Harddrive -- at a loss

[jpom]

I'm trying to back up some dataoff a machine for some friends.They were running WinME, booted up oneday to a BSOD, bythe time I got to the computer it had stopped bootingonce past the POST. The most important thing is to back up herpictures, which of course she never backed up before, because we allknow computers never break.

Anyways here's the deal, I went over and figured it would be a simplerecover/format job. Tried to boot into knoppix, no go, for some reasonknoppix comes back with an error saying it can't find the filesystem(not a problem with the CD, i tested it), Ok I have Winternals2004, boot into that, should be able to just copy the files to myexternal drive.Get into the WinXP PE alright but it's telling me theC:\ is not formatted and do I want to format now.Can't do that. So Ican't think of anything else to do, so I run Spinrite, in hopes that Ican recover anything that will be of use. It's a long shot but all Igot at the time. Spinrite finishes the next morning and I boot thecomputer up and it goes into windows, excellent, 30 seconds later themachine freezes. Now when I try to boot up the HDD isn't detected, Biossee's it but not Winternals, Windows 2000 CD setup, spinrite, oranything else.I have even put the drive into 2 other machines and triedit in an external enclosure,still nothing.

I've reached the point where my only conclusion is that the HDD istoast,but does anybody know of anything else I can try to recover thesepictures??

TIA,
James

BTW I've tried editing this post 5 times now, and it keeps bunchingwords together when I save it. I must be missing somethingsomewhere but I'm just not in the mood to fight with it, so sorry if itis hard to read.
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[X-Istence]

Datarecovery specialist.

Nothing else left to do.

 

[emeritus]

Remove the harddrive and install it as a slave in another system. If the drive is truly dead, the second system will not even use it. Best case, is the system will see it and at least allow you to copy the pics off, or run data recovery on it.

 

[jpom]

X-Istence: Yeah that's kinda what I figured, but I had hoped for analternative. Makes no real matter to me, not my computer, but from whatI've been told Data recovery is expensive stuff. Thanks Though.

Emeritus: Yeah tried that in 2 different computers, and an external USB enclosure, nothing, doesn't reconize it whatsoever.

Well gonna pick up a new HDD tomorrow and will give her the option ofusing some sort of data recovery service. Rather then starting a newthread, I'll ask here: I know of CBL Solutions, but does anybody knowof any good companies for Data Recovery, or any I should avoid??

Thanks Again,
James

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Never tried this trick but it might allow you enough time to get the data you want to get.

Remove the drive, put it in a water tight cover/container & put it in the freezer for a couple of days.

Others have said that it gave them enough time to save the data before it died again.

 

[Xie]

Never tried this trick but it might allow you enough time to get the data you want to get.

Remove the drive, put it in a water tight cover/container & put it in the freezer for a couple of days.

Others have said that it gave them enough time to save the data before it died again.

I think I have read the cold thing is a myth.

 

[RickyC]

The freezer trick does work, I've tried it a number of times and it worked once. Maybe luck?

It all depends on what is wrong with the drive in the first place, if its an electonics failure or serious mechanical failure then it won't work.

Gotta be quick after you take it out of the freezer though!

 

[jpom]

See my thought is that there must be something seriously wrong with the drive since bios can detect that it is there, but nothing, absoulty nothing else can see it whatsoever.

I did throw it in the freezer for about an hour last night just to see if it would help, no go. Maybe I am supposed to leave it in there for a couple hours or a couple days either way I can see freezing it being helpful if the drive was over heating, or maybe for recovery from bad sectors etc. but while this drive probably has bad sectors the problem is that I can't get spinrite or any other scan/check disc utility to see it. A longer stay in the freezer might help but I'm doubtful myself.

When I boot up the computer I hear 1 click from the drive and then nothing, it is dead to the world no matter what I'm doing on it.

Thanks,
James

 

[LeeJend]

jpom

That drive is beyond the effort of amatuers. If your friend really wants the pictures the drive manufacturer may be able to exrtract them for a couple hundred dollars. Contact them.

In the mean time don't screw with the freezer bullûûûû it could make matters seriously worse. Consumer electronics is not made to be frozen then thawed, even in a glad bag...