Hdd refusing to start, data recovery possible?..

I have browsed the forum twice over incase I missed anythng lol.

Is there any way to recover a data from a data after a potential power surge?… and no I haven't backed up..it was my datastore was due to buy another external next week…..

(My PC is kinda old btw as you would be able to tell)

1st thing first here are the specs:

• 200 gb PATA IDE 7200 rpm HDD
• 2000+ ghz AMD XP CPU (1.67 with something like 400ish fsb) cant recall
• 512 DDR PC 2700 ram = 256 x 2 both running at 333 mhz clock
• DVD rom
• CD rewriter
• Abit VA 10/11 motherboard (chipsets cant recall off my head, if needed i'll have a look on the motherboard)
• 256 mb geforce fx 5200

ok this is what happened, I was recording a small vid on how to reflash a bios via the jumper on my main pc; the motherboard is a abit VA 10/11. After doing so I put the pc back where it was (upright) and suddenly after putting on the power chord, the pc just turned on with several flickers of the green light so i quickly took out the power chord. Waited several minutes then plugged it back in and nothing it would not even turn on. So I left it after awhile since it does that usualy starts working after several hours this time….

It went of with soft muted bang; so using a old a AT psu I had (I have used this psu before when the o/s hard drive was only 15 gigs)
it provided sufficient power to run:

• a geforce 4 64 MB card
• 2000+ ghz AMD XP CPU
• 1x80 gig hard drive (was not constantly used)
• 1x15gig hard drive
• 256 mb ram
• cd rewriter drive

with the moniter being power externally

However this time this is what happened:

• PC on constantly orange
• Moniter light orange on onboard graphics or via agp ,
• No keyboard or mouse (optical) indication of being on.

• I have tested the moniter, it works on a another pc and w/o being connected displays RGB colours.
• Mouse and keyboard work tested while fixing my younger sisters pc.
• Haven't tested the graphics card yet (my sisters pc is only a 500 mhz dell gx1 which I fixed up)

I have plugged in the hdd into two other pcs along with my sisters all three indicate the painful and yet the inevitable the hdd wouldnt just start….although the hdd fan plate which was attached to it being powered by the same molex adaptor works..

is there any possibility to get the hard drive started again or recover data from it? Its not my work or music projects I'm worried about; its my bro's uni work and sisters course work I have ordered a new PSU; there is only glim hope although a fools hope… my older bro blew up my spare psu

Any tips, help, guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Regards JP.

P.S my appologises for this rather large piece of public mail.

I have plugged in the hdd into two other pcs along with my sisters all three indicate the painful and yet the inevitable the hdd wouldnt just start….

How did you do this? When installing a suspect hard drive into another computer to recover data, it should be installed as a secondary drive, NOT as the boot drive. Is that what you did?

How did you do this? When installing a suspect hard drive into another computer to recover data, it should be installed as a secondary drive, NOT as the boot drive. Is that what you did?

That is not what I did; it was 'plugged in' or as you say "installed" as slave drive, of course if it is plugged in as the boot drive you would get a "unable to locate o/s" or something along that line. Further more if there are no jumper settings such as slave, master or c/s set the bios automatically assigns it as 'slave or secondary' as 'master/ boot or primary' is already taken. So any pointers?

Thanks in advance.

Regards.

JP

Howdy

If you are really desperate to recover the data I recently used a company to recover data from a dead drive for a vet who had 15 years of data and a bad backup. It was around $400 though . If you do need this type of service the first thing to do is not do anything else with the drive. The biggest mistake is trying to "recover" data and making the situation worse and limiting the chances of succesfully recovering everything. In the above case the company sucessfully recovered everything on the drive by reading data directly off the platters in their clean room and recording it to an external drive they sent back. Again, this option is usually only for the truly desperate ($400 is actually on the low side as well). If you need this type of service, I can provide the company's name and telelphone number.

If the drive is truly "dead" and you do not want to use the above option, you're probably pretty much toast with your bro and sis. I have heard and read that it is possible to put a drive in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer overnight and sometimes the drive will work for a bit, usually enough to get off some data. Having never tried this, I can't vouch for the outcome. Try Google with "freeze hard drive" and make up your own mind. Here is the article I read: http://geeksaresexy.blogspot.com/2006/01/f…cover-data.html

Good luck!

