HELP! Hard disk dead?! :'(

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  • Start date Start date
D

D

Where do i start?!?

Last week, my PC crashed and i went to restart it and it said ""primary hard
drive detection failed." I fiddled with the power, IDE cable and RAM to no
avail. The hard disk is a Seagate Barracude IV 80GB model, running Windows
XP over FAT32.

I brought it home to test it but still no joy; when I connect it to my
system as a slave but it continues in a infinite boot cycle. As a master, it
just doesn't get anywhere - the system just hangs. The good news is that the
BIOS does register the hard disk, and reports the correct model and size of
the disk - well, i hope it's good news. I've been in touch with Seagate who
are putting me through the motions.

I ran SeaTools and it found 52 bad sectors, all of which were apparently in
'unused space' but this worries me as the bad sectors were spread all
accross the disk! I also ran DiscWizard to try and fix the MBR but seeing as
i didn't install the disk with the software i don't think that did much and
besides most of the options were greyed out!

DiscWizard claims the drive is blank and asks me if i want to prep it for a
new windows install!!

I'm completely lost - and this maybe the difference of me passing my degree
as i had work which i was backing up at the time!!! :'(

HEEELP!!

Cheers

D
 
D said:
Where do i start?!?

Last week, my PC crashed and i went to restart it and it said ""primary hard
drive detection failed." I fiddled with the power, IDE cable and RAM to no
avail. The hard disk is a Seagate Barracude IV 80GB model, running Windows
XP over FAT32.

I brought it home to test it but still no joy; when I connect it to my
system as a slave but it continues in a infinite boot cycle. As a master, it
just doesn't get anywhere - the system just hangs. The good news is that the
BIOS does register the hard disk, and reports the correct model and size of
the disk - well, i hope it's good news. I've been in touch with Seagate who
are putting me through the motions.

I ran SeaTools and it found 52 bad sectors, all of which were apparently in
'unused space' but this worries me as the bad sectors were spread all
accross the disk! I also ran DiscWizard to try and fix the MBR but seeing as
i didn't install the disk with the software i don't think that did much and
besides most of the options were greyed out!

DiscWizard claims the drive is blank and asks me if i want to prep it for a
new windows install!!

I'm completely lost - and this maybe the difference of me passing my degree
as i had work which i was backing up at the time!!! :'(

HEEELP!!

Cheers

D
Click to expand...
There are very good odds your data is recoverable.
Do not have the hdd spinning except to clone the hdd.
Logical failures - which you describe - the hdd is recognized by the bios-
are the most likely to be recovered.

What is the value of your data? Before proceeding further you may want to
consider professional Data Recovery services.
Logical recovery is not physically intrusive to the HDA and will not be an
issue re your hard disk warranty.

Unlike what "Rod Speed" would tell you (someone thought I was "Rod" in this
NG earlier this week - not correct - suppose "Rod" is on vacation?) -
logical recovery services start with DR companies as low as $350 - but most
services will start at $700 and above.
 
someone said:
master, seeing for
There are very good odds your data is recoverable.
Do not have the hdd spinning except to clone the hdd.
Logical failures - which you describe - the hdd is recognized by the bios-
are the most likely to be recovered.

What is the value of your data? Before proceeding further you may want to
consider professional Data Recovery services.
Logical recovery is not physically intrusive to the HDA and will not be an
issue re your hard disk warranty.

Unlike what "Rod Speed" would tell you (someone thought I was "Rod" in this
NG earlier this week - not correct - suppose "Rod" is on vacation?) -
logical recovery services start with DR companies as low as $350 - but most
services will start at $700 and above.
Click to expand...

Well, I have university work, MP3s, pictures from my digital camera etc. Not
sure if i can attribute a value to it.

I am in the UK and the quotes i've got are between £300 and $400 (about
$480-560). I've purchased a new Western Digital 200GB HD just in case. Is
tehre anything I can do from home to try and recover the data?

I'm not a major expert, but at a guess i's day that the MBR or FAT has eben
erased or damaged? I don't know!

Anything you can suggest?

Thanks a lot!

D
 
D said:
to

Well, I have university work, MP3s, pictures from my digital camera etc. Not
sure if i can attribute a value to it.

I am in the UK and the quotes i've got are between £300 and $400 (about
$480-560). I've purchased a new Western Digital 200GB HD just in case. Is
tehre anything I can do from home to try and recover the data?

I'm not a major expert, but at a guess i's day that the MBR or FAT has eben
erased or damaged? I don't know!

Anything you can suggest?

Thanks a lot!

D
Click to expand...

I'm not a major expert, but at a guess i's day that the MBR or FAT has eben
erased or damaged? I don't know!
Click to expand...


Probably the above statement is a very fair guess. An onsite evaluation
should determine if the FAT has been corrupted.
Many DR companies offer a free evaluation.
I am in the US - so it's not realistic for our company to work on the
recovery.

Lately many of the DR situations involve digital pictures - downloaded to
one hdd that unfortunately fails.

I would suggest either free or inexpensive cloning software - and then some
analysis tools.

DR quality software to purchase will easily meet or exceed the $480 to $560
you were quoted.
The other suggestion is that every recovery is different - a software tool
that may work on your problem may not work on another -
sometimes several cloning and analysis tools are used before we are
successful.


If you post a email address - use some spam blockers - I'll be more specific
in a direct response.
 
D said:
I am in the UK and the quotes i've got are between £300 and $400 (about
$480-560). I've purchased a new Western Digital 200GB HD just in case. Is
tehre anything I can do from home to try and recover the data?
Click to expand...

You could replace the old drive with the new, install WinXP on the new
drive, attach the old drive to the secondary IDE channel, boot up and see if
you can see the data.

nf
 
This is also a lesson going forward. Get Drive Image 7 or True Image and
when you finally get the New Hard Drive (yes, you will need one since you
drive is dead), thoroughly back it up as a total image. Back it to any
external USB drive. I've had four hard drive failures in my lifetime and
they are never pretty. With back ups, they are survivable.

Jimmy
 
Jimmy said:
He is saying his rates are "More" than reasonable. A Freudian slip.......
Click to expand...

Apologies! Perhaps "less than unreasonable" would have been better?!

Odie
 
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