hard drive recovery

Brendan · 11-19-2008, 09:39 AM

my hard drive is dead, or at least not breathing at the moment.

at first, i got the unmountable boot volume error and then after following the instructions to fix that problem, i now get NTLDR not found.

i realize this hard drive is probably not going to be usable again and that's fine, but is there any way that i could access it for like 5 minutes just to transfer some files to another drive? there isn't anything that i can't live without - mostly email lists and a few other things. thanks.

i took it into a computer shop and they made no guarantees but said it would be 2 hours @ $60/hr. my email lists aren't THAT important.

DudeBud · 11-19-2008, 11:06 PM

well i have never tried it but heard it works. put the drive in a ziplock bag and put it in a freezer for 30 min, pull it out, and hook it up and hope it works.

mjwalfredo · 11-20-2008, 03:51 AM

The good news is that the error message is just telling you that the bootloader is missing. Of course, some of your actual data could be missing to but not necessarily so. The bootloader is on a special area of the hard drive and that could be messed up but the rest of the drive could be fine. The bootloader is what runs to start the computer up basically.

Take the drive and stick it in another computer or download a "live" Linux DVD to boot from on that computer and examine the contents. You could probably recover any data on the drive.

Don't stick it in the freezer, that's not going to help anything

DudeBud · 11-20-2008, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjwalfredo

Don't stick it in the freezer, that's not going to help anything

don't be so sure

mjwalfredo · 11-20-2008, 10:13 AM

I don't think his drive is broken though. Sounds like his boot record just got wiped out.

pat161 · 11-20-2008, 10:49 AM

I'll second putting it into a different computer, as the slave or 2nd drive, you may have to change a jumper to do so. Once the computer boots look to see if your drive is recognized then take whatever you want off of it.

iselloil · 11-20-2008, 01:01 PM

IF YOU STILL HAVE IT SEND IT TO ME AND i CAN TRY TO PULL THE DATA. iselloil@comcast.net Dont do anything else with the drive.I can pull the data from a dead drive.

Brendan · 12-08-2008, 08:55 AM

i forgot all about this thread...

i tried the freezer trick and it did nothing. the drive when hooked up shows as an empty 10mb drive.

iselloil · 12-08-2008, 09:41 AM

if you want to send it to me I can pull the data.

Brendan · 12-09-2008, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iselloil

if you want to send it to me I can pull the data.

hmmm...

you can pull all the data, or specific files that i ask for? i'm sure that there would be files that i have forgotten about that i would like to get which is why i would ideally like to have access to it myself.

iselloil · 12-09-2008, 11:49 AM

I can pull whatever you want.I just move it to a CD. I can pull most data from a dead drive.But I have to have it for about three days.

iselloil · 12-09-2008, 11:54 AM

I dont look at the data. I see what folders are there and transfer whats available.I dont care whats on the drive,or care.Most people want there word,office,pictures,and favorites.The rest thay dont care about.So we pull what is asked for.The rest is skipped unless we can pulll all of it in one spin.

d33pt · 12-09-2008, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iselloil

I dont look at the data. I see what folders are there and transfer whats available.I dont care whats on the drive,or care.Most people want there word,office,pictures,and favorites.The rest thay dont care about.So we pull what is asked for.The rest is skipped unless we can pulll all of it in one spin.

what do you charge? i have a dead maxtor 40gb i need some pics off. it will most likely need to be opened. electronics are dead. do you have a cleanroom?

iselloil · 12-10-2008, 04:18 AM

I can pull it with out opening.$20.00 or so plus shipping.If I can pull it.I can pull 90% of the drives we see.You cant get all of the data some times but I will try.If I cant pull it just shipping.

BT17R · 12-16-2008, 02:34 PM

Search for the specialized cable I posted months ago you can use for DIY recovery.

Brendan · 12-17-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT17R

Search for the specialized cable I posted months ago you can use for DIY recovery.

can't find it

BT17R · 12-17-2008, 12:58 PM

Here you go. I haven't used it, but an IT friend has and swears by it. Good luck:

http://www.amazon.com/USB-Cable-Adap...9684309&sr=8-2

When I first posted this, the cable was only $9. Guess sales took off afterward.

annoyingrob · 12-17-2008, 04:48 PM

The freezer trick does work, sometimes. I've recovered data off of a few drives that way, but more often than not, it doesn't do anything.

The best software around I've found for recovering data is "GetDataBack" for windows.

