computer help

[Superman]

Figured I would ask on here before taking it to a repair shop. Hard drive went down in my Mom's computer. Is there a way  to get everything off the hard drive? Or is it just a total loss?

[Dane]

Most likely a total loss. Swap it out for a new one and plug that one in as a slave, there is a small possibility you may be able to recover some files. No need to over pay at a shop for a simple 10 minute hd swap. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Guest Lester Weevils]

If the drive can't be read, for instance mounting the drive in another computer, or connecting the drive via USB with an external enclosure or a "universal drive adapter connection kit", then the remaining options are likely expensive.

 

There are data recovery companies that open up bad drives and temp-fix the drives or remove the platters and put them in other drive frames, to get the data off them. But it costs a lot of money and sometimes isn't successful. So unless the data is very valuable then it usually isn't worth the money.

[R_Bert]

I made a USB boot drive using Ubuntu, then copied the data off to an external drive.

 

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

 

Be sure to read the instructions, but it is easy - http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/install-desktop-long-term-support

Edited December 14, 2013 by R_Bert

[Superman]

Most likely a total loss. Swap it out for a new one and plug that one in as a slave, there is a small possibility you may be able to recover some files. No need to over pay at a shop for a simple 10 minute hd swap. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Just tried that no luck

[NoBanStan]

Just tried that no luck

 

Does it say the disk needs to be formatted or does it not detect at all? Hearing any "tick tick tick tick" noises coming from it?

 

It may sound silly but in the past, i've thrown a dead drive in the freezer for awhile then quickly plugged it up and it came back to life temporarily.

 

http://lifehacker.com/5515337/save-a-failed-hard-drive-in-your-freezer-redux

[TNMTBik3r]

Plus one for the freezer trick. I've used it a few times.

[greenego]

Does it say the disk needs to be formatted or does it not detect at all? Hearing any "tick tick tick tick" noises coming from it?

 

It may sound silly but in the past, i've thrown a dead drive in the freezer for awhile then quickly plugged it up and it came back to life temporarily.

 

http://lifehacker.com/5515337/save-a-failed-hard-drive-in-your-freezer-redux

I have never tried this, but I also have heard that it works.

[peejman]

Just tried that no luck

Did you configure the jumpers so that the PC knows it a slave?

[jgradyc]

Gotta ask...

 

How do you know it's the hard drive? Lots of things can keep a computer from booting up besides a crashed hard drive. It might be a virus, motherboard, video card, power supply, corrupted Windows files, etc.

 

The least techy way to test it is to remove the hard drive, put it in an external USB case ($10 on eBay), find a working computer, plug in the external USB. If the HD isn't crashed, you should see the drive and be able to copy all your data files off the drive. You'd lose your programs and OS, though, so you'd have to either buy a new HD and reload everything or buy a new laptop.

 

If the computer does something before crashing... running BIOS, bringing up a blue screen, etc... you might be able to configure it to boot from a USB or from a DVD using the previous poster's suggestion.

[NoBanStan]

Did you configure the jumpers so that the PC knows it a slave?

 

Perfectly viable, though i'd venture to guess it's cable select unless it's a really really old machine.

[NoBanStan]

I have never tried this, but I also have heard that it works.

 

I saved a file server doing the freezer trick once. Old IDE drive, even older server... no redundancy. That's the beauty part about dying hardware, once it dies you can just virtualize it!.

 

sorry, nerded out a bit.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I saved a file server doing the freezer trick once. Old IDE drive, even older server... no redundancy. That's the beauty part about dying hardware, once it dies you can just virtualize it!.
 
sorry, nerded out a bit.

Perhaps heaven is the great virtual server farm in the sky! :)

[NoBanStan]

[quote name="Lester Weevils" post="1079345" timestamp="1387126264"]Perhaps heaven is the great virtual server farm in the sky! :)[/quote] If it is, hopefully its not running Hyper-V

[Superman]

Gotta ask...

 

How do you know it's the hard drive? Lots of things can keep a computer from booting up besides a crashed hard drive. It might be a virus, motherboard, video card, power supply, corrupted Windows files, etc.

 

The least techy way to test it is to remove the hard drive, put it in an external USB case ($10 on eBay), find a working computer, plug in the external USB. If the HD isn't crashed, you should see the drive and be able to copy all your data files off the drive. You'd lose your programs and OS, though, so you'd have to either buy a new HD and reload everything or buy a new laptop.

 

If the computer does something before crashing... running BIOS, bringing up a blue screen, etc... you might be able to configure it to boot from a USB or from a DVD using the previous poster's suggestion.

