Retrieving files from Hard Drive

jonathon_hart

Hi.

Had a problem with my hard drive that means that I can't boot up my home PC (was running Windows XP). I've also wanted to get a new larger Hard Drive. So done that and have installed XP back onto the new Hard Drive.

However I am unable to access the old Hard Drive to get any of the files from it. I took it into PC World to see if they could do it. They hooked it up to their i-bass(? sp) system but were unable to retrieve any files muttering something about it must be a hardware fault.

They said they could send it off to the parent company they licence their system from who could do it, but it would cost me £700. Obviously not wanting to do that (I am only interested in the photos we have stored on there) if at all possible - so was wondering if anyone else new a way to retrieve the files?

Thanks

Jonathon

isofa

Let's hope PC World hasn't made it worse. Lesson 1 - avoid PC World for this type of service.

PC World's parent company is the Dixon Store Group (Dixons, Curry's etc) and they certainly don't have expertise in this area - avoid at all costs.

Does the hard disc spin up? If it does you might be able to use some software to access the files, such as the free Recuva, if you attach it as a slave drive to your PC. But if it's dead, won't spin, or is making a clattering noise, it's a specialist job, and will be expensive, I'd suggest contacting OnTrack Data Recovery for a quote.

S0litaire

If you want to recover Data first this is to stop using it. Unplug it from the comp until you pick which method you want to use to recover it!

I would suggest that you try "GetDataBack" from http://www.runtime.org/

I've used this to recover data from drives that have been formatted by PCWorld in their attempt to fix a faulty comp, It's always been a staple of my recovery "toolkit"

It's not cheap, ($80 / £40) but cheaper than sending it away to a company to recover data. (and depending on the pics less embarrassing)

But if it IS a hardware fault then you may have to send it away!

!!!use with caution!!
Although a last ditch effort is to stick the Drive in a ziplock bag and get as much air out of it as possible. Stick it in the freezer overnight, take it out and make sure there is no ice in it, then plug it in power up the PC and see if it spins, Yopu may have 10 to 20 mins to get data off of it before it dies again.

This method I have used a few times as a last ditch attempt to get a disk to spin up and it works 50% of the time. It's a "Trick of the trade" in IT.
But use with caution!!

hubris

I've recovered data from an unbootable windows computer before, using Knoppix, a live Linux distribution. This enabled me to copy my files onto USB key. It's Free and Open Source:

http://lifehacker.com/software/disk-recovery/geek-to-live--rescue-files-with-a-boot-cd-192982.php

Incidentally, this technique also means that those Windows passwords are useless if you want to protect your files from somebody in-the-know, as this bypasses Windows completely. To protect your files, use encryption, e.g. Truecrypt, which is also Free and Open Source:

http://lifehacker.com/software/top/geek-to-live--encrypt-your-data-178005.php

trl002

Ok straight up here is a free version:

If you can feel and hear it spinning than its working, if it boots up in the bios and shows a hard drive there than its fine. Make your old hard drive a slave (change the pins at the back of the hdd) if its a IDE ( long connector) make your new one a master. You can check how to make the master and slave by looking at the top of the hard drive. Now one the reasons that PC world cant get any data from it, is there silly cheap system not being able to read mast the admin password, you XP a/c has a password making your files private unless you sign into your a/c. Plus Pc world are just rubbish full stop. Install XP/Vista/Linux etc on the new HDD and come back to me, the next step will be changing file permissions and user access to get your old data.

Now remember this will only work if your old HDD is till working aka seen in the bios. If its dead you will need to send it off to the pro's so they can take it apart, how big is the HDD by the way?

P.S mind the spelling did all this on a iphone :P

S0litaire

trl002 wrote: »

P.S mind the spelling did all this on a iphone :P

Poser :P

I do my posts on a Real machine!

it's a nokia n95 :D

trl002

S0litaire wrote: »

Poser :P

I do my posts on a Real machine!

it's a nokia n95 :D

LOL :rotfl: i have that phone as well! thats my personal phone!