Disk Drive Issues

• Microsoft’s PowerShell install docs (recommends winget).
• Official PowerShell releases (MSI / MSIX / ZIP) on the PowerShell GitHub releases page.

1. Make sure your PowerShell window is running as Administrator (you already opened an elevated window — good).
2. Run this command (it accepts the winget source/package agreements to avoid prompts):
   winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

• winget is included with modern Windows 11 builds; this command will install the latest stable PowerShell 7.x MSI for x64 systems automatically.
• If winget prompts for permission, confirm the prompt. If winget says it’s not found, see the fallback steps below.

1. Open your web browser and go to the official PowerShell GitHub releases page (PowerShell/PowerShell → Releases). Download the MSI matching your architecture (most likely PowerShell-7.4.x-win-x64.msi).
2. Double‑click the MSI and follow the installer (Run as Administrator). Accept defaults unless you need a custom install location.
3. The installer places the new PowerShell executable as pwsh.exe and it runs side‑by‑side with Windows PowerShell (powershell.exe).

• After install, open a new Start menu entry named “PowerShell 7” or run pwsh from a Command Prompt / Run box.
• In the new pwsh session run:
  $PSVersionTable
  You should see a PSVersion like 7.x.x (e.g., 7.4.x). That confirms the modern PowerShell is installed.

• Install the App Installer (which provides winget) from Microsoft Store (search “App Installer”) and retry the winget command. Microsoft’s docs show winget as the recommended route.
• Or download the MSI from the GitHub releases page and run it (see B).

• To remove PowerShell 7 later: Settings → Apps → Installed apps → search “PowerShell” → Uninstall, or use winget uninstall --id Microsoft.PowerShell.

• Installing PowerShell 7 does NOT replace Windows PowerShell 5.1 — both can coexist; PowerShell 7’s executable is pwsh.exe.
• Run the installers with admin rights. If you use winget, run it from an elevated prompt as you already have.
• If you plan to run scripts downloaded from the internet, check Execution Policy and always be cautious (see Microsoft guidance).

• A) Paste the single winget command again so you can copy/paste it into your elevated window now?
• B) Walk you through the GitHub MSI download step‑by‑step (I can provide the exact link to the latest x64 MSI)?
• C) Help you install winget/App Installer first if your winget command isn’t recognized?

• Copy/paste this into your elevated PowerShell window and press Enter:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

• You must run it in an Administrator window (you already are).
• winget will download and install the official MSI for the latest stable PowerShell 7.x.
• This will not remove or replace the built‑in Windows PowerShell (5.1). The new executable is pwsh.exe and runs side‑by‑side.

• After the installer finishes, open a new terminal (Start → search “PowerShell 7” or just run pwsh) or run this from your current elevated prompt:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

• Install via the official MSI from the PowerShell GitHub releases page:
  • Open your browser, go to the PowerShell releases page and download the x64 MSI (PowerShell-7.x.x-win-x64.msi), then double‑click to install.
• Or install the App Installer from the Microsoft Store (this provides winget) and re-run the winget command.

• Once pwsh is installed, you can continue with the Robocopy command I suggested earlier (you can run robocopy from cmd, PowerShell, or pwsh). If you want, I’ll paste the exact robocopy + Compress-Archive or 7‑Zip commands adjusted to your destination drive now.
• If you want to check free space first, run this and paste the output here so I can confirm there’s enough room:
  Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem | Format-Table Name, @{Label='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round($.Free/1GB,2)}}, @{Label='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($.Used)/1GB,2)}} -AutoSize

ChatGPT said:

Good — you can install the latest PowerShell (PowerShell 7.x, a separate modern release that runs side‑by‑side with the built‑in Windows PowerShell) right from the elevated PowerShell window you already have open. The easiest, safest method on Windows 11 is to use winget (Windows Package Manager). Winget will fetch the latest stable release for you; if winget isn’t available I’ll show the MSI fallback from the official GitHub releases page.
I’ll give the winget method first (recommended), then fallbacks and verification. I’ll also include the exact commands you can paste into your elevated PowerShell.
Sources / where this comes from

• Microsoft’s PowerShell install docs (recommends winget). (github.com)
• Official PowerShell releases (MSI / MSIX / ZIP) on the PowerShell GitHub releases page. (github.com)

A — Recommended: install latest PowerShell using winget (fast, picks latest)

1. Make sure your PowerShell window is running as Administrator (you already opened an elevated window — good).
2. Run this command (it accepts the winget source/package agreements to avoid prompts):
   winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

Notes:

• winget is included with modern Windows 11 builds; this command will install the latest stable PowerShell 7.x MSI for x64 systems automatically. (github.com)
• If winget prompts for permission, confirm the prompt. If winget says it’s not found, see the fallback steps below.

