laptop hdd dying - recovering partition help

catoutthebag

My seagate 500gb lenovo hdd is dying.
It has lots of data on there.
Lenovo have offered to repair it as it's still in warranty.

Now, been busy moving and other stuff and haven't looked at it properly especially as no broadband.

I bought a caddy and after plugging into another laptop via usb, I've had varying results.

On 2-3 occasions I've actually seen my name folder with all my files visible...ie lots of gb visible with the hdd (no idea if accessible). I am really annoyed as I should have transferred to an external HD at this point.

Most other occasions I've seen a drive show up with only 24gb visible. I guess this is just one partition.

Another couple times my laptop has automatically run scans after detecting sector errors I think. I left it on overnight as it was still scanning. I perhaps should have left it til it had finished. But I have a cheap Chinese charger and didn't want to risk burning my new flat while I was at work.

So the current situation after using various laptops to try us that no scans run and I can only see one 24gb partition. I believe 2 drives show up H and I, or at least on friends laptop. H is inaccessible partition with all my data. I is the 24gb with 2 folders one being named accessories.

Now, I don't want to send back to lenovo a) with personal data on my hdd and b) if there's a tiny chance I can repair this and save my music, memorable photos etc.

I don't want to take it to a specialist place because I wouldn't trust them with personal data and guessing they would charge 3 figures?

I am getting broadband yesterday and don't know if it's worth paying for these partition recovery programmes. ..think there's one called M3.

I had a computer friend looking at my laptop and he couldn't do much. He could see the 400gb partition on systems manager (think that's what it was called), but it was a RAW file (?) Instead of NF3 (Sorry guessing here, N-something).

My question is, what to do next?

Nodding_Donkey

The first thing to do is stop running scans on it, then clone the drive and work on the cloned copy while you send the thing back to Lenovo who will probably just replace the HD.

It's quite possible that all your data is recoverable but as you say the cost could run into hundreds. There again it could be just a couple of hours work. Without seeing the drive and knowing the exact fault, and what 'scans' have been running it's impossible to say.

grumpycrab

1. After you have cloned your disk (as Donkey said) connect to W8/8.1 motherboard SATA connector; I know it will scan again but W8/8.1 chkdsk is "the best yet"
2. copy any data off that W8/8.1 can see after 1.
3. get a computer friend (or give it a go yourself) to run Testdisk
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step

4. if testdisk struggles run its mate photorec which is recommended for retrieving data files from RAW
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec_Step_By_Step

catoutthebag

Thanks
The scans no longer occur anyway. ..ie it stopped giving me the option.

Interesting re cloning. How do I do that? And does it clone everything so I don't lose anything at all?

Lenovo have said they'd replace the hdd...but would you trust them? Is there a way of wiping data clean from the hdd before sending it when I can't even see the data (just to be on the safe side). And wiping it to avoid any warranty issues?

The other bits look complex so I'll get a friend to read onto them.

grumpycrab

catoutthebag wrote: »

The scans no longer occur anyway. ..ie it stopped giving me the option.

If connected to a W8/8.1 motherboard it will auto-scan as part of boot up. However, if you wish go straight to testdisk...

catoutthebag wrote: »

Lenovo have said they'd replace the hdd...but would you trust them?

Trust them not to read your data? It wouldn't bother me but depends on your level of paranoia (or perhaps the disk holds state secrets et al). Various low-level-disk-munching programs out there (assuming the disk will be formatable...)

AlicePhoebe

stop the scan, easeus data recovery maybe useful, it could recover files from RAW partition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFPau0KWf8k

catoutthebag

Ok I'm going to go to my friends to sort this out once and for all.
My old laptop only works in safe mode. I've finally moved and have broadband and want a working laptop to finally enjoy it and try rescue my files.

So far

- my old hdd only shows one drive or partition available at 24gb
- if I go to disc manager and change a disc letter assignment. .r
Then anther drive / partition appears. It's a RAW format showing 465gb. When you click it it says not formatted do you want to first it. I click no.

- I tried partitions recovery. Com but it found no partitions
- easeus wouldn't work in safe mode
- reimage repair by maclurum (?) failed to fully load/crash

My old laptop is painfully slow so going to friends briefly today so I need a plan.

Plan is try easeus and reimage repair again. Are the aims of these to clone the hdd or recover data from raw format?

Anything else to try? Or do?

forgotmyname

I have a selection of HDD recovery tools. Some work better on RAW partitions depending on what the fault was in the first place.

All the data will be recoverable when you send it back anyway, so trying to hide it will be a waste of time. Especially on a faulty drive that maybe skipping sectors.

What does it show in Disc Management in Admin Tools?