Help with hard drive

[tom4bren]

All,

I got myself in a bad situation by not backing up my hard drive. All of my family pix are on a Maxtor external hard drive that the PC will no longer recognize. SeaGate was only helpful in telling me what I already knew & kindly gave me a number to call about data recovery services they offer.

Have any of you had to recover data from a 'crashed' drive before? Please let me know how your experience went.

Tom

[Kenny]

I've had to resurrect a few hard drives. Not fun.

It's been a while, but I had luck with Testdisk to make it boot or see it in windows. Then used Recover My Files to pull off the data.
I've also used Active@Undelete with luck too.

Sounds like you're lucky and it's not your boot drive that failed, at least you can still run an OS with software to revive the external HD... Hopefully it's not hardware that failed and you can still force a read.

Good Luck.

[kodiak]

One thing you can try is to remove the HD out of its USB enclosure and hook it up to your computer as an IDE or a Sata drive. It will give you better accesses and more options for recovery. The sad thing is usually when an external HD fails it‘s because it overheated in it’s enclosure.:(

[Kenny]

... also you can try the old "stick it in the freezer for a few hours" trick.

http://geeksaresexy.blogspot.com/2005/12/hard-drive-recovery-utilities-when-you.html

[nfpgasmask]

There are ways to do it. First though, tell me what happens when you plug the drive in. Are you absolutely sure the drive has crashed? Or is Windows just not recognizing that something is plugged in?

Bart

[tom4bren]

I can't remember the exact error message - something about unable to recognize USB device.

I'm not getting noises from it that would make you pucker (like the read head dragging on the disk). I do get a clicking sound like it's trying to read & maybe not finding the zero sector. It was hooked to the kid's computer that crashed a while back & hasn't worked since. Since it was the kid's computer, it prolly didn't get the virus updates as regularly as it should've. Maybe it got attacked???

"One thing you can try is to remove the HD out of its USB enclosure and hook it up to your computer as an IDE or a Sata drive."

I was going to try that but wasn't ready to try that yet since the new 'puter is running Vista & I'm still learning it's idiocyncrocies. I really don't care about saving the drive - I just wanna save the data.

"It's been a while, but I had luck with ..."

Thanks Kenny - I'll have a look.

[kodiak]

Vista shouldn’t be a problem, Disk Management is pretty much the same as the one in XP. USB has a bad habit of rejecting HDs with problems that would normally be corrected by error checking if it was hooked up directly to the computer.
If you’re not hearing a constant “ZIP CLICK, ZIP CLICK, ZIP CLICK” or if you’re not feeling the gyro forces when it power up then chances are it’s just data corruption that needs error checking.

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, if you can plug the drive in, go into Disk Management and look and see if its in there. It may not have a drvie letter assigned to it, which you may have to do manually. If you can get a drive letter assigned to it, you can drop out to a command prompt and run chkdsk on it. That should fix any lost clusters or cross-linked files.

Bart

[nfpgasmask]

Also, maybe try plugging it into another machine. Perhaps your Vista machine is having some weird issues reading it.

Bart

[nfpgasmask]

I've had to resurrect a few hard drives. Not fun.
It's been a while, but I had luck with Testdisk

Yeah, I used TestDisk before as well to recover 40GB of jpgs. It does work, but man, what a mess it is sorting through all those recovered files! Better than loosing them though.

Bart

[tom4bren]

"maybe try plugging it into another machine"

Tried connecting it to laptop already (running XP) - No Go.

"It may not have a drvie letter assigned to it, which you may have to do manually."

Wouldn't let me.

"remove the HD out of its USB enclosure and hook it up to your computer as an IDE"

Next step - I'll let you know how it goes.

:_brickwal Backup:_brickwal Backup:_brickwal Backup:_brickwal Backup

[kodiak]

Ones you hook it up to your IDE or SATA vista should run chkdsk automatically on boot up. If it doesn’t fix the problem there is one other thing you can try. There’s a program called SpinRite it's the best HD recovery software I have ever seen. If you have any I.T. buddies they might have this program in there position, they can make you a SpinRite boot CD. The last time I checked SpinRite was still to expensive for the average user. It’s used mainly by data recovery firms and I.T. professionals.

