Repairing or recovering files from a damaged hard drive

[Daradon]

Thought I'd come to the CP braintrust for this problem.

I have a damaged hard drive from an old computer. The computer lost power during a windows update and after that, I was no longer able to start it up. It was running Windows XP and the loading bar that you get when you start up the computer would just keep going and going in a stop/go fashion.

Fast forward to the present. I have purchased a new computer and wanted to transfer some of the files from the old drive to the new computer. I go out and buy a hard drive dock. However, the drive seems to be damaged significantly as I cannot just go in and find the files. In fact, the dock/software does not recognize the old drive.

I'm am not completely without talent, and I find some freeware that specializes in recovery, and was able to get into the drive. It does appear that my data is more or less in tact. However, all the files are numbered, not named, and searching through them in that fashion would take a thousand monkeys at a thousand keyboards. As well, since the software is freeware, it did not give me the option of actually recovering anything, just searching the drive.

I talked to a few people about this and they say it may just be a partition problem, and there are software suites out there that handle that. There are also software packs just for recovery and not repair. I have been warned that if I try a repair, it is possible to screw things up even worse than they are now.

It is really just the data that is important to me. I have several novels in progress on the drive totaling thousands of pages, plus 8 years or so worth of pics that I would like to get back. So recovery over repair is fine with me. My question is, does anyone know how to go about this and can they recommend any software? Free would be great, as I have heard that may be possible, but I am willing to spend some money.

I know there are people who do this, but I don't really want to shell out 500 bucks. If it comes to that I will, but I'm pretty sure I can handle it myself. With your help of course...

[Hack&Lube]

First things first get something like this http://www.disk-image.net/download.htm (free trial) and make a perfect clone of your drive first so that you don't cause any inadvertent damage by poking around. It may simply be that the partition table or boot sector is damaged.

I find it strange that you only see numbered files. There are a lot of NTFS recovery utilities out there are are free and should be able to see actual files. Clone your drive before you try anything else. Even the slightest write to the drive or change in the drive structure could wipe out all your data if you cannot access it properly.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

First things first get something like this http://www.disk-image.net/download.htm (free trial) and make a perfect clone of your drive first so that you don't cause any inadvertent damage by poking around. It may simply be that the partition table or boot sector is damaged.

I find it strange that you only see numbered files. There are a lot of NTFS recovery utilities out there are are free and should be able to see actual files. Clone your drive before you try anything else. Even the slightest write to the drive or change in the drive structure could wipe out all your data if you cannot access it properly.

Yeah, everything is numbered and nothing is in 'order'. I'll open one file and it'll be a log file, and then one right beside it will be a jpeg or something, and the next will be a system file.

Unless that's just the way the software I was using works. Anyway, Ill check out this link you sent me. Thanks. Keep the tips coming.

[Rathji]

Read this, it might give some good info:

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1139

Of most probable use to you is page 8 and 9 where it talks about TESTDISK, a utility that has saved more data for me than any other application.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Read this, it might give some good info:

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1139

Of most probable use to you is page 8 and 9 where it talks about TESTDISK, a utility that has saved more data for me than any other application.

Hey, dumb question. When I am downloading Testdisk, do I want to match the version to my current operating system? Or the operating system on the disk I'm trying to recover from? I am assuming the former, but I really don't want to mess this up.

[Rathji]

Your operating system

[normtwofinger]

So my external hard drive went ka-put. At first I thought it was just a power supply problem, but after putting it in another enclosure, it still won't recognize the drive. Have tried USB and eSata connections. USB recognizes something is there, but says, 'unknown device.' Nothing happens with eSata. Does anyone have any tips? I'm not that computer literate. Or does anyone know any good and reasonably priced data recovery services?

[psyang]

Just a stab in the dark, but is the drive a seagate? I just "recovered" a Seagate drive that suffered from bad firmware. The drive just suddenly became unrecognizable by the system, and was unrecognizable in an external dock. I sent the drive in to Seagate. They updated the firmware and the drive came back with all data intact, all at no charge (they paid for shipping too). The bug is such that, once the proper firmware was applied, the data becomes available again. In my experience, a drive rarely fails and becomes totally unrecognizable unless it suffers a serious head crash or something.

[REDVAN]

I have a similar problem- I have an external 500gb seagate that mysteriously only has 230gb total drive space- I don't recall partitioning it, and if so, I still don't see it.

