – PC Only

If you have not installed an operating system, use Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for DOS (floppy) or Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for DOS (CD). The software can provide the serial and model number of the WD drive in your system.

Option 3

The serial number is located on the label on the back or side of the drive. Please note that the location will vary according to the drive. It is usually proceeded by a “S/N:” or “SN:”. If you are unable to read the serial number, many customers have taken digital pictures of the label and enlarged it on their computer to make it easier to read.

Option 4

You can also check the box packaging on a retail-boxed WD internal or external drive. Usually the serial number is on the sticker that contains the barcode

3 Ways to find the serial number of WD Drive Read More »

Are USB or FireWire hard drives affected by Operating System and BIOS capacity limitations?

Articles / 2010-07-01

USB and FireWire hard drives are not affected by motherboard BIOS capacity limitations.

The FireWire 1394a, 1394b, USB 1.1, and USB 2.0 protocols natively support 48-Bit LBA (Logical Block Addressing). The 48-Bit LBA standard is for addressing support of hard drives larger than 137GB. There may be an Operating System limitation related to drives over 137GB.

All Mac Operating Systems later than 9.0 support 48-Bit LBA natively.
For Windows 2000, Service Pack 3 (or later) must be installed to add 48-Bit LBA support to Windows.
For Windows XP, Service Pack 1 (or later) must be installed to add 48-Bit LBA support for Windows.
These Operating System updates can be downloaded from Microsoft’s Website.

It is important to note that the reported capacity of a large drive may often appear as less than expected. Please remember that, depending on the particular utility used, the capacity of the hard drive can be reported in either decimal gigabytes (where 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes) or in binary gigabytes (where 1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes). Highlighting your C: drive in Windows Explorer reports the drive capacity in binary gigabytes. For example, a WD2000BB hard drive’s capacity will be reported as approximately 186 binary gigabytes.

Are USB or FireWire hard drives affected by Operating System and BIOS capacity limitations? Read More »

How does WD Sync encrypt your data?

Articles / 2010-07-01 / 1 Comment

WD Sync password protects your synchronized data to ensure a high level security. All synchronized data is 128-bit encrypted (AES 128-bit encryption). This data cannot be accessed from outside the WD Sync program (the program must be run in order to access the data).

When run, WD Sync leaves absolutely no files behind, keeping your information secure, regardless of the system you’re using. You can use a public computer, a friend’s computer or a colleague’s computer without leaving behind any trace (cookies, temp & history files). With WD Sync, your personal files and Outlook/Outlook Express files remain on your Passport hard drive, and are not copied to the computers you visit.

How does WD Sync encrypt your data? Read More »

Recommended Western Digital External Hard Drives

Articles / 2010-06-30 / 1 Comment

The main purposes we need an external hard drive:

Expand your computer’s storage capacity;
Backup your data and share data between computers;
Easy to use. Most of the time, you just need to plug it into the computer and use it as an internal hard drive.

Desktop external hard drives are based on the 3.5-inch internal hard drives and laptop (or portable) external hard drives that are based on the 2.5-inch internal hard drives. Generally, external hard drives are connected to a computer using collectively these types of connections: USB 3.0, USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and eSATA.

Here’s the list of our current favorites.

Western Digital WD Elements 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive
Original Price: $99.99
Price: $59.99 on Amazon.com
Model: WDBAAR3200ABK

Western Digital WD Elements 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive
Original Price: $129.99
Price: $74.99 on Amazon.com
Model: WDBAAR5000ABK

Western Digital WD Elements 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive
Original Price: $129.99
Price: $74.99 on Amazon.com
Free Standard Shipping
Model: WDBAAU0010HBK

Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive
Original Price: $169.99
Price: $106.49 on Amazon.com
Model: WDBAAU0015HBK

Western Digital WD Elements 2 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive
Original Price: $229.99
Price: $129.99 on Amazon.com
Model: WDBAAU0020HBK

Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive
Original Price: $199.99
Price: $139.99 on Amazon.com
Model: WDBABM0010BBK

Western Digital My Book AV DVR Expander 1 TB USB 2.0/eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive
Original Price: $127.60
Price: $119.00 on Amazon.com
Model: WDBABT0010HBK

Western Digital My DVR Expander 1 TB eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive
Original Price: $159.99
Price: $119.00 on Amazon.com
Model: WDG1S10000VN

Western Digital Elements SE 1 TB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive
Original Price: $149.99
Price: $119.99 on Amazon.com
Model: WDBABV0010BBK

Western Digital My Book for Mac 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive
Original Price: $129.99
Price: $99.00 on Amazon.com
Model: WDBAAG0010HCH

See my another post: USB 2.0, USB 3.0, or FireWire – What is the recommended solution for data storage.

