[Bug-ddrescue] ddrescue produces 0 bytes output

[Rogerio C. Schreiner]

I have had an external HD failure and all my family pictures are there. Yes, I know that I'm a big beast ... If you can believe ... there are no backups.

After the event, I tryed ddrescue but it doesn't read the disk. errsize: increases, rescued: remain zero and output is also zero.

I have notice that when the external HD is plugged in, it is recognized by Linux for a few seconds (~30 seconds), and during this time ddrescue can read it content.
After that few seconds, it seems that the operating system filters out the disk and it becomes invisible to ddrescue, fdisk and also dd.

Now, I would kindly ask you to give me ideas to begin this rescue.
What should I set in linux??? Maybe to bypass SMART or something else!

Feel free is something is not clear.
Best Regards, Rogério.


Fdisk:
====
address@hidden log]# date;fdisk -l
Sat Mar 30 14:17:11 BRT 2013

Disk /dev/sda: 21.5 GB, 21474836480 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2610 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000c2930

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        2611    20970496   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa4b57300

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1       60801   488384001    7  HPFS/NTFS

address@hidden log]# dd if=/dev/sdb of=/dev/null count=512
512+0 records in
512+0 records out
262144 bytes (262 kB) copied, 7.22283 s, 36.3 kB/s

address@hidden log]# date;fdisk -l
Sat Mar 30 14:17:45 BRT 2013

Disk /dev/sda: 21.5 GB, 21474836480 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2610 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000c2930

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        2611    20970496   83  Linux

address@hidden log]# dd if=/dev/sdb of=/dev/null count=512
dd: reading `/dev/sdb': Input/output error
0+0 records in
0+0 records out
0 bytes (0 B) copied, 0.197054 s, 0.0 kB/s
address@hidden log]#


/var/log/messages:
============
Mar 30 13:36:13 rcslinux kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 3
Mar 30 13:36:15 rcslinux kernel: sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb]  Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE
Mar 30 13:36:15 rcslinux kernel: sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb]  Sense Key : Aborted Command [current]
Mar 30 13:36:15 rcslinux kernel: sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb]  Add. Sense: No additional sense information
Mar 30 13:36:15 rcslinux kernel: sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Read(10): 28 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 08 00
Mar 30 13:36:15 rcslinux kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Mar 30 13:36:15 rcslinux kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0