Data Retrieval from dead HDD

  • Thread starter Thread starter deep
  • Start date Start date
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deep

Hey all,

This morning at start-up, My Maxtor 200GB HDD made tones like a cel
phone ringing and would not boot. The BIOS said primary hard drive
failure. I called Maxtor and the tech listened to it and said "what's
your address...we'll send you a replacement." DOH!!

No warning before it went. Unfortunately I didn't have a few things
backed up...DOH again!! Maxtor suggested a data retrieval service to
retrieve some (not all) of the data I need by opening up the drive and
physically taking it off each platter.

I did a search and contacted a few places. Holy s**t is it expensive!!
Does anyone know of a place that does this service for a more
reasonable price?? Thanks for any help or suggestions.

deep
 
deep said:
Hey all,

This morning at start-up, My Maxtor 200GB HDD made tones like a cel
phone ringing and would not boot. The BIOS said primary hard drive
failure. I called Maxtor and the tech listened to it and said "what's
your address...we'll send you a replacement." DOH!!

No warning before it went. Unfortunately I didn't have a few things
backed up...DOH again!! Maxtor suggested a data retrieval service to
retrieve some (not all) of the data I need by opening up the drive and
physically taking it off each platter.

I did a search and contacted a few places. Holy s**t is it expensive!!
Does anyone know of a place that does this service for a more
reasonable price?? Thanks for any help or suggestions.

deep
Click to expand...

Don't search further. There is only very little chance (if any) you could
find a company providing this service at low price. I tried a lot of them.
The problem in your case is the noise you heard when the drive was going
down. This normally indicates a physical crash of at least one of the
platters, which is difficult or impossible to recover.
If you didn't have this noise, you could expect a "simple" dead controller
board, that could be replaced by another from an identical model (I had this
case one year ago).
In your case, yo will have to put the value of your "lost" data in balance
with the high price to recover them. And on top of this, remeber that no
company will guarantee the recovering, but you will have to pay anyways.
The positive point, I guess, is that from now on, you will make regular
back-ups...
 
Don't search further. There is only very little chance (if any) you could
find a company providing this service at low price. I tried a lot of them.
The problem in your case is the noise you heard when the drive was going
down. This normally indicates a physical crash of at least one of the
platters, which is difficult or impossible to recover.
If you didn't have this noise, you could expect a "simple" dead controller
board, that could be replaced by another from an identical model (I had this
case one year ago).
In your case, yo will have to put the value of your "lost" data in balance
with the high price to recover them. And on top of this, remeber that no
company will guarantee the recovering, but you will have to pay anyways.
The positive point, I guess, is that from now on, you will make regular
back-ups...
Click to expand...
That's what I thought. Oh well...live and learn. Thanks for the reply.

deep
 
No; data retrieval is a very expensive process. That's why people back up
their important data...
 
Hey all,

This morning at start-up, My Maxtor 200GB HDD made tones like a cel
phone ringing and would not boot. The BIOS said primary hard drive
failure. I called Maxtor and the tech listened to it and said "what's
your address...we'll send you a replacement." DOH!!

No warning before it went. Unfortunately I didn't have a few things
backed up...DOH again!! Maxtor suggested a data retrieval service to
retrieve some (not all) of the data I need by opening up the drive and
physically taking it off each platter.

I did a search and contacted a few places. Holy s**t is it expensive!!
Does anyone know of a place that does this service for a more
reasonable price?? Thanks for any help or suggestions.
Click to expand...

It might be TEMPORARILY working if you put it in the freezer
(in airtight bag). Don't try that yet, until you have the
replacement drive and are prepared to immediately copy off
data the moment you take it out of the freezer and hook it
up, trying while it's still cold.

As far as recovery services, any that could help in this
situation will charge a few thousand, there are no
comprehensive *discount* hardware recover services.
 
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