[kodiak]

The DVD Burner is your friend.;)




:_brickwal Backup:_brickwal Backup:_brickwal Backup:_brickwal Backup

[Bulldoggie]

A few weeks ago my Macbookpro was acting up, after the kids were playing with the Photobooth app. and others....
Kids do the darnedest things - "Art L"
So I did a re-boot
:eek::eek::eek:
It would not restart.....
So I booted from the install disk, ran "Disc Tools" and could NOT repair the drive
:mad::_brickwal:_thinking
So I erased:freek: the drive and ran the "Time machine" back-up app.
Nothing to lose :_confused
It did not take very long and almost everything was back including all the pref.
The good, nothing in itunes was lost.
All my movies were on the back-up drive.
The bad, the iPhoto Library WAS lost, (not backed-up?) I had all but a few events saved on other drives, but still hate to lose even a few memories.
I lost the Route 66 street nav app. but it saved my routes?????? just re-installed.
I lost the NG Topo maps app. but still have all the disc image data files?????

Anyway, I'm glad I took the time to add a back-up drive. (very affordable insurance)
Now I know the weak spots in my conf. of the "Time machine" app.
I'll be better prepared for the :uhohgray: next time :uhohgray:

[johnnyapollo]

Before you do all that there are two things to try:

1. Try a different USB cable.
2. Try a different power supply.

What happens is that the disk powers up from two sources - if either fails to supply the needed power the external will fail to boot. I've had repeated issues with my Lacie "Porsche" designed externals (both the 1TB and 0.5TB) and have had replacement power supplies sent to me from Lacie (2x on the 1TB).

-- John

[tom4bren]

1. Try a different USB cable.

Done did it - No Go. Tried firewire cable - No Go.

2. Try a different power supply.

I measured the PS voltage OK but only unloaded. I never did try it loaded.

Handing over the whole mess to an IT buddy today. We'll see what happens. He thinks the read head is TU but not crashed.

[Kenny]

Ones you hook it up to your IDE or SATA vista should run chkdsk automatically on boot up. If it doesn’t fix the problem there is one other thing you can try. There’s a program called SpinRite it's the best HD recovery software I have ever seen. If you have any I.T. buddies they might have this program in there position, they can make you a SpinRite boot CD. The last time I checked SpinRite was still to expensive for the average user. It’s used mainly by data recovery firms and I.T. professionals.

Forgot about Spinrite, I've used that too with good success...

It's amazing, a zero in the wrong place in the boot sector and windows can totally ignore the drive.:confused::mad:
So I mizspel a word, you still understand me... Windows is a retard. oops, uh-oh..

[Ldub]

So I mizspel a word, you still understand me... Windows is a retard. oops, uh-oh..

Hey...I resemble that remark ! :sighwgray

Nyuk-nyuk-nyuk

[kodiak]

I had what seamed to be a completely unrecoverable HD I ran SpinRite on about 6 months ago. It only took 5 DAYS for the program to recover it. SpinRite can take a long time.:rolleyes:

[nfpgasmask]

SpinRite can take a long time.:rolleyes:

Yeah, TestDisk is the same. I think I let it run for 3 days when I did my revcovery with it.

Bart

[tom4bren]

Are Y'all trying to help me or scare me????:)

[nfpgasmask]

Are Y'all trying to help me or scare me????:)

Hey man, I would have let it run for 3 weeks if I had to. I lost like 6-7 months worth of digital camera pics, and for me, that is unacceptable!!!

Bart

[kodiak]

I just recovered a bunch of pix off a HD for a friend that got the Burito virus. That think was nasty! It even had it’s own desktop theme.

[nfpgasmask]

I just recovered a bunch of pix off a HD for a friend that got the Burito virus. That think was nasty! It even had it’s own desktop theme.

Does the burito virus give you gas too? :laughing:

Bart

[don moore]

after loosing alot of stuff over the years ..i now have a backup usb hd.. for all my pics....just wish i had it when when i lost all my wedding pics...(she still reminds me of that every now and then)..good luck

[etlsport]

after loosing alot of stuff over the years ..i now have a backup usb hd.. for all my pics....just wish i had it when when i lost all my wedding pics...(she still reminds me of that every now and then)..good luck

at least you had them for a while.. my buddy just recently got engaged.. took tons of photos since he proposed on a beach at sunset... he lost the SD card somewhere on the beach!

but yea.. I keep like 4 thumb drives full of different stuff like that.. ive got thumb drives holding my photos, tax info, important school stuff etc.. plus i copy everything on my laptop to my desktop too

[tom4bren]

"..i now have a backup usb hd.."

That's what this drive was for. When the PC crashed, it took the internal & external with it.

IT buddy says he's stumped - he handed it over to some techno-geeks to have a try.

BTW, I copied all of my pix that didn't get lost to a DVD last nite. I learn - painfully I learn.

Thanks for all your help guys. I'll keep you posted.

[nfpgasmask]

When the PC crashed, it took the internal & external with it.

THAT is wierd. Did you have a massive power surge or something that could have blown the power on the external and somehow fry the internal? I have never heard of this happening. Your external drive has its own power supply, correct? Do you have any LEDs on it that light up or anything? It almost sounds like the external drive is not getting any juice, and thus, not spinning up, which would cause Windows to see nothing...

I would say you need to open the shell of the external, find out if it is IDE or SATA, and then get another enclosure that supports the capacity of the drive, hook it up and see what happens. What make/model/size is the external?

Bart

[tom4bren]

The drive lights, spins & chunks. Haven't talked to the Tech again. My original assumption is that I got hit by a virus. I haven't checked the internal drive (I saved it since it was only a year old), it may still work but I only used it for programs & not data. I just want my pix back. The drive is a write off as far as I'm concerned - I'd never trust it again.

[nfpgasmask]

The drive lights, spins & chunks. Haven't talked to the Tech again. My original assumption is that I got hit by a virus. I haven't checked the internal drive (I saved it since it was only a year old), it may still work but I only used it for programs & not data. I just want my pix back. The drive is a write off as far as I'm concerned - I'd never trust it again.

You know, I have seen viruses do a lot of things, but to this day, with 14+ years of IT experience behind me, I have never encountered a virus capable of damaging hardware.

Bart

[tom4bren]

"I have never encountered a virus capable of damaging hardware."

I know (despite all the urban legends). Virus was just my first thought when the PC crashed. I pretty much ruled that out as soon as I found out that the Maxtor was Tango Uniform. Even if the internal drive is OK, it's still wierd that the PC crashed simultaneous with the Maxtor crash. Just lucky I guess.

[tom4bren]

Well, the IT guys gave up with no success. They think the read head is bad & my only option is a recovery service that can actually remove the disk & read it with another device. Any further advice?

[kodiak]

That sucks man.:confused: You can tell when a head goes by running defrag. You can see a band of blocks missing. Was he able to see the drive at all? If he wasn’t there’s a possibility that it’s a corrupted fat table. If that’s the case then a recovery service might be able to fix it with out to much trouble.

[tom4bren]

'Puter won't even recognize the drive. It's an external Maxtor but they removed it from the housing & tried to run it as an internal.

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, that sucks man. You might have to send it in to a place like OnTrack (http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com/). It all depends on how much this data is really worth to you now. I am pretty sure a data recovery house will be pricey.

Bart

[tom4bren]

Wedding pix so I'll have to bite the bullet.

I was trying to call data sniffer but all the techs were busy.

[nfpgasmask]

I would call OnTrack and see what they say. Maybe they have better rates for the average person. The company I used to work for in Chicago used them all the time and we always had 100% success rates, but the cost was like $1500-$2500 depending on how much data was recovered.

Bart

[tom4bren]

OUCH!!!

It's a 330 Gig drive but I only had about 30 Gigs used. Can they be selective in the data recovered. I'm only interested in the jpg files.

[nfpgasmask]

OUCH!!!

It's a 330 Gig drive but I only had about 30 Gigs used. Can they be selective in the data recovered. I'm only interested in the jpg files.

Yeah, basically, data recovery places know that if you are calling them, they have your balls in a vice. :)

I'm not sure what options they have exactly, so it might be worth a phone call to see. You know, lay on the sob story about the wedding pics real thick and all. :rolleyes:

Bart

[tom4bren]

Bart - do I hear the tone:

Yer Scrooooooooodddd - BWAAAAHAAAAHAAAA:)

[nfpgasmask]

Bart - do I hear the tone:

Yer Scrooooooooodddd - BWAAAAHAAAAHAAAA:)

Data loss, especially photographic data loss, is quite painful. I have learned my lesson, a couple times in fact, and I will do whatever I can to prevent it from happening in again in the future...

Bart

[tom4bren]

I know. I'm just rattling your cage since I'm in the middle of a very boring telecon & I'm losing my mind.

[kodiak]

That really sucks, if the bios won’t detect it when it’s hooked up directly to a motherboard then there’s something really wrong. :(