B — Fallback: download & run the MSI from the official PowerShell releases page
If winget isn’t available or you prefer a manual installer:

1. Open your web browser and go to the official PowerShell GitHub releases page (PowerShell/PowerShell → Releases). Download the MSI matching your architecture (most likely PowerShell-7.4.x-win-x64.msi). (github.com)
2. Double‑click the MSI and follow the installer (Run as Administrator). Accept defaults unless you need a custom install location.
3. The installer places the new PowerShell executable as pwsh.exe and it runs side‑by‑side with Windows PowerShell (powershell.exe).

C — Verify installation and start using PowerShell 7

• After install, open a new Start menu entry named “PowerShell 7” or run pwsh from a Command Prompt / Run box.
• In the new pwsh session run:
  $PSVersionTable
  You should see a PSVersion like 7.x.x (e.g., 7.4.x). That confirms the modern PowerShell is installed.

If you want to check from your current (old) Windows PowerShell immediately after install, run:
pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'
D — If winget is missing or fails

• Install the App Installer (which provides winget) from Microsoft Store (search “App Installer”) and retry the winget command. Microsoft’s docs show winget as the recommended route. (github.com)
• Or download the MSI from the GitHub releases page and run it (see B).

E — Uninstalling / rolling back

• To remove PowerShell 7 later: Settings → Apps → Installed apps → search “PowerShell” → Uninstall, or use winget uninstall --id Microsoft.PowerShell.

F — A couple of safety notes

• Installing PowerShell 7 does NOT replace Windows PowerShell 5.1 — both can coexist; PowerShell 7’s executable is pwsh.exe.
• Run the installers with admin rights. If you use winget, run it from an elevated prompt as you already have.
• If you plan to run scripts downloaded from the internet, check Execution Policy and always be cautious (see Microsoft guidance).

Would you like me to:

• A) Paste the single winget command again so you can copy/paste it into your elevated window now?
• B) Walk you through the GitHub MSI download step‑by‑step (I can provide the exact link to the latest x64 MSI)?
• C) Help you install winget/App Installer first if your winget command isn’t recognized?

Tell me which option you prefer and I’ll give the exact next command/clicks.

Click to expand...

• In your elevated PowerShell window paste and press Enter:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
• Wait for the installer to download and finish.
• Verify by running:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'
  You should see PSVersion = 7.x.x.

• Open your web browser and go to the PowerShell releases page: github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases
• Find the latest stable release and download the Windows x64 MSI named like PowerShell-7.x.x-win-x64.msi.
• Run the downloaded MSI (right‑click → Run as administrator) and follow the installer defaults.
• Verify with:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

• Open Microsoft Store → search “App Installer” → Install. This provides winget if it’s missing.
• After the Store install, open your elevated PowerShell and run the same winget command from option A:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
• Verify with:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

• If you want me to confirm you have enough space for the recovery steps we discussed, run this in the elevated window and paste the output:
  Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem | Format-Table Name, @{Label='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round($.Free/1GB,2)}}, @{Label='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($.Used)/1GB,2)}} -AutoSize

• Reply “A” and I’ll paste the winget command again for you to run.
• Reply “B” and I’ll paste the exact GitHub link to the latest x64 MSI and walk you through the installer.
• Reply “C” and I’ll show the App Installer steps and then the winget command.

ChatGPT said:

Great — I’ll give concise, copy‑ready instructions for all three options (A, B, C). Pick one and I’ll stay with you while you run it.
A) Quickest — install with winget (recommended)

• In your elevated PowerShell window paste and press Enter:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
• Wait for the installer to download and finish.
• Verify by running:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'
  You should see PSVersion = 7.x.x.

