can't initialize external hard disc on a reformatted computer

[23rdoc]

I reformatted my laptop and now when I try to use my external hard drive I can't. I had dropped my external drive. when I connected my external drive the hard drive did not show up on my computer but did on the disk management as unallocated when I attempted to initialize I got the message, "the media is write protected".
1. Did I break the hard drive when I dropped it from about 2 feet.
2. Is there something else that is happening?
3. If the hard drive broken is there anyway I can retrieve the data in it?

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mihir]

I reformatted my laptop and now when I try to use my external hard drive I can't. I had dropped my external drive. when I connected my external drive the hard drive did not show up on my computer but did on the disk management as unallocated when I attempted to initialize I got the message, "the media is write protected".
1. Did I break the hard drive when I dropped it from about 2 feet.
2. Is there something else that is happening?
3. If the hard drive broken is there anyway I can retrieve the data in it?

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

I think you broke it and has happened with me thrice in one year with the same HDD(RMAed).
Try using it in other computers and with a different power adapter(very low chance for this one).
And keeping it at different angles and ways and bending the wires in different ways.
I think there is the problem with the HDD itself not the case but do not take this to be conclusive.
If you have tried everything then you can open up the case and try the HDD as an internal HDD on any computer.If it works then great you can get a new case,for the HDD.If not then there is a problem with the HDD.Try all this and then we will discuss further.