External HDD and File recovery

I am new here but do need your help also with external hd. I took it to a tech where I bought it but they said I need to take it to a lab and it would cost me starting at 700.00 going up. I really dont have that money, it's my pic that r most important. I did try to retrieve them from my memory cards and the recycle bin on my desktop but they r nowhere to be found. It was drop on the floor so now it won't start. it's a Seagate freeagent 500 GB. So my ? is that the only thing that left to do, bring it to the lab or just let go of the pic.
Thank you,
Kel

 

Re: External HDD Failure.

Hi and welcome to MajorGeeks!

Sorry, this is not what you want to hear but you already seem to know your only two options: Recovery agent or loose the photos.

 

Re: External HDD Failure.

Collin,
Thank you for your reply, guess that's a decision I'll have to make, a tough one.
Realkel

 

there's a small chance that you might be able to take the drive out of the enclosure, and put it inside your computer, then you could try some recovery software

recuva: http://majorgeeks.com/Recuva_No_toolbar_d6151.html