B) Manual MSI download from the official GitHub releases (fallback)

• Open your web browser and go to the PowerShell releases page: github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases
• Find the latest stable release and download the Windows x64 MSI named like PowerShell-7.x.x-win-x64.msi.
• Run the downloaded MSI (right‑click → Run as administrator) and follow the installer defaults.
• Verify with:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

C) Install App Installer (adds winget) from Microsoft Store, then use winget

• Open Microsoft Store → search “App Installer” → Install. This provides winget if it’s missing.
• After the Store install, open your elevated PowerShell and run the same winget command from option A:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
• Verify with:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

Before you install (optional but useful)

• If you want me to confirm you have enough space for the recovery steps we discussed, run this in the elevated window and paste the output:
  Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem | Format-Table Name, @{Label='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round($.Free/1GB,2)}}, @{Label='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($.Used)/1GB,2)}} -AutoSize

Which do you want to do now?

• Reply “A” and I’ll paste the winget command again for you to run.
• Reply “B” and I’ll paste the exact GitHub link to the latest x64 MSI and walk you through the installer.
• Reply “C” and I’ll show the App Installer steps and then the winget command.

Click to expand...

• Paste this in the elevated window and press Enter:
  
  Code:

  Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem |
  Format-Table Name, @{Label='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round($_.Free/1GB,2)}}, @{Label='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($_.Used)/1GB,2)}} -AutoSize

• Make sure Free(GB) on C is at least roughly the same as the amount of data on D (or enough for what you want to copy). If not, tell me the numbers and we’ll pick a different destination.

• Run:
  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup" -Force

• Copy everything from D: to C:\RecoveredBackup and log output:
  robocopy "D:\" "C:\RecoveredBackup" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt" /TEE
  • What the flags do (short):
  • /E = copy all subfolders (including empty)
  • /R:2 = retry twice on read errors
  • /W:2 = wait 2 seconds between retries
  • /FFT = tolerance for FAT/NTFS time differences (helps cross‑filesystem copies)
  • /V = verbose output
  • /MT:8 = multi‑thread (8 threads, faster)
  • /LOG: record a log to C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt
  • /TEE = show output on screen and write to log
• When Robocopy finishes, note the summary lines near the bottom (especially “Files :”, “Copied :”, “Failed :”).
• To view the log:
  notepad "C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt"

• Open a few photos/documents from C:\RecoveredBackup to confirm they open correctly. If they do, proceed to archive.

• Fastest uses less CPU and completes quicker (good for big jobs).

• Install 7‑Zip if you want splitting support, then run:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup\*"
  • -mx1 = low compression (faster), -v2g = split into 2 GB parts.

• For Compress‑Archive: extract a few files to a temp folder and open them.
• For 7‑Zip: test with:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" t "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip.001"
• Keep the original recovered folder until you’ve confirmed the archive(s) are good.

• Stop. Tell me the Robocopy summary (post the “Files : … Copied : … Failed : …” lines). If many files failed:
  • We’ll try a read‑only recovery tool (Recuva or PhotoRec) to salvage more files, recovering to a different drive.
  • Or we can create a full image of the D: drive (Macrium or ddrescue) and recover from the image — safer for flaky disks.

• Do NOT run “Scan and fix” / chkdsk on D: until you’ve recovered the important data (repairs can rename/move files).
• If the drive is making unusual noises (clicking), unplug it and stop — that suggests mechanical failure; contact a professional data‑recovery service.

• Your PowerShell output shows C: Free ≈ 29.29 GB and D: Free ≈ 1903.43 GB, so C: doesn’t have the space needed for D:’s ~1.9 TB of data. Trying to mirror the whole D: to C: will fill C:, cause copy failures and can create partial, confusing results. (See the earlier guidance on destination sizing and robocopy usage.)

