Is there a freeware app better than Scandisk for recovering data from "bad" sectors on a hard drive?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hootowl
  • Start date Start date
H

Hootowl

I have better from back in the DOS days, but those apps (Norton Disk
Doctor, etc.) aren't compatible with FAT32. I'm running WIN98 SE.
TIA!

Dan
 
"... the data can be recovered IF unfragmented. A
good reason to defrag ..."

Did you intend to state this? Isn't it contradictory?
Which is recoverable: a defragged disk/data or an UNdefragged
one? TIA.
Click to expand...

Defragged = unfragmented, recoverable.

"UNdefragged" was your word, but I guess it could mean still
fragmented, not recoverable. Unless the file were never fragmented
in the first place, in which case defragging or not defragging would
make no difference - the file would still be recoverable.

If you could use standard quote characters rather than quotation
marks for quoting previous posts, it would make things easier. It
looked as if you were quoting a webpage rather than a previous post.
 
For Windows users:
http://pricelessware.org/2003/PL2003FILEUTILITIES.htm#UndeleteTool

Hint:
You can mount the drive on a working Windows machine and use PC
File Inspector to recover deleted files. If the FAT is screwed or you
formatted the drive, the data can be recovered IF unfragmented. A
good reason to defrag or backup often.
Click to expand...

The files aren't deleted. The drive is failing and has developed a
couple of "bad sectors" that are storing images. I don't have a
backup of one of them. I'm trying to get the drive into such a
condition as to allow for a backup before I replace it. I can get
virtually all of one file, (and have), and about 95% of the other one.
Compupic Pro can read more of them than Scandisk can recover, possibly
because Scandisk times out too quickly. CPIC also retries many times
longer, and pulls up more of the image, than either of my other two
other viewers (the DOS-based one gives up instantly). I think the
sectors may just be reading very slowly, not actually physically
damaged.

I have PC Inspector. Would it be possible to delete the unbacked file
(I've already saved as much of it as I can get) and see if PC
Inspector can recover all of it? What I am looking for is a better
disk repair utility than Scandisk. Thanks!

Dan
 
Back
Top