Having issue with getting data from IDE 40GB drive

[fj62alex]

Hi,

Hopefully someone will suggest something. I have a Dimension 4100 running windows XP home) that I am trying to get some documents from it. I had a BSOD a few times, but since I am replacing the computer, I wanted to get some documents of it. I booted it up and while it was copying the data, it froze. I restarted it and now getting the message "Invalid Diskette in Drive A". I disabled the Diskette in BIOS, still the same thing. I removed it and set the jumper to Slave and tried in a working computer. After I connected the cables, the computer doesn't even recognise the good drive. By the way, I am using one IDE cable (black connector to Good drive and grey -- to the slave).
Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[vacunita]

Looks like the drive was on its way out, and finally died as you ere copying data off of it.

If you remove the 40Gb can the computer pick up the "good drive".

Unless you can get BIOS to recognize the bad drive there's not much you can do.

You could send it to a recovery specialist, though unless the data on it is really important it may not warrant the high cost that the recovery will likely have.


----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[cdogg]

At this point, I would avoid trying to boot from the drive. There's a good chance it's on its way out and the last thing you want to do is continue to apply stress by trying to load an OS from it.

If you have access to a working computer, you might want to consider purchasing an adapter like this:

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=1541&sku=30504

Although you could just slave the drive in a working PC, this makes it easy using USB 2.0 and gives you the option of using any working computer such as a laptop. If you mess with computers from time to time, this is a must-have in your arsenal.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[Freestone]

When you placed the drive as Slave in the working computer, did you ensure the existing drive was set to Master? Both drives have to be jumpered for Cable Select, or one Master and the other Slave. You can't mix settings.

 

[kjv1611]

If you mess with computers from time to time, this is a must-have in your arsenal.

I second that one whole-heartedly. I remember all too well the agony of having to open up a working computer, install a dead/dying hard drive to attempt to recover data that way. The USB adapters are SO much nicer to use!

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[hinesward]

Put the drive in a working computer. See what you can get off it then.

Try freezing the drive. That could help things.

 

[kjv1611]

Try freezing the drive. That could help things.

This has been proven wrong by data recovery specialists. The problem is that if you put it in the freezer, some worse things are bound to happen MUCH MORE LIKELY than any possible good. Here are some examples:
[UL]
[LI]Rapid change in temps causing the rapid expansion/contraction of metal is NEVER a good thing - particularly tiny sensitive pieces, like found in HDDs[/LI]
[LI]Build up of moisture. Normally moisture doesn't get into a Hard Drve. However, by freezing the hard drive, any "air" that is in the hard drive could allow initially for condensation at such cool temps, and eventually freezing that water, and once again turning back to water... which ends up falling wherever it falls - IN THE HARD DRIVE.[/LI]
[/UL]

So basically, if you want to have any OTHER chance at getting your data, don't do the freezer trick. The chances are extremely slim that it will help - there are stories of it helping, but they are few and far between. More hype than help, I think.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[BadBigBen]

Try freezing the drive. That could help things.

Yep, if you sport a 20+ year old MFM or RLL drive, other wise it is not recommended at all, see KJV1611 post as to why!

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[cdogg]

kjv1611,
Yes, that's absolutely correct. Freezing doesn't work too often and is never a good idea except as a last resort when the data you are trying to recover isn't worth paying $300 or more for professional data recovery.

I've been in that situation several times in the past few years where the data wasn't all that important but the drive wasn't seen by the BIOS. Out of 4 drives that I've thrown in the freezer as a last resort, only 1 came back to life long enough for me to pull data off. And who knows? It wasn't a scientific test. Putting it in the freezer may or may not have been the determining factor that brought it back to life.

Folks, be sure to heed the warning that your drive will likely be ruined from all the condensation that builds up on the inside, even if it does run for a while.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[hinesward]

Never once did I guarantee anyone that freezing the drive would work. Never once did I suggest it as a first option.

A 5% chance is still more than zero.

Are people on this board actually interested in helping? Or do they just want to criticize people who try to provide solutions?

 

[kjv1611]

Try freezing the drive. That could help things.

Um, you gave no more info than that. An uninformed user could take that information, try it, and THEN learn the possible consequences. Could it be an absolute last resort? Maybe. Is it worth it? Probably not - if the data IS of any value, and nothing seems to work software wise, diff adapters, etc, then it's time to go to data recovery specialists. If it's not important, then I suppose it doesn't matter... but in that case, the user probably wouldn't have gone as far as all the adapters and such, unless they're like one of the tt "regular" posters.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

Oh, here's another possible fix - who knows. Whack your hard drive a couple of times while it's running. Maybe it'll happen to fall in place long enough to work?

Please get the sarcasm there... Please do NOT try this method unless you're tired of your hard drive, and WANT it to stop spinning. I mean, if you're going to toss it anyway, why not? But if you have any hope of getting your data, I do advise against this method as well.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[GabrielBL]

Stop trying to boot from it, get it in an external enclosure and try to access it that way. Unlike some of the other people here, I’ve had great success putting drives in zip-loc bags and in the freezer for 20-30 minutes at a time.

Gabriel Blanc-Laine
VP Sales & Marketing

http://www.Qtask.com

 

[cdogg]

Stop trying to boot from it, get it in an external enclosure and try to access it that way.

Yes, that was suggested in the third post above. I recommended an adapter (which to me is the better investment since it can be used in more situations), but an enclosure would work too.

Unlike some of the other people here, I've had great success putting drives in zip-loc bags and in the freezer for 20-30 minutes at a time.

I don't think anyone was disputing the fact that it can work. How well it works or doesn't work is not really an issue. The important thing for people to realize is that you can ruin your drive in the process making it more difficult for a professional recovery entity to read the drive. If you have any intention of using a data recovery service as a last resort, then you should avoid making matters worse by trying risky solutions such as the freezer trick.

Ontrack data recovery is the industry leader in this field. Check out the #1 on their list of data disasters:

http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com/data-recovery-press/index.aspx?getPressRelease=5493

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[vacunita]

Stop trying to boot from it, get it in an external enclosure and try to access it that way.

In my experience, and I have worked as a data recovery engineer in the past, sticking faulty drives in USB enclosures is successful in less than 10% of the time. Better results can be obtained by getting an internal adapter in the case of laptop drives, or just taking the drive in the case of desktop drives, and plugging it into a desktop PC internally. I had more than 90% success rate with that. Also once the drive is detected its better to use a sector by sector cloning software, and copy the drive onto a working one as you can never know for how long the drive will continue to work.

This guarantees that at least some data will be recoverable from the working copy.

I have had limited success with the freezer trick, but only ever try it as a last resort before returning an irrecoverable status message to the owner of the drive. If the data is very important, I'd say sending it to a data recovery specialist is the way to go, rather than experimenting with it.


----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[mberg24]

if it goes down to the professional help, then I can say that the same quality service as ontrack's you can get for much less at databe data recovery,the link to their web:

http://www.databe.com

Check it out! I'm sure they will help.