1. Decide priority: which folders on D: are most important (photos, Documents, Desktop, Financials)? Copy those first.
2. If you can, attach a second external drive (≥ the size of your important data — ideally 2 TB+) and copy D: to that. That’s the safest.
3. If you can’t get another drive right now, copy only the critical folders to C: (until C: fills), then zip those recovered folders on C: and move the ZIP to another place later.
4. If D: is flaky or showing errors, create an image of D: (Macrium Reflect dd or ddrescue) and work from the image — imaging is the safest for failing drives.

Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory | ForEach-Object {
  $size = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
  "{0} {1:N2} GB" -f $_.FullName, ($size/1GB)
}

robocopy "D:\Users\YourUser\Documents" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Documents" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-docs-log.txt" /TEE
robocopy "D:\Users\YourUser\Pictures"  "C:\RecoveredBackup\Pictures"  /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-pics-log.txt" /TEE

• The 7‑Zip command creates a zip, low compression (-mx1) and splits into 2 GB parts (-v2g).

• Don’t run chkdsk / Scan & fix until you’ve recovered your files (repairs can rename/move files). If the drive is failing, best practice is to image the drive to another large disk (Macrium Reflect or ddrescue) and recover from the image rather than writing more to the original. See the imaging recommendation.

• Priority copy (copy only Documents/Pictures/Desktop) and then upload the resulting ZIPs to OneDrive/Google Drive if you have internet bandwidth, or borrow/buy a 2 TB USB drive (cheapest and safest). The forum guide recommends having a second physical drive for backups.

1. Run the folder-size command I gave to see which top folders on D: are largest.
2. Tell me the top 2–3 folders you want first (e.g., Pictures, Documents). I’ll give the exact robocopy commands for those paths.
3. If you have another external drive available, plug it in and tell me its drive letter — I’ll give a single robocopy command to mirror D: to that drive (preferred).
4. If the D: drive is noisy or robocopy reports many read errors, stop and we’ll switch to a read‑only recovery tool or imaging advice.

• Can you run the Get-ChildItem size command and paste its output? OR
• Tell me the top 2 folders you want copied first (e.g., Pictures and Documents), and confirm you want them copied to C:\RecoveredBackup.

• Your PowerShell output shows C: Free ≈ 29.29 GB and D: Used ≈ 49.68 GB. Copying 49+ GB into C: will fail because C: doesn’t have enough free space. Use another drive as the destination or free ~25 GB+ on C: first. (Robocopy/backup guidance referenced below.)

• Option 1 (best) — copy all of D: to another external drive (fast, safe). If you have another USB drive (E:, F:, etc.) with ~64 GB+ free, use that.
• Option 2 — copy only the important folders from D: (Pictures, Documents, Desktop) to C:\RecoveredBackup (fits if you free a little space first).
• Option 3 — make a compressed ZIP or image, but do that only after you’ve copied files to a healthy destination (don’t create the ZIP on the possibly-problematic D.

1. Plug it in and note its letter (assume E. Create folder and mirror D: to E:
   
   Code:

   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "E:\RecoveredBackup" -Force
   robocopy "D:\" "E:\RecoveredBackup" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"E:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt" /TEE

   • This will copy everything it can and skip unreadable files; check the log at E:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt when finished. Robocopy is the reliable, tolerant method for large copies.

1. See sizes of top folders on D: (so you choose what to copy first):
   
   Code:

   Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory | ForEach-Object {
   $size = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
   "{0} {1:N2} GB" -f $_.FullName, ($size/1GB)
   }

2. Free up space on C: (quick actions)
   • Empty Recycle Bin.
   • Run Disk Cleanup (Start → type Disk Cleanup → choose C: → Clean system files).
   • Uninstall any large apps you don’t need (Settings → Apps → Installed apps).
   • (Optional) Turn off hibernation temporarily to free hiberfil.sys: open admin PowerShell and run:
     powercfg -h off
     (You can re-enable later with powercfg -h on.)
3. Copy specific folders (example: Pictures then Documents) to C:\RecoveredBackup:
   
   Code:

   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup" -Force
   robocopy "D:\Users\YourUser\Pictures" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Pictures" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-pics-log.txt" /TEE
   robocopy "D:\Users\YourUser\Documents" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Documents" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-docs-log.txt" /TEE

   • Replace YourUser with your actual username. Robocopy will skip unreadable files and report a summary; check the “Failed :” count in the summary.

