Computer Hope
Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: copas on April 08, 2014, 10:55:52 AM
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I have an IDE drive that I would call intermit. I mean I was able to access it once in a gazillion tries with a jury rigged Roswill thingamajig using Dead Disc Doctor on my home brew computer. I recovered several files before it stopped working altogether. My question:
Does anyone know of a better way or possibly better software similar to what I hear about the FBI using on TV?
I have tried putting it in the freezer for awhile, thumping it in various attitudes. I was using this drive for several years and wrote a number of short stories onto it I want to recover. Good stuff...
Thanks for any Ideas.
Copas
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Hi Copas
What drive is it the model would be enough info . What happens when you try to access it, is it detected correctly in the bios and if not what is it detected as ?
The best tool to check the drive is MHDD from here http://hddguru.com/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/
Just for future reference freezing a drive is a No no.
Knocking a drive is the same.
The best way is to have all the software tools available. Check the computer and cables with a known good drive. If this is the first time you have used the software get familiar with it on a known good system first.
Then attach the failing drive, listen, watch the bios identification of the drive, if either sound or look wrong turn the computer off. Until the drive is detected in the bios correctly no software except MHDD will be safe accessing the drive so don't try.
If you come back with answers to the above I am happy to advise you of the steps you can take.
Thankyou
Lisa_maree
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Thanks so much for your reply.
It is a Maxtor, D540X-4K.
One time my computer reconized it but my last several attempts were in vain.
I believe it's about ten years of age.
Thanks again,
Ivan Copas
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I'd stop "thumpin" it...
As far as the freezer method it is a last ditch effort other than professional data recovery services which are expensive...
It's worked approx 30% of the time i've used it over the years.
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So, you have a "number of short stories" written by you on a drive that's 10 years old and you did not have those story files backed up elsewhere. This is truly an example of one of the worst fallacies of human use of a computer.
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Hi Ivan
Have you checked that another drive of the same age is detected by the computer? this insures the ide port is working that the bios is giving enough time to detect this type of drive.
With that drive I would use a ata 33 cable the old coarser cable. An older cable gives more options for how the IDE controller can access the drive.
Do you hear the heads load ? And does the drive keep spinning? harddrives do power on diagnostics and will stop the drive spinning if there is a fault.
Does MHDD detect the drive ?
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Hmmmm...
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Thanks for the suggestions. I am fascinated by the many suggestions.
I am considering removing the disk and putting it in another drive if I can find the same model.
I know it's considered prudent to back up files but I don't consider my writing too valuable.
Thanks for your responses.
Ivan :D
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PS...
I connected the 'problem drive' to this puter today and HDD returns: Unable to locate 'A'
Stimied for now... :'(
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"A" is the floppy drive designation...
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I connect the drive to a USB port when I use the Roswill lash up.
I can connect it to the 'slave' ribbon in the HP puter.
The dead drive is the origional that failed in the HP...
Perhaps I have confused myself...
:)
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If it's an older IDE HDD connect it as slave...you may need to set the jumper on the HDD itself...diagram will be on top of the HDD.
IDE cabling : :
MBoard==========================Slave======Master.
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I did know about the slave settings.
The bios in the HP just doesn't see it.
I can feel it spin sometimes.
That's about all I learned from it...
Many thanks.
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Hi
If it spins sometimes can you check that the drive is getting 12V. It's the yellow wire if this is low, like under 11volts you will need a better supply.
You could try cleaning carefully the head contacts and the motor contacts with a eraser. You will need a torque driver to undo the screws holding the board.
This is the manual for your drive *Blocked Russian URL*/pdf/quantum/d540x-4k_ata100_manual.pdf
And what you have described so far it looks like a board fault not a drive mechanical fault. So swapping the plater is for when you want to learn not to get the data back.
Swapping platters without the correct tools and practise will be a disaster normally anyway. Best to leave that to a professional.
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Thanks again for your response.
Your advice is well taken and I will be careful.
I am encourge by the fact that once upon a time this drive responded to my efforts and I downloaded a great many files from it. However they were in a strange (to me) format and I found it difficult to get any sense from them. (My bad?) This was when it was connected to my Roswill thing on the bench.
I do claim a good may years of working with electronic things and claim to have: "A belly laugh in either typewriter hand...)
Thanks again to all who responded, and keep up the good work ::)"
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I very carefully checked all the connections of the Roswill set up. The drive was spinning merrily and all seemed well.
I can see the 'roswill device, in the hard drive list in device manager. However it dosn't appear in the list on 'My Computer'. I'm not sure what all this means.
My copy of HDD seems to be for floppys (as Patio pointed out) This puter doesn't have a floppy drive.
Sometimes the Roswill device causes Internet Explorer to stop working. I have to unplug it to get going again.
My education continues...
All your comments are appreciated!
Thanks again.
Copas
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It may be the Roswill...have you tried hooking it up internally as a slave drive yet ? ?