SimpleSave External Hard Drive

[MamaMoose]

I am looking for some expert HELP!  I have a Simplesave external hard drive.  It recently stopped working.  I have YEARS of sentimental photos on it.  As HP won't even let me ask support about it, I am hoping someone here will know.  If I took it to a Computer repair place (not Best Buy) they said they can't help, is it possible they can get it running or at least get my photos off of it somehow?

[Dragon-Fur]

@MamaMoose 

Welcome to the HP Community --

It's not just HP who doesn't want to look at this.

This is old hardware -- 

I had two of these drives "back in the day" - 

I never used the software; I reformatted the drives and copied files to them.

The hard drive on one failed after four or five years - I stopped using the other one.

If you were using the SimpleSave backup software to put those photos onto the drive, 

and

If the problem is anything other than a power supply that could be fixed by an experienced hardware tech,

the

The failure is possibly catastrophic.

What?!

SimpleSave stored the backup software on the hard drive itself  - there was never a "download" or a CD.

and

The SimpleSave software only works with (is supported by) Windows 7,

and

The SimpleSave software encrypted the backups.

If you were using the SimpleSave software to make backups --

Encrypted means you need the hard drive to be functional AND the software to be functional.

The files are not "just sitting on the drive" -- they are hidden in the structure of the backup software.

Add an impossible to replace power cord.

==============================================

I'm very sorry this happened to you.

See if you can find a data recovery / forensic data specialist.

At the least you'll need a good hardware tech who can understand potential problems unique to SimpleSave.

Specialists of this type are perhaps easier to find in larger metropolitan areas than in smaller towns...

Assuming the recovery can be done at all, it might cost a bit ---

I wish you success.

Links - Might or might not continue to work...

SimpleSave HP Documents

SimpleSave_UserManual_C02659437

SimpleSave_FAQ_C03068087

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