HDD problem...

A

atomheartmother

New Member
I'm trying to salvage files from my girlfriends computer that has a fried motherboard. I bought an external case to put the HDD in to extract the files she wants, but they don't seem to be there. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot on the HDD. I can't seem to find the My Documents folder, and the folder with her name (which I assume had at least some of the files on it), is empty. Am I doing something wrong or are the files gone?
 
You have to use data recover tools like Active Undelete or boot from a live for cd Linux distro like Knoppix or ubuntu. You may simply have to slave the drive internally to have Windows install it as a new hardware in order for the version you are running to actually show the files on the drive. Some report problems like this running external usb hard drives as well.
 
PC eye said:
You have to use data recover tools like Active Undelete or boot from a live for cd Linux distro like Knoppix or ubuntu. You may simply have to slave the drive internally to have Windows install it as a new hardware in order for the version you are running to actually show the files on the drive. Some report problems like this running external usb hard drives as well.
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Can you explain the slave it internally option?

I put the hard drive in the computer (in the second bay). It comes up in My Computer, but it doesn't give me anything more than with the external case. I still can't locate most of the files.

I tried some of the programs in that link (for the freeware) as well as some others at Download.com, but none of them seem to work (aside from File Scavenger, which only recovers some due to the 64 kb limit). They're all for deleted files; that is not the problem here. They show all of the files that I'm missing in some of the programs (particularly Handy something or another), but I can't recover them. It only recovers files that were deleted.

What are my options here? Any ideas?
 
For slaving a drive in another system the Windows installation on the next case has to detect and install the drive you are trying to save files from as a new hardware. In the device manager once slaved on the middle connector look for the second drive there. Try the right click and uninstall option and restart the system to have Windows on the primary load the drivers needed. It should then be seen as a new logical drive with a letter assigned in MyComputer or through Windows Explorer.

If that still fails to make the drive fully accessible the second option is to boot from a live Linux distro on cd where both hard drives as well as the optical drives will appear as desktop shortcuts. You simply open each drive icon for copying files then. But the Live distros are effective once you get familiar with the differences.

It sounds like the current partition on the drive has become inaccessible and you will need some tool or live distro to avoiid losing the files. Have a friend who runs Linux or ar least a cd writer. The Live distros only cost a cd-r to use. To burn iso images to cd-r BurnOn has a free version available at http://www.burnworld.com/burnoncddvd/ This one works great for GParted live as well as the different live distros.

For information and a tutorial on Knoppix as a first aid kit for Windows, http://www.shockfamily.net/cedric/knoppix/ and http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/knoppix/knoppix_rescue.htm are good resources.
 
PC eye said:
For slaving a drive in another system the Windows installation on the next case has to detect and install the drive you are trying to save files from as a new hardware. In the device manager once slaved on the middle connector look for the second drive there. Try the right click and uninstall option and restart the system to have Windows on the primary load the drivers needed. It should then be seen as a new logical drive with a letter assigned in MyComputer or through Windows Explorer.

If that still fails to make the drive fully accessible the second option is to boot from a live Linux distro on cd where both hard drives as well as the optical drives will appear as desktop shortcuts. You simply open each drive icon for copying files then. But the Live distros are effective once you get familiar with the differences.

It sounds like the current partition on the drive has become inaccessible and you will need some tool or live distro to avoiid losing the files. Have a friend who runs Linux or ar least a cd writer. The Live distros only cost a cd-r to use. To burn iso images to cd-r BurnOn has a free version available at http://www.burnworld.com/burnoncddvd/ This one works great for GParted live as well as the different live distros.

For information and a tutorial on Knoppix as a first aid kit for Windows, http://www.shockfamily.net/cedric/knoppix/ and http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/knoppix/knoppix_rescue.htm are good resources.
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OK. I'm going to do the Knoppix route. Wish me luck.


PS: I was able to access the inaccessible parts of the HDD with File Scavenger. I was able to recover a large chunk of the files, but not many of them (due to the 64 kb limit). So, I suppose with the right utility it is possible. Are there any free ones like File Scavenger?

Anyway, I've always wanted to try out Linux, so this will be a good opportunity.
 
Knoppix was one of the easiest to learn of the live distros while many favor ubuntu for having more things offered there. The links there are good references for data retrieval to keep in your favorites anyways for problems like this.

Unlike the drag and drop seen in Windows Explorer you will have to highlight files and use the menu bar or type commands to see files copied while in a live distro. Well that's Linux for you. But it's an often recommended method to get past MS problems and does work quite well. In fact I'm actually long overdue in looking into grabbing any newer Knoppix releases myself. :eek:! :P
 
PC eye said:
Knoppix was one of the easiest to learn of the live distros while many favor ubuntu for having more things offered there. The links there are good references for data retrieval to keep in your favorites anyways for problems like this.

Unlike the drag and drop seen in Windows Explorer you will have to highlight files and use the menu bar or type commands to see files copied while in a live distro. Well that's Linux for you. But it's an often recommended method to get past MS problems and does work quite well. In fact I'm actually long overdue in looking into grabbing any newer Knoppix releases myself. :eek:! :P
Click to expand...

Well, Knoppix did the trick. I was able to get all the files off. Too bad the file she wanted wasn't on the HDD. Doh!

Anyway, thanks for all of the help, folks.
 
The one file may have lost bits and pieces of data and remained not seen. But now you are seeing where a live distro can often rescue files when nothing else seems to work. But that's why we have to remember the idea of frequent backups of anything unreplacable! if a drive quits.
 
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