Need to recover data from my broken hard drive!!!?

[morbid_bean]

I know and understand that once a hard drive crashes it can be very hard to recover the data...what my problem is that when i decided to wipe out my computer and install a fresh windows i backed up all my data onto a slave hard drive that i had no idea was going bad....then when i get everyting up and running and when i hook up the slave hard drive and during the boot the slave hard drive is making clicking sounds (ouch) so i knew then and there i was going to have problems....then windows boots and it had not detected it, then i try to do the add hardware thing..then it will just take forever to detect it....so far it hasnt detected anything yet...as its checking for new hardware the slave drive will make the clicking sound so i know theres some sort of comunication.....now what i would like to know is if there is any sort of recovery software that i can get my stuff off of the hard drive.

[ord1226]

I guess the only thing you can do is to ask the manufacturer of the unit to retrieve the information for you.  Sounds likes the head is not functioning properly.  The manufacturer could test the disk out and read it.  But it is going to cost you.

[dahlarbear]

Never tried it...  You'll have to make up your own mind as to whether it applies to your case.  Does a hard drive click because its components have gone bad or because it's repeatedly trying to get a successful read from the disk surface (for the boot records?).  Hey, I don't know...

    http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

Maybe someone else knows...