Best Regards

Ravius

Thanks alot Ravis , will look up the "freeze drive method" not keen to try that tho…and $400 bucks as steep it is although its reasonable I suppose. looks like I have to send the hdd off to a data recovery company :(. I have a well rather trashed spare hard drive so I will try the "Freeze hard drive" method its only 6 gigs (a neighbours old hard drive) and will let you guys know how it goes. Thanks again Ravis . Regards. JP.

of course if it is plugged in as the boot drive you would get a "unable to locate o/s" or something along that line.

It is not obvious to every user that you cannot pull the boot hard disk out of one computer and install it in a different computer - many think that is all they have to do to upgrade their motherboards. They think the PC is just another communications appliance in the house - and that's okay. But we cannot assume you, others reading, or future readers who stumble on the is thread through a site or Google search, have the same skillset. Please have patience if I state the obvious, but understand it is often the obvious that gets overlooked.

Further more if there are no jumper settings such as slave, master or c/s set the bios automatically assigns it as 'slave or secondary' as 'master/ boot or primary' is already taken.

Yes, but you did not bother to let us in on the configurations of the TWO other PCs you tried this on. You have the advantage of knowing whether this PC is using Cable Select, or if that PC is using Master/Slave settings. And you say "if there are no jumpers" as though we are supposed to already know how all 3 PCs you tried this on are set up. Additionally, you know your skill-set. You are brand new here so you have no history for us to judge your skill level. We are all just volunteers here, sharing what we learned from our own mistakes.

But to the technical issue of your reply, note I said "secondary". I did not mention "Master", "Slave", or "Cable Select" because it was not necessary. I said "secondary" because any drive that is not the boot drive is a secondary drive. Therefore, by saying secondary, it could be the secondary drive on the primary controller, or it could be either drive on the secondary controller - either way, not the boot (primary) drive.

DO NOT DO THE FREEZING METHOD!!!! That is only for hard drives with seized motor bearings. It is not for corrupt data on a disk. I saw that work once 25 years ago with a HUGE 30Mb hard drive. And it only worked for about 30 seconds but that was long enough to copy off a critical file to floppy before it warmed up enough to seize again, completely. Sorry Ravis, that will surely ruin a modern drive.

No problem about the drive freezing from me Digerati. I just mentioned it as a possible alternative if all else fails because the drive does not seem to be spinning up. For what it is worth, the link does have a large number of people who responded that the method was able to recover necessary data after freezing the drive for long periods. My concern would be condensation forming on electronics as they warmed quickly, but again, as a last ditch effort it may be worth trying if you have to throw the drive away anyway. If you do try it, JP, would you mind posting your results. I have been in the tech biz for over 20 years and I have heard about this method occasionally but I would never try it. That is why I use data recovery services myself if a client's data is irreplaceable. I remember those old IBM 20 and 30 MB drives, Digerati. They weighed a ton and no one could believe they would ever fill one up . My, how the times have changed. Best Regards Ravius

As long as it is understood it is the last resort effort, I am okay.

My appologises digerati if have offended you or anyone in anyway we all have our days and unfortunately for me wasn't a good one at all; as for the "freeze hdd" method I will post the results, (unfortunately I have not gotten round to it yet) I am using a small 6 gig hdd test not the hdd that I wish to recover data from I hope this clarifys.

I have looked through the site:
http://geeksaresexy.blogspot.com/2006/01/f…cover-data.html.

The best method appears to be:

• enclosing the drive into a usb external enclosure,
• put it in a ziplock bag, allow to freeze for say a day or so
• then while the usb enclosure w/ hdd is inside the freezer, run the wires from it
• plug it into the laptop
• and recover the data.

theoretically sounds feasable , will let you guys know how it goes.

Regards JP

Ha! No offense taken - and none meant either, for sure.

If I were intent in trying the freezer method (again! ;)) I would put the drive and enclosure in the refrigerator for 24 hours first - not sealed in any container. This will slow down rate of heat loss and allow any moisture in the drive (drives are designed to breath) to escape and be pulled out of the refrigerator compartment. Then put in the freezer, again, NOT in a bag. You want any remaining moisture to be carried away, not trapped with the electronics. This will minimize the formation of condensation and ice crystallization inside the drive and on the smooth surfaces of the platters.

But again, this freezer trick is to cause seized bearings to contract, and become unstuck. This trick does not affect the particle alignment (data) saved on the platters. Your problem does not sound like a mechanical issue with the drive.

But just in case, as soon as the drive starts to spin up, friction will cause the bearings to heat up again, expand, and most likely seize, usually for good this time. So have a battle plan mapped out of exactly what you want off that drive and in the order you want it. Have a destination folder or folders all set up and ready to receive files.

Keep us posted.