Image files getting corrupt on external HD?

[AndrewSA]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this question, but it didn't seem to fit any of the other categories either. Anyhoo, I have an external hard drive (internal HD that I just bought a shell / enclosure for. (1394 ATAPI,Rev 1.00):

I'm on a MabookPro with OS X 10.4.11 if that helps out also.

I'm finding the older image file I've saved on there (jpg, PSD, tif, etc) I can't open. Photoshop or Preview says it's not a valid photoshop file or that the file might be corrupt and is not a format Preview can read.

I also have a backup of these files on CD / DVD. When I recopy them to this drive, they are fine. So I know it's not the files. This just seems to happen to image files and not other data files.

Any ideas? Anyone else have this problem?

[kenw]

sometimes USB drives can be disconnected before they are really finished receiving the files. Make sure the drive remains connected long after the computer says they are copied. Watch the activity light on the drive itself to make sure it really is thru copying them.

i used to see this on my thumb drive, I would pull it when the computer said it was finished and got lots of corrupted files. Watch the activity light on the drive and you'll know for sure.

this may or may not solve your problem, good luck.

[Concisus Cognatus]

The fact that you are able to view the same files on the backup cd indicates the problem may have originated with the formatting of the drive once it was installed into the new enclosure.

Since you have the troubled files backed up oto cd, I would reformat the drive and that should clear up the problem with anything you upload to the drive afterwards.

[markfh]

I've seen too many external enclosures go bad and corrupt files or cause a drive to not respond. Hook the drive up directly in your computer and see how it reacts. If the files corrupt connected directly then reformat and try again. If the files are ok, copy some to the drive and check them, then it's the enclosure.

[AndrewSA]

this one's a firewire, but I know what you mean. That's not the problem though, the files are fine on the cd's and when I recopy them to this HD, they're fine. It's just after awhile, I will try to open them on this drive and it gives me this error.

Originally Posted by kenw

sometimes USB drives can be disconnected before they are really finished receiving the files. Make sure the drive remains connected long after the computer says they are copied. Watch the activity light on the drive itself to make sure it really is thru copying them.

i used to see this on my thumb drive, I would pull it when the computer said it was finished and got lots of corrupted files. Watch the activity light on the drive and you'll know for sure.

this may or may not solve your problem, good luck.

[AndrewSA]

I might do that...oh boy, that's a lot of cds / dvd to copy. yikes.

Originally Posted by nikonhobbyman

The fact that you are able to view the same files on the backup cd indicates the problem may have originated with the formatting of the drive once it was installed into the new enclosure.

Since you have the troubled files backed up oto cd, I would reformat the drive and that should clear up the problem with anything you upload to the drive afterwards.

[AndrewSA]

I only have a laptop, so it might be a little messy for me to hook up this drive to it internally.

I have another external hard drive (non-enclosure) that I could copy all the files to. Not sure it that would prove a point though if the corrupt files would work on there or not.

Do enclosures come with software? I forget if mine did or not. I don't even see a brand name on mine.

Originally Posted by markfh

I've seen too many external enclosures go bad and corrupt files or cause a drive to not respond. Hook the drive up directly in your computer and see how it reacts. If the files corrupt connected directly then reformat and try again. If the files are ok, copy some to the drive and check them, then it's the enclosure.

[Concisus Cognatus]

Btw, just wanted to say your photographic style is great. I really like it.

[markfh]

Originally Posted by swinglight

I only have a laptop, so it might be a little messy for me to hook up this drive to it internally.

I have another external hard drive (non-enclosure) that I could copy all the files to. Not sure it that would prove a point though if the corrupt files would work on there or not.

Do enclosures come with software? I forget if mine did or not. I don't even see a brand name on mine.

Good point. Doable but too much trouble.

Some enclosures do come with software but most don't relying on USB or FW. If you have a friend with a desktop that would help you that would help or you could go out and buy another enclosure and test that. Like I said, those things aren't as reliable as we'd like.

[AndrewSA]

thanks! I'm actually in the process of updating my website now, so there should be a bunch of new stuff soon....

Originally Posted by nikonhobbyman

Btw, just wanted to say your photographic style is great. I really like it.

[AndrewSA]

It's a Seagate HD, do you think it might be that? Yeah, I guess I could go out and just get another enclosure since they aren't very expensive.

Originally Posted by markfh

Good point. Doable but too much trouble.

Some enclosures do come with software but most don't relying on USB or FW. If you have a friend with a desktop that would help you that would help or you could go out and buy another enclosure and test that. Like I said, those things aren't as reliable as we'd like.