When you go to the boot menu it doesnt show the hard drive and when I plug the hard drive into another computer it didnt show up on that one either. But it has started working a little bit now and it shows all of my moms files are gone, pictures mostly. Rebooted to known good configuration and pictures are there now. running spyware, malware, antivirus software now.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

In that case of coming back from the dead, I would try to copy off the important files, most important first, before running antivirus or whatever.

[Guest TankerHC]

Just caught this. hard drives rarely ever fail. I pull the info off them quite often, by fail, I mean really fail. 9 times out of 10 you can get the data off of them no problem and for about $3.

 

Depending on the drive you will need either a Torx or a Phillips screwdriver.

You may need either an IDE or SATA extension cable and power extension cable for the drive, unless your cables are long enough to sit the drive on the edge of the case or outside the case.

And a good feather (yes a feather) or a pair of rubber gloves

 

Hard drives rarely actually fail, what actually happens is the platters get stuck 

 

Remove the drive and connect the data and power cables. 

 

Set the drive next to the computer (or if necessary to set it on the case put a towel or washcloth where the drive will be sitting (No metal to metal contact)

 

Unscrew the plate on the label side, you may have to peel the label off, some drives have screws under the label.

 

Boot your computer normally

 

Once the computer power is turned on, use the feather and tap the edge of the platters, or use your finger wearing rubber gloves. 

 

The stuck platter should start spinning and you will be able to recover your files. Do it ASAP before the platter(s) get stuck again, keep an eye on them you will see them moving on the spindle and if one sticks again 

 

 

If you are seeing some data and not other parts of data this could very well be a stuck platter. Drives have several platters on a single spindle. If a platter is stuck, the arm will not read the stuck platter. lots of people throw away lots of drives because of stuck platters thinking the drive has crashed and burned. The fact is platters get stuck, and platters can be replaced.

 

Ive done this many times, owned a company that subcontracted out warranty work for Dell in a 100 square mile area and people always needed to get their data back. I would still be doing it if the cost of gas and the low per job pay amount didnt run me out of the business. Fact is this is about all geeksquad does to recover data also, get the platters moving again and recover the data.

 

Where do you think "refurbished" drives come from on Tiger or any of the other sites? Take someones used "crashed" drive, test the motor, replace the platters, seal them back up, throw on a generic label and sell them.  

[analog_kidd]

I agree with Tanker, but I'd try another trick before I opened up the drive as he suggests. Remove the drive from the PC, and hold it with two hands, oriented so that its side is facing up. You want to do a motion like you are casting a fishing line, kind of moving down and twisting at the same time. If the platters are stuck, this will sometimes free them up. Do this move several times, then plug the drive back in and see if it will boot. You don't need to mount the drive in the bay, just lay it on top of the case. Time is of the essence, you don't want the platter to stick again.

[Superman]

Since I restored it to an earlier date everything seems to be working fine, for now. Got all the data off it she wanted.

[NoBanStan]

Since I restored it to an earlier date everything seems to be working fine, for now. Got all the data off it she wanted.

 

Ok so the drive wasn't dead, the OS was corrupt. This is why you want to be as detailed as possible when you request computer assistance. Always give specific error messages or post pictures. There's a lot of good ideas in this thread but we were all over the place guessing what might be your issue.

[Superman]

Ok so the drive wasn't dead, the OS was corrupt. This is why you want to be as detailed as possible when you request computer assistance. Always give specific error messages or post pictures. There's a lot of good ideas in this thread but we were all over the place guessing what might be your issue.

Well I am still not sure the drive isnt bad. It would startup and you would see the "Dell" screen then it would be an all black screen and say "Boot device not available" or something like that. Which I thought meant the drive was dead. And I tried the drive in another computer, still didnt work. Then after a while it started working again, but all her folders were empty, rebooted to an earlier date and her folders weren't empty anymore. I still bet the drive is not going to make it, but maybe it will.IDK

[NoBanStan]

Well I am still not sure the drive isnt bad. It would startup and you would see the "Dell" screen then it would be an all black screen and say "Boot device not available" or something like that. Which I thought meant the drive was dead. And I tried the drive in another computer, still didnt work. Then after a while it started working again, but all her folders were empty, rebooted to an earlier date and her folders weren't empty anymore. I still bet the drive is not going to make it, but maybe it will.IDK

 

Perhaps it was just reseating the cables... though if that were the case, it should have worked in the other PC. I certainly wouldn't rebuild using that drive. Glad you got the files.

[Superman]

Well its quit working again.

[redfsr]

Always have a backup.  I have 3.  1 of the 3 is a cloud service (CrashPlan) in case of a fire or theft.  Storage is cheap these days.