Recovering Data w/ OnTask & GetDataBack + Knoppix --Help

[YelFerrari]

Hello everyone. Pardon this for being my first post, but I am need of some serious help. Just so you know, I have finished sifting through all of the relevant posts all the way back to 2004 in this forum.(I hate it when people post a question that has already been answered). I gleaned some good ideas, but nothing hit the bullseye so I am going to outline my situation and hope someone has had this experience.

Let's start at the beginning. For the last few weeks my 3yr old computer (P2.4, 1GB Ram, Seagate 80GB(master), WD 120GB (slave), ATI X800 XT PE, Creative Audigy Pro SC) has been running sluggishly. This was following an extended period where a total moron had access to this computer and managed to pick up every spyware and adware program the internet had to offer. I used Spybot S&D and AdAware SE Personal to clean out many of those programs. However, there was one that was persistent, and given the slow response of the computer, I tried re-installing Windows XP. That install did not go smoothly (read: XP stopped working). I finally managed to get XP back up on the primary drive after buying the WD 120GB and loading up XP on the new WD drive. After a few tries I got XP to load on my Seagate and I was able to set the WD to slave again.

Things have been running for the last six weeks albeit with ridiculously long load times on the windows startup screen (blue background where user selection takes place). Once beyond the startup screen, the computer would function normally (game performance was still poor in HL2 with skipping and very long load times).

And now for the catalyst: I purchased the Sims 2 University for my GF and installed it on the WD 120GB because I was weary of the Seagate 80. Install went fine, but upon reboot, the computer bounced back a message that it could not load the OS. Thankfully, I had the working version of XP on the slave so I switched cables and jumpers and loaded up XP on the WD 120.

I was really concerned that this was it for the Seagate so I ordered OnTrack Easy Recovery. Poking around on the Seagate under the drive properties it said that the drive was not formatted and it did not recognize a file system. Once I got On Track installed I ran the full diagnostic and it errored out. Then I tried the file recovery and it only found 35GB of data. Once restored to the WD 120 the folders and files had no file names.

At this point, I want to know what the next step should be. OnTrack doesn’t seem to be recovering any useable files, and Knoppix cannot mount the Seagate to explore what is left. Do I re-install windows? Should I reformat the drive to NTFS and then try to recover data again with OnTrack? Any suggestions?

 

[wolluf]

Not a lecture - but knowing the Seagate was behaving badly, you didn't backup?! How much/what sort of data do you need to recover from it?

Sounds like the Seagate is dying - so you need to minimise access to it apart from recovery attempts - formatting & trying to install windows probably won't work and certainly won't help recovery. Running it as slave to the WD I'd try any demo/full versions of data recovery apps you have/can find to see if you find one which can see your datafiles. GetDataBack has a good press on these forums (I've only used it in a 'test' situation, never when trying to recover real lost data so can't really comment, but it would probably be first one I tried). I'm sure you're aware of others via Google etc (finding ones with demo which would give you confidence to buy..)

Good luck - sorry I can't help more.

 

[YelFerrari]

Thanks for your suggestions wolluf. I have dl'ed GetDataBack here at work and will load it on the WD120 drive and attempt a recovery.

I have ascertained that doing any kind of check disk or reformatting is not the way to go as to avoid writing to the drive. I am going to cross my fingers.

-Mike