USB 2.0, USB 3.0, or FireWire – What is the recommended solution for data storage?

Articles / 2010-06-29 / 1 Comment

1. What is USB 2.0?

USB 2.0 is the industry standard peripheral connection type for most x86 computers (Windows based). This specification is rated with maximum transfer rate of 480Mb/s (60MB/s). Sustained transfer rate of USB 2.0 depends on many factors including type of device in use, data being transferred, and speed of the computer system. A normal sustained data transfer rate for USB 2.0 ranges from 10-30 MB/s. Only burst data transfers can reach the 480Mb/s rate.

What are the benefits of USB 2.0?

USB 2.0 is “hot swappable,” eliminating the need to reboot or restart your computer when attaching a device.
There’s no need for terminators, memory addresses or ID numbers with USB devices.
Various sorts of devices can plug into a USB port: external hard drives, digital cameras, printers, Zip drives, SuperDisk drives, floppy drives, mice, keyboards, etc.

2. What is USB 3.0?

USB 3.0 is the replacement connection type for USB 2.0. This specification is rated with maximum transfer rate of 4Gb/s. Sustained transfer rate of USB 3.0 depends on many factors including type of device in use, data being transferred, and speed of the computer system. Sustained transfer rates can reach speeds of 3.2 Gbit/s.

What are the benefits of USB 3.0?

USB 3.0 is “hot swappable,” eliminating the need to reboot or restart your computer when attaching a device.
There’s no need for terminators, memory addresses or ID numbers with USB devices.
Various sorts of devices can plug into a USB port: external hard drives, digital cameras, printers, Zip drives, SuperDisk drives, floppy drives, mice, keyboards, etc.
USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 ports, and USB 2.0 devices will work on a USB 3.0 port (both at USB 2.0 speeds)

3. What is FireWire?

FireWire is a high-performance connection standard for personal computers and consumer electronics. Originally developed for Apple computers, this connection has been implemented by x86 computers for some time now. FireWire can move large amounts of data between computers and peripheral devices at transfer rates of up to 400 Mb/s (50 MB/s). A new FireWire specification, FireWire 800 (or FireWire B) has entered the computer market with transfer rates of up to 800 Mb/s (100MB/s).

What are the benefits of FireWire?

FireWire is “hot swappable,” eliminating the need to reboot or restart your computer when attaching a device.
There is no need for terminators, memory addresses of ID numbers with FireWire devices.
Though USB 2.0 is rated at a higher throughput speed (480Mb/s related to FireWire’s 400Mb/s), FireWire delivers faster performance for sustained transfer rates on external hard drives. This is because FireWire has lower overhead (less instructions that the CPU has to interpret related to USB 2.0).

Which connection type is better? USB 2.0, USB 3.0 or FireWire?

If you plan on transferring large amounts of data often, then USB 3.0 would be the best connection type for you.
If you are doing Audio/Video or are on a Mac, than FireWire would be a good choice as many of these programs recommend FireWire over USB 2.0, and Apple currently does not support USB 3.0.
If you want the versatility of connecting the hard drive to many different computer systems quickly and easily, and transfer rates are not that important, then USB 2.0 would be the ideal because it is compatible with both PCs and Macs, and most computers today still have USB 2.0 ports.

USB 2.0, USB 3.0, or FireWire – What is the recommended solution for data storage? Read More »

Slow transfer rates from my USB 2.0 drive in Windows

Articles / 2010-06-29

Problem:
A USB 2.0 drive appears to be performing slow data transfers.

Cause:
The drive may be running at USB 1.1 speeds.

Resolution:
Make sure that your system is configured to control the drive under the USB 2.0 specification.

Verify that you have a USB 2.0 host adapter or motherboard.
If the motherboard has embedded USB 2.0 ports, be sure the drive is connected to the USB 2.0 ports. Some motherboards have 1.1 ports in one area and 2.0 ports in another (they look the same).
Contact the motherboard or host adapter manufacturer to verify that the proper USB 2.0 controller drivers are loaded correctly.

Note: If you’ve checked with your motherboard or computer manufacturer, and have found that you only have USB 1.1 capability, you will need to install a USB 2.0 compliant PCI card (desktops), or a USB 2.0 PCMCIA card (laptops) in order to get USB 2.0 transfer rates.

Slow transfer rates from my USB 2.0 drive in Windows Read More »

Things you should know about external hard drives

Articles / 2010-06-29

Depending on availability of parts during production, the internal hard drive in an external enclosure could be either SATA or EIDE.
They can only guarantee drive capacity. They cannot guarantee a particular internal hard drive model, data interface, rotational speed, or cache size in the external hard drive enclosure.
Dismantling any single-drive external enclosure to obtain this information will void the warranty of the hard drive.
Interface and cache of the hard drives inside the external enclosure does not affect the performance or the data transfer rate of the external hard drive unit.