• Using built‑in PowerShell (simple):
  Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force
• Or, for large sets / split archives, use 7‑Zip (recommended). After installing 7‑Zip:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup\*"
• Test the archive (7‑Zip):
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" t "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip.001"
• Always verify by opening a few files from the archive before deleting originals.

• Stop and tell me the Robocopy summary. If you see many read errors, we should switch to a read‑only recovery approach (PhotoRec/TestDisk or imaging with Macrium/ddrescue) and recover from an image rather than the live, failing disk. Imaging is the safest path for a flaky device.

• Do you have another external USB drive you can plug in now? If yes, tell me its drive letter (E: / F. I’ll give the single exact robocopy command to mirror D: to it.
• If you don’t have another drive, do you want to: (a) free space on C: and copy selected folders, or (b) I walk you through uploading the most important files to OneDrive (if you have bandwidth and space in OneDrive)?
• If you run any robocopy commands, paste the final summary lines (the lines near the end showing Files:, Copied:, Failed and I’ll interpret them and give the next step.

• Don’t run Scan & Fix / chkdsk on D: until you’ve copied the important files.
• You have three safe choices now:
  1. Copy only high‑priority smaller folders to C: (fits today).
  2. Free ~20–25 GB on C: and then copy all of D: to C:\RecoveredBackup.
  3. Attach a second external drive (recommended) and copy all of D: there (no C: juggling).

Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory |
  ForEach-Object {
    $size = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
             Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
    [PSCustomObject]@{Folder = $_.FullName; SizeGB = [math]::Round($size/1GB,2)}
  } | Sort-Object SizeGB -Descending | Format-Table -AutoSize

• Ebook_college:
  robocopy "D:\Ebook college" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Ebook_college" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-ebook-log.txt" /TEE
• files off usb stick:
  robocopy "D:\files off usb stick" "C:\RecoveredBackup\files_off_usb_stick" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-usbstick-log.txt" /TEE
• Download:
  robocopy "D:\Download" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Download" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-download-log.txt" /TEE
• DCIM:
  robocopy "D:\DCIM" "C:\RecoveredBackup\DCIM" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-dcim-log.txt" /TEE

• Each robocopy will skip unreadable files and continue; check the summary at the end (or open the log in Notepad) for “Failed :” counts.
• After each copy, spot‑check several files in the target folder to confirm they open.
• If any command shows many “Failed” counts, stop and tell me the log summary and I’ll advise next steps.

• Empty Recycle Bin (right‑click → Empty Recycle Bin).
• Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files → remove selected safe items.
• Disk Cleanup → Clean up system files → check “Windows Update Cleanup”, “Temporary files”, then Delete Files.
• Uninstall any large unused apps (Settings → Apps → Installed apps → sort by Size).

Get-ChildItem C:\ -Directory | ForEach-Object {
  $size=(Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
  [PSCustomObject]@{Folder=$_.FullName;SizeGB=[math]::Round($size/1GB,2)}
} | Sort-Object SizeGB -Descending | Format-Table -AutoSize

• Plug the drive in, note its letter (e.g., E. Then run:
  
  Code:

  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "E:\RecoveredBackup" -Force
  robocopy "D:\" "E:\RecoveredBackup" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"E:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-full-log.txt" /TEE

  This mirrors D: to E: and avoids using C: at all.

• Once files are safely on C:\RecoveredBackup (or E:\RecoveredBackup), use Compress-Archive (simple) or 7‑Zip (better for splitting). Example (PowerShell built‑in):
  Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force
  (Or I can give 7‑Zip commands if you want splitting.)

• Don’t run “Scan and fix” / chkdsk on D: until the important files are recovered.
• If the external drive begins clicking or shows many read errors, unplug it and stop — get professional recovery help.
• The forum backup guide has stepwise advice we used here if you want more background.

• A) Copy the small priority folders I listed (Ebook_college, files off usb stick, Download, DCIM). I’ll paste the commands ready to run one at a time.
• B) Run the corrected folder‑size command so I can recommend exactly which top folders to copy.
• C) Free ~25 GB on C: (I’ll give step‑by‑step cleanup commands).
• D) Use another external drive — tell me its drive letter after plugging it in and I’ll give the one-line mirror command.

Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory |
  ForEach-Object {
    $size = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
             Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
    [PSCustomObject]@{Folder = $_.FullName; SizeGB = [math]::Round($size/1GB,2)}
  } | Sort-Object SizeGB -Descending | Format-Table -AutoSize

• At the end robocopy prints a summary. Note the lines:
  • “Files :”, “Copied :”, “Skipped :”, “Extras :”, “Failed :”
• If “Failed :” is > 0, stop and paste the summary (or open the log with Notepad) so I can advise.
• Spot‑check 2–3 files in the destination folder (open a photo/document) to confirm they’re OK.

• Stop copying, free space on C: (Empty Recycle Bin, Storage Sense, Disk Cleanup) or plug in a second external drive and copy the rest there. If you want help freeing space, say “Help free C:” and I’ll give safe steps.

• Stop and paste the robocopy summary or the log file contents. We’ll then try a read‑only recovery (PhotoRec/Recuva) or imaging if the drive looks flaky.

• Run one of the robocopy commands above and paste the robocopy summary when it finishes (or paste any error text).
• Or run the folder‑size command (Step A) and paste the output if you want me to pick the best folders.

• Robocopy already copied DCIM thumbnails (the robocopy summary at the left shows ~252.87 MB copied). Good sign — some data is already saved to C:\RecoveredBackup.
• You tried to paste the folder-size script and Terminal warned about multi-line paste (expected).

• If you want to copy OneDrive (it’s ~18.64 GB in your listing) next, run this single-line robocopy (it will resume and log progress):

• If you prefer to copy the smaller folders you showed (Ebook_college, files off usb stick, Download, DCIM) run each of these one at a time (paste one line, wait for it to finish):

• After a robocopy finishes look at the summary near the bottom for the “Failed :” count. If Failed = 0 you’re good. If >0 paste the summary or open the log:

• Quick (built‑in):
  Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force
• If you want split archives (recommended for large sets) install 7‑Zip and run:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup*"

• Don’t run “Scan and fix” or chkdsk on D: until you’ve recovered critical files. Repairs can rename/move files.
• If the drive starts making unusual noises or robocopy shows many read errors, stop and tell me — we’ll switch to a read‑only recovery approach or imaging advice.
• The forum backup guide I referenced has the same recovery workflow if you want background reading.

• “Size” to run the single-line folder-size command,
• “OneDrive” to copy the OneDrive folder next,
• “Small folders” to copy Ebook_college / files off usb stick / Download / DCIM now (I’ll paste one command at a time), or
• “Zip” if you’ve already copied everything and want the compress command.

• Explanation: Compress-Archive is the cmdlet; -Path is the source, -DestinationPath is the ZIP file to create. Fastest uses less CPU and completes quicker.
• After it finishes, test the ZIP by extracting a couple of files to a temp folder:
  Expand-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\TestExtract" -Force

• -mx1 = low compression (faster), -v2g = split into 2 GB parts.
• Test a split archive with:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" t "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip.001"

• See how many files you copied into C:\RecoveredBackup:
  (Get-ChildItem "C:\RecoveredBackup" -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object).Count
• Open the robocopy log if you used /LOG: to see any skipped/failed files:
  notepad "C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-full-log.txt"
• If many files were “Skipped” in robocopy, it usually means the destination already had the same files (or attributes made them skip). The log shows details.

• That warning is normal when pasting multiple lines. Click “Paste anyway” if the command is from a trusted source (like the one above) or use the single‑line commands I provided to avoid it.

• Move the ZIP off the machine (another external drive or cloud) so you have a second copy. Example to move to E::
  Move-Item "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "E:\DriveBackup.zip"

• Paste the exact error text or the last lines of the Compress-Archive output here and I’ll interpret it.
• If robocopy showed many Fails earlier, paste the robocopy summary lines (the bottom of the robocopy output or the LOG file) and I’ll advise next steps.

• Give the exact 7‑Zip installer link and the command to install it, or
• Walk through verifying a few sample files from the ZIP to confirm integrity.