11-19-2008, 09:39 AM	#1 (permalink)
Brendan Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 2,170	hard drive recovery my hard drive is dead, or at least not breathing at the moment. at first, i got the unmountable boot volume error and then after following the instructions to fix that problem, i now get NTLDR not found. i realize this hard drive is probably not going to be usable again and that's fine, but is there any way that i could access it for like 5 minutes just to transfer some files to another drive? there isn't anything that i can't live without - mostly email lists and a few other things. thanks. i took it into a computer shop and they made no guarantees but said it would be 2 hours @ $60/hr. my email lists aren't THAT important. __________________ MSN/Email - sizzlechest AT shaw DOT ca 1992 "Truck" 1978 Land Cruiser FJ40 pig and elephant DNA just won't splice :( *DO NOT CLICK HERE*

11-19-2008, 11:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
DudeBud Contributing Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: WA ,monroe Posts: 1,845	well i have never tried it but heard it works. put the drive in a ziplock bag and put it in a freezer for 30 min, pull it out, and hook it up and hope it works. __________________ Dan 84 4runner sr5 Ford 302 T-18 4spd yota t-case yota front and rear both open 37X13.00 boggers 88 4runner 22re 5spd

11-20-2008, 03:51 AM	#3 (permalink)
mjwalfredo Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Blythewood, SC Posts: 583	The good news is that the error message is just telling you that the bootloader is missing. Of course, some of your actual data could be missing to but not necessarily so. The bootloader is on a special area of the hard drive and that could be messed up but the rest of the drive could be fine. The bootloader is what runs to start the computer up basically. Take the drive and stick it in another computer or download a "live" Linux DVD to boot from on that computer and examine the contents. You could probably recover any data on the drive. Don't stick it in the freezer, that's not going to help anything __________________ -Marcus 1997 4Runner Limited 4x4, E-Locker, Bilstein HDs, Air Springs, Deckplate Mod, 265/75/16R Bridgestone Deuler A/T Revo Last edited by mjwalfredo; 11-20-2008 at 03:53 AM.

11-20-2008, 10:13 AM	#5 (permalink)
mjwalfredo Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Blythewood, SC Posts: 583	I don't think his drive is broken though. Sounds like his boot record just got wiped out. __________________ -Marcus 1997 4Runner Limited 4x4, E-Locker, Bilstein HDs, Air Springs, Deckplate Mod, 265/75/16R Bridgestone Deuler A/T Revo

12-08-2008, 08:55 AM	#8 (permalink)
Brendan Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 2,170	i forgot all about this thread... i tried the freezer trick and it did nothing. the drive when hooked up shows as an empty 10mb drive. __________________ MSN/Email - sizzlechest AT shaw DOT ca 1992 "Truck" 1978 Land Cruiser FJ40 pig and elephant DNA just won't splice :( *DO NOT CLICK HERE*

11-20-2008, 10:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
pat161 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central MA Posts: 285	I'll second putting it into a different computer, as the slave or 2nd drive, you may have to change a jumper to do so. Once the computer boots look to see if your drive is recognized then take whatever you want off of it.

11-20-2008, 01:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
iselloil Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Richmond va Posts: 202	IF YOU STILL HAVE IT SEND IT TO ME AND i CAN TRY TO PULL THE DATA. iselloil@comcast.net Dont do anything else with the drive.I can pull the data from a dead drive.

12-08-2008, 09:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
iselloil Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Richmond va Posts: 202	if you want to send it to me I can pull the data.

12-09-2008, 11:49 AM	#11 (permalink)
iselloil Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Richmond va Posts: 202	I can pull whatever you want.I just move it to a CD. I can pull most data from a dead drive.But I have to have it for about three days.

12-09-2008, 11:54 AM	#12 (permalink)
iselloil Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Richmond va Posts: 202	I dont look at the data. I see what folders are there and transfer whats available.I dont care whats on the drive,or care.Most people want there word,office,pictures,and favorites.The rest thay dont care about.So we pull what is asked for.The rest is skipped unless we can pulll all of it in one spin.

12-10-2008, 04:18 AM	#14 (permalink)
iselloil Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Richmond va Posts: 202	I can pull it with out opening.$20.00 or so plus shipping.If I can pull it.I can pull 90% of the drives we see.You cant get all of the data some times but I will try.If I cant pull it just shipping.

12-16-2008, 02:34 PM	#15 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,201	Search for the specialized cable I posted months ago you can use for DIY recovery. __________________ '07 FJ Cruiser TRD SE 6M/T All Black

12-17-2008, 12:58 PM	#17 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,201	Here you go. I haven't used it, but an IT friend has and swears by it. Good luck: http://www.amazon.com/USB-Cable-Adap...9684309&sr=8-2 When I first posted this, the cable was only $9. Guess sales took off afterward. __________________ '07 FJ Cruiser TRD SE 6M/T All Black

12-17-2008, 04:48 PM	#18 (permalink)
annoyingrob Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Calgary, AB Posts: 241	The freezer trick does work, sometimes. I've recovered data off of a few drives that way, but more often than not, it doesn't do anything. The best software around I've found for recovering data is "GetDataBack" for windows. __________________ 86 SR5 Turbo pickup. 91 1.5JZ GT40 Supra.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
What is the best brand of Hard Drive?	gregbreakseverything	Computer Talk	20	09-06-2006 02:19 PM
No more hard drive?	linuxrunner	Computer Talk	1	07-06-2006 04:22 PM
Looking for a new hard drive	oly884	Off Topic Talk	19	02-18-2004 07:07 PM
What brand Hard Drive?	Todd E	Off Topic Talk	18	01-09-2004 08:11 PM