Note: With the exception of eSATA and USB 3.0 external hard drives, USB 2.0 and Firewire 400/800 have yet to approach the transfer rates of the internal hard drives we use in our external enclosures.

Things you should know about external hard drives Read More »

WD drives compatible with Windows 7

Articles / 2010-06-28

Western Digital’s close working relationship with Microsoft allowed them to take advantage of the features of Windows 7 to provide customers with full compatibility and a seamless, user-friendly experience. Western Digital’s currently shipping desktop and mobile internal drive and direct-attach external drives are certified to be Windows 7 compatible.

External Drives:

My Book Elite My Book Essential My Book Studio Edition II

My Book Studio My Book Mirror Edition My Passport Elite

My Passport Essential My Passport Essential SE WD Elements Desktop

WD Elements Portable My Book World Edition (White Light)

My Book World Edition II (White Light) My Passport Studio My Book 3.0

Internal Drives:

WD VelociRaptor 2.5-inch WD VelociRaptor 3.5-inch (backplane-ready)

WD VelociRaptor 3.5-inch (SATA cable connect) WD RE4-GP

WD RE3 WD Caviar Black WD Caviar Blue WD Caviar Green

WD Scorpio Blue WD AV WD AV-GP

External drives are perfect for upgrading or migrating to Window 7

Back up first
For safety … because stuff happens … use an external drive to back up your data before starting the upgrade or migration.

Plenty of room for a smooth transfer
Although Windows Easy Transfer works with thumb drives and CD’s, an external drive gives you plenty of space to assure a smooth transfer to your new Windows 7 system.

Back up always!
When you’re done with the upgrade, make the external drive your back up drive and always keep your data backed up.

WD drives compatible with Windows 7 Read More »

How to access Disk Management in Windows

Articles / 2010-06-28 / 2 Comments

Disk Management is a utility built into WIndows 2000, XP, and Vista which can be used to create, delete, and format partitions.

To access Disk Management in WIndows 2000 and XP please follow the instructions below:

From the desktop or Start Menu of Windows, right-click on My Computer.
Left-click Manage.
Left-click Disk Management.

To access Disk Management in Windows Vista, and Windows 7 please follow the instructions below:

From the desktop or Start Menu of Windows, right-click on the Computer icon and then left-click on Manage from the dropdown list.
Once you’re in Computer Management, you will see Disk Management on the left side. Click on Disk Management to open it up on the right side of the Computer Management window.
You can also click on Start, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, Administrative Tools, and then double-click on Computer Management and then click on Disk Management under the Storage Navigation pane.

Note: Disk Management can also be used to view partitions and their formatted file systems on the hard drive

How to access Disk Management in Windows Read More »

2 Popular Partition Manager Freewares

Articles / 2010-06-23 / 2 Comments

1. Partition Wizard Home Edition
Move, resize, copy, explore, and recover hard disk drive partitions.

Latest Version: 5.0
Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
Web site: http://www.eofsoft.com

Working as partition magic, Partition Wizard Home Edition is a free partition manager designed by MT Solution Ltd. This partition software supports 32/64 bit Windows Operating System. Home users can perform complicated partition operations by using this powerful but free partition manager to manage their hard disk partition such as Resizing partitions, Copying partitions, Create partition, Delete partition, Format partition, Convert partition, Explore partition, Hide partition, Change drive letter, Set active partition, Convert Dynamic Disk to Basic Disk, Surface Test, Change Partition Serial Number, Change Partition Type ID and Partition Recovery.

What’s new in 5.0 version?
Version 5.0 features: extend NTFS partition without reboot, Support Linux Ext2, Ext3 system, new GUI.

2. Easeus Partition Master Home Edition
Configure and manage partitions of hard drive.

Latest Version: 5.8.1
Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
Web site: http://www.easeus.com

Free Partition Manager–EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition is a partition magic alternative and partition management freeware. With its help, you can resize/move, copy, create, delete, format, hide, explore hard disk drive partitions. To extend system partition, have better disk space management, settle low disk space problem! The most attractive feature is it can resize/move partition without destroying data. This free partition manager is an ALL-IN-ONE partition solution and disk management utility. It allows you to extend partition (especially for system drive), manage disk space easily, settle low disk space problem under Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7 (Only for 32 bit). The most popular hard disk management functions are brought together with powerful data protection including: Partition Manager, Partition Recovery Wizard and Disk & Partition Copy Wizard. The Home Edition can recover files with sizes of up to 1 GB.

What’s new in 5.8.1 version?
Version 5.8.1 adds Convert dynamic disk to basic disk with all data protected.