There are several steps below which may correct the issue. Please note, these procedures apply to a Windows environment only.

A) CHKDSK - "check disk"
======================

First we will attempt to perform a "check disk" on the Private Volume.

  1. Insert and unlock your device.
  2. Open My Computer, and remember the drive letter for the "Private" volume. I
  3. Click on the Windows Start menu.
  4. Click on "Run..." (keyboard shortcut: WINDOWS BUTTON + R).
  5. Type in "CMD" and press enter on your keyboard.
  6. From the command prompt window, type in "CHKDSK" and then the Private Volume drive letter, and then /R.

    For example, if the Private Volume drive letter is G, you would enter:
    CHKDSK G: /R


If a message appears stating file are in use on the volume and it needs to force a dismount, type 'y' and press 'enter' on your keyboard to continue.

This will perform a "check disk" on the Private Volume, and look for any corruption problems. Be sure to repair if prompted.

From the command prompt window, type in "CHKDSK" and then the Private Volume drive letter, and then /F.

For example, if the Private Volume drive letter is G, you would enter:
CHKDSK G: /F

  1. Lock your device, then unlock it and try accessing the Private Volume.
  • If after performing these steps, you are still experiencing the same issues with your Private Volume, please proceed to Steps B and C. If your drive is performing normally, please disregard the following steps.


B) Reformatting the Device
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This operation will format all your Private Volume data. **Please note that sometimes it is a requirement to reformat the device before data recovery software will work (see Step C); however, you may try data recovery software both before and after reformatting if you do not have a backup of your data.

*** IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE BACK UP YOUR DATA BEFORE PERFORMING A FORMAT - ALL DATA WILL BE DESTROYED ***

Depending on the level of corruption, you may need to use different formatting methods, listed here in order:

  • From My Computer right-click on the Private Volume and select Format. In the Format window set the File System to FAT32 and make sure Quick Format is *not* checked. Click OK/Format/Start to begin the format operation.
  • If #1 fails, use a low-level format program reformat the Private Volume. HDD Guru Low Level Format Utility is free to use and can be downloaded at the following URL: http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/


C) Recovering the Data
======================
It may be possible to retrieve the data from the device using third party disk recovery software.

Here is a list of some options you might want to consider:

http://www.softperfect.com/products/filerecovery/
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec
http://www.ontrack.com/easyrecoveryprofessional

http://www.bitmart.net

http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm


You may use whatever tool you prefer - we don't have any products that we recommend. Please note that we cannot provide any support for data recovery software.


D) Your Device Is Ready!
======================


You are now able to use your device normally. You may restore a backup; or simply copy new files to your device.