Help with failed drive

[?????]

I have a Toshiba MK3021GAS 30GB Laptop Hard Drive which has been in
my laptop for a long time (>4 years).
Recently, after I did a hard reset, Windows XP failed to boot off of
it. Gave me an 0x0000ED error (UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME error). I tried
booting Windows Recovery disk but checkdisk said it could not access
the drive (forget exact error). I tried using Ubuntu Rescue Remix but
TestDisk does not see it.
I took the drive out and mounted it using a USB adapter. This is where
it gets weird. When I connect the drive, XP will originally recognize
the drive and assign a letter. Then it craps out without any warning
and removes letter registration and from then on I cannot see the disk
(even in Computer management -> Disk Management window). If I access
the drive while the letter is assigned, I see that there are no files
except some .ini file with weird numbers and letters (could be hex) as
a name.

So my thinking is that if I see nothing on drive then partition info
is likely lost. But that alone would not cause the drive to first get
recognized then disappear from XP. Any suggestions? Any approach I can
take to rescue data? Yes, most is backed up but you cannot backup
right up to the minute of failure so I am looking for suggestions. Any
help is appreciated.

 

[Rod Speed]

I have a Toshiba MK3021GAS 30GB Laptop Hard Drive
which has been in my laptop for a long time (>4 years).
Recently, after I did a hard reset, Windows XP failed to boot off of
it. Gave me an 0x0000ED error (UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME error). I tried
booting Windows Recovery disk but checkdisk said it could not access
the drive (forget exact error). I tried using Ubuntu Rescue Remix but
TestDisk does not see it.
I took the drive out and mounted it using a USB adapter.
This is where it gets weird.
Nope.

When I connect the drive, XP will originally recognize the drive
and assign a letter. Then it craps out without any warning and
removes letter registration and from then on I cannot see the disk
(even in Computer management -> Disk Management window).

That means that the drive shows up for a short time and then goes missing.

XP sees that as the same as you unplugging it.

If I access the drive while the letter is assigned, I see that there are no files
except some .ini file with weird numbers and letters (could be hex) as a name.

Which basically means that even tho its up temporarily, is still pretty sick.

So my thinking is that if I see nothing on drive then partition info is likely lost.

The most basic partition info cant be lost otherwise the drive would appear to be unformatted.

But that alone would not cause the drive to first get
recognized then disappear from XP. Any suggestions?

See above.

Any approach I can take to rescue data?

The problem may be due to a cracked trace or dry joint.

You can sometimes get the data off a drive like that by putting it
in a plastic bag and quite literally putting it in the freezer and then
seeing if the data is visible before it warms up.

Best to do that with the drive in a USB adapter, with a linux
system looking at the drive when its plugged in. Basically linux
is less fussy about NTFS formatted drives than XP so you
have more chance of getting what data is available that way.

 

[?????]

That means that the drive shows up for a short time and then goes missing..

XP sees that as the same as you unplugging it.


Which basically means that even tho its up temporarily, is still pretty sick.


The most basic partition info cant be lost otherwise the drive would appear to be unformatted.


See above.


The problem may be due to a cracked trace or dry joint.

You can sometimes get the data off a drive like that by putting it
in a plastic bag and quite literally putting it in the freezer and then
seeing if the data is visible before it warms up.

Best to do that with the drive in a USB adapter, with a linux
system looking at the drive when its plugged in. Basically linux
is less fussy about NTFS formatted drives than XP so you
have more chance of getting what data is available that way.

Thanks. I have just found that I can get access to the drive by...
laying it on its side.
We will see how long the drive lasts (I am doing deep recovery now)
but it seems you
are roughly right. It is some mechanical or structural issue.