HELP!!! Can't access my files in my WD hard drive

I have a 500gb WD hard drive with a bunch of files in it that I always used with my macbook. Recently I wanted to share some files with a friend who is Windows vista user, and I plugged the drive into his computer but didn't work at all (the computer froze)...
Then when I tried using the hard drive in my macbook again, I couldn't access my files...the computer doesn't even read it. When I open disk utilities, I see that the hard drive is there but it's impossible to access it.
I have over 16,000 files saved in the drive...and they're very important. I don't wanna go through formatting the thing, cuz I don't wanna lose those files. I need to access those files ASAP.
Is there any way that I can access them again? Or formatting is my only choice?

Lul4z wrote:
I have a 500gb WD hard drive with a bunch of files in it that I always used with my macbook. Recently I wanted to share some files with a friend who is Windows vista user, and I plugged the drive into his computer but didn't work at all (the computer froze)...
I assume you mean this was your TM drive? Windoze can't read the format it's in, and certainly would not understand the special structure used for TM backups. In trying to read the drive, the PC has apparently corrupted it.
Then when I tried using the hard drive in my macbook again, I couldn't access my files...the computer doesn't even read it. When I open disk utilities, I see that the hard drive is there but it's impossible to access it.
I have over 16,000 files saved in the drive...and they're very important. I don't wanna go through formatting the thing, cuz I don't wanna lose those files. I need to access those files ASAP.
Is there any way that I can access them again? Or formatting is my only choice?
Can you do a +*Repair Disk+* (not permissions) on it via Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder)? If it finds errors but can't fix them all, run it again (and again) until it either fixes them all or can't fix any more.
If DU won't let you do that, it's barely possible that a heavy-duty 3rd-paty app such as Disk Warrior (4.1.1 or 4.2) can fix it. It's about $100, though, and there's no guarantee it will work.

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Type of Computer: Laptop
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Sound: High Definition Audio Device IDT High Definition Audio CODEC Bluetooth Hands-free Audio Bluetooth St
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Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor on ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 (1600x900 60Hz) ;work res(1600x870 60Hz)
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