My sister pulled out the USB to my external hard drive when it was in use and dropped it on the carpet. It turns on but when I do turn it on I hear a small buzzing and my computer doesn't detect it as plugged in. Is the hard drive broken forever? And is there any place that specializes in fixing it since I had a lot of data stored in there.
By unplugging the external drive you have a chance of loosing stored data. However, try this. Turn off and unplug the external HD for at least 30 seconds. Turn off your computer. Now restart your computer and after it is fully running again without the external HD connected turn it off again. Each time you turn off your computer it will save the latest settings. Now after your machine is turned off for the second time, plug in the USB and turn on your external HD. Now start your computer and see if the external HD shows. If it does not then follow the same process again except this time do not plug in the USB until the machine is on. After you do that then your OS should recognize the new hardware. The last solution I can think of is to remove any software that may have come with the external drive. Then check the Device Manager and make sure to remove any software drivers that may be located there. Then start from scratch. The fact that the external drive is making a funny noise makes me worry a little also. You may need to replace the drive if it does not start functioning again properly. There are ways to retrieve the saved information on the drive. You may need to take it to a professional to do it, or someone else on this forum may be able to walk you through it. Good luck and I hope I was of some assistance.