Any tips on how to fix this disk without doing anything too crazy?

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by psyang

Just a stab in the dark, but is the drive a seagate? I just "recovered" a Seagate drive that suffered from bad firmware. The drive just suddenly became unrecognizable by the system, and was unrecognizable in an external dock. I sent the drive in to Seagate. They updated the firmware and the drive came back with all data intact, all at no charge (they paid for shipping too). The bug is such that, once the proper firmware was applied, the data becomes available again. In my experience, a drive rarely fails and becomes totally unrecognizable unless it suffers a serious head crash or something.

It is, but it's a different model entirely. Much older.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Unless that's just the way the software I was using works. Anyway, Ill check out this link you sent me. Thanks. Keep the tips coming.

This.

Anyways man, I highly recommend you stop playing around yourself - You said you have some skill, but the fact you didn't take a sector by sector clone the instant this happened to a drive with important data on it, nor were able to fix/troubleshoot a windows boot issue the first time around, tells me you don't YET have enough skill to tackle this on your own with any significant chance of success.

I'm not slagging you, just telling you straight up that you need to find better help on this if you want to significantly improve your odds of getting that important data back - I really don't want you to lose data; I despise when that happens.

Getting a sector by sector copy of that drive is ABSOLUTELY essential. No matter who/where you take that drive to, ensure that is step #1 on their list of things they do. If they don't have/can't make a list of steps they will take, RUN AWAY

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

This.

Anyways man, I highly recommend you stop playing around yourself - You said you have some skill, but the fact you didn't take a sector by sector clone the instant this happened to a drive with important data on it, nor were able to fix/troubleshoot a windows boot issue the first time around, tells me you don't YET have enough skill to tackle this on your own with any significant chance of success.

I'm not slagging you, just telling you straight up that you need to find better help on this if you want to significantly improve your odds of getting that important data back - I really don't want you to lose data; I despise when that happens.

Getting a sector by sector copy of that drive is ABSOLUTELY essential. No matter who/where you take that drive to, ensure that is step #1 on their list of things they do. If they don't have/can't make a list of steps they will take, RUN AWAY

Heh, I appreciate your concern. I already used the program recommended to make a clone. This thread is a little old, I think someone else bumped it because they were having problems too.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Heh, I appreciate your concern. I already used the program recommended to make a clone. This thread is a little old, I think someone else bumped it because they were having problems too.

Oh good stuff! Did you ever find a util that was able to assist in getting the data back?

[normtwofinger]

So anyways back to my problem. Does anyone have and tips or know of any data recovery services that are good?

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by normtwofinger

So my external hard drive went ka-put. At first I thought it was just a power supply problem, but after putting it in another enclosure, it still won't recognize the drive. Have tried USB and eSata connections. USB recognizes something is there, but says, 'unknown device.' Nothing happens with eSata. Does anyone have any tips? I'm not that computer literate. Or does anyone know any good and reasonably priced data recovery services?

Is it making any noise? If it is then any easy (or cheap) recovery options are out the door (unless you want to freeze it, but I have never had success with that method).

Is it showing up in Disk Management? If so, try a tool like Clonezilla or Active Disk image to clone it (in case you screw it up) and then use a tool like testdisk to recover.

Chances are though, if you are not computer literate then you should find someone else to take a look at it. Data recovery isn't cheap though.

[normtwofinger]

It is making a bit of noise, nothing that I think is really of any concern. It does show up as an "unknown drive" in Disk Management, with the option of initializing the drive, which I know not to do. I have tried testdisk, but it comes up as a 2TB drive when it's only a 500GB, so I'm nervous to try anything with it.

[normtwofinger]

I received a quote for $1800 to recover 90% of the data on the drive. The 'data recovery company', (more like a guy in his mom's basement) says the tracks are scratched. Does this quote sound resonable?

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Oh good stuff! Did you ever find a util that was able to assist in getting the data back?

I downloaded the one recommended in this thread, but still haven't fired it up yet. Too busy (or too lazy perhaps, as soon as I get that data back I have no excuse not to continue on my writing, and I've got so many other things going on right now).

I should do it this weekend.

[Rathji]

If it is not a reputable company, I would take it to one that is before plopping down that kind of money, especially if the data is worth it for you.

Data recovery is expensive though.

[ricosuave]

Ive got a copy of Spinrite 6 if anyone wants to try it.

http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm