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Subject: Hard drive on the fritz: Any way to back it up?
Posted by: R9
- Leader [02624472] Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 15:37
I've got a HD that slows the bootup sequence to about 5 minutes, and refuses to show up in Windows Explorer. (The BIOS finds it just fine.) I know its the HD because when I take it out the computer boots up real quick, just like it used to.
We've got some pretty important files on this HD, is there any way to save them? Thanks for any help. |
| 1 | Sludge
ID: 581043311
Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 15:46
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Depending on how important they are, you might want to look into having someone professional restore your data. I don't know where to tell you to start to look, but it's the best bet. One thing I can tell you, however, is to remove the hard drive from your computer (or at least unplug it) IMMEDIATELY. Every time the platters spin, you are likely causing more harm to the hard drive.
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| 2 | R9
Leader
ID: 02624472
Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 16:00
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So far that has been the advice I've gotten. I was sort of hoping for a less... expensive solution. ;) I have definitely disconnected the drive, I don't want to damage it any more then it is.
I realize it may be highly dependant on the size of the drive and the damage done, but any idea on what kind of cost we're looking at here?
Thanks for the response.
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| 3 | RecycledSpinalFluid
Dude
ID: 204401122
Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 16:01
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Is it an extra drive you are adding to a system or is it the main drive?
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| 4 | Sludge
ID: 581043311
Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 16:02
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I couldn't tell you. I recently had a friend who sent his computer off to see what he could get recovered from his drive (I think...). I don't know exactly what he wanted done or what the results were, but I'll take a shot in the dark and ask him next time I see him online.
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| 5 | R9
Leader
ID: 02624472
Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 16:13
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It was an extra drive in my parents computer, and before that it was the main drive of my old P3-500. I've tried it in both of my systems. No dice, although both the BIOS and XP Device Manager detect it, which is what is wierd... I sort of thought a dead drive wouldn't be detected anywhere. Of course I've never had a dead drive before so my experience in this matter is completely non-existant.
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| 6 | biliruben
Leader
ID: 589301110
Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 16:24
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My office geek suggested Norton Ghost for a similar problem. If you have another empty harddrive, it can exactly replicate the contents of the problem drive.
My dad went the other route, and it cost him two grand. It was worth it to him, given the sensitivity and cost of the data, I suppose.
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| 7 | RecycledSpinalFluid
Dude
ID: 204401122
Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 16:29
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Two things come to my mind to try:
1.) Just plug it in as the only drive (if it has an OS on it). Does it come up then?
2.) Almost sounds like both are set as a master drive, but you say BIOS detects it, so that probably isnt the case.
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| 8 | RecycledSpinalFluid
Dude
ID: 204401122
Tue, Nov 29, 2005, 16:33
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One thing I've had to do a time or two is cool the drive down as it was getting too hot (due to immenent failure). I'd slap it in the freeze for a bit, then immediately slap it in the system, pull off whatever data I could before it got hot again and repeat the cycle (also did this one with a laptop drive in a plastic baggy with a cup of ice). Sounds stupid and sounds like BS, but its worked for me more than once...but I'd try the other stuff first.
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| 9 | R9
Leader
ID: 02624472
Wed, Nov 30, 2005, 02:04
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That is what my friend suggested as well, put in the fridge for about an hour and then try. He's going to give me a recovery program that he says lets me search by file extention, so hopefully I can pull their really important stuff off before the whole thing goes.
I floated the 'professional' method, and they looked kinda iffy on that, so looks like its up to me.
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| 10 | R9
Leader
ID: 02624472
Wed, Nov 30, 2005, 02:06
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Oh, he also mentioned that Windows not giving me a drive letter in Explorer, and yet being listed in Device Manager, makes it look like the file system is shot. Which is why he thinks I need the recovery program. Just wanted to post that here to see if that sounds about right.
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| 11 | peebee
ID: 219483123
Sat, Dec 03, 2005, 11:06
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you could get an external USB caddie and plug the drive in to that
and use something like file scavenger to recover any data that may
be corrupt as well as move the data to your exisiting good drive.
USB caddies are an easy way to provide a backup/storage solution.
and if you couple that with free software like ezbackup it provides
a decent backup option for your data.
cheers
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