External hard drive lost all data and formatting

[Gattopardo]

Been asked to help with an external hard drive that has lost all data and formatting.  When the drive is plugged in to a PC the error message this structure is corrupt and unreadable.  The drive is seen as raw data in disc management.  Have taken the drive out of the case and it is a WD drive with a hi speed usb2 connector.

Going through hirens 15.1 and so far the undelete file programs and partition finds aren't finding anything on the drive.  SMART data says the drive is fine.  Am a little stumped.

Any ideas on which programs to try as Hirens hasn't been updated since 2012. 

Thanks

[vorsprung]

I'd make a raw copy of the disk  - as the disk seems to be ok for data, it's just the structure that is broken

Then dick about with the copy or a copy of the copy

[Gattopardo]

Currently using data rescue dd to make an image of the drive to another drive.

Seems strange, to me, that the few programs I have tried don't see the partition and the files.

[Tim Hall]

I'd use TestDisk from CG Security. The interface is hard work, but it does stuff like find missing boot records.

https://www.cgsecurity.org/

[Gattopardo]

I'd use TestDisk from CG Security. The interface is hard work, but it does stuff like find missing boot records.

https://www.cgsecurity.org/

Tried an earlier version, I think v6 and the program saw a partition but I could not get the partition viewable.  Will go back and try again once data rescue has finished.

[Phil W]

How does the drive look to other operating systems such as Linux? Has some one used it with a different OS and made it a file system setup Windows does not recognise?

[Poly Hive]

I'm no techie but have used Disk Drill in the past with good results.

PH

[Gattopardo]

I'm no techie but have used Disk Drill in the past with good results.

PH

Might give that one a go.  Backed the raw data up, and recovered most of the data to another drive.