Unrecoverable errors on hard drive and lost data

[jayelarex]

Yesterday I restarted my pc (running XP) and got a unmountable boot volume blue screen error.

I fixed that no problem with the xp recovery.

Once I logged back in my 120 gig HD is unreadable (XP ask me if I want to format it when I browse it.)

I did a chkdsk on it and that returned the error "the volume has one or more Unrecoverable errors."

I have tried to format it hoping I could use a data recovery app but that didnt work either.

Anybody have any suggestions or application(s) that I can use to fix the HD?

Thanks in advance.

[IanS]

Yesterday I restarted my pc (running XP) and got a unmountable boot volume blue screen error.

I fixed that no problem with the xp recovery.

Once I logged back in my 120 gig HD is unreadable (XP ask me if I want to format it when I browse it.)

I did a chkdsk on it and that returned the error "the volume has one or more Unrecoverable errors."

I have tried to format it hoping I could use a data recovery app but that didnt work either.

Anybody have any suggestions or application(s) that I can use to fix the HD?

Thanks in advance.Having formatted it could be that you've lost your data - You should never format a disk that contains data you wish to keep as the formatting process overwrites important parts of the filing system to give the impression that the data is no longer valid.

You say you'd hoped to use a data recovery app - which one have you tried?

Do you have a second drive you could set up or a second computer you put this drive into (as a second slave drive)?

[jayelarex]

Having formatted it could be that you've lost your data

I have not formated the drive, the problem is that I cannot read th data on the HD.

You say you'd hoped to use a data recovery app - which one have you tried?

None, I cannot read the HD, xp ask me if I want to format it.

Do you have a second drive you could set up or a second computer you put this drive into (as a second slave drive)?

It is currently a slave, but I cannot put it on any other pc.

[IanS]

I have not formated the drive, the problem is that I cannot read th data on the HD.
None, I cannot read the HD, xp ask me if I want to format it.
It is currently a slave, but I cannot put it on any other pc.Now I'm confused:

In your original post you said I have tried to format it hoping I could use a data recovery app but that didnt work either.

Do you have a recovery app available on another drive?

[Autoload]

If the corrupt drive is a slave (I believe you said it was), then you can install this a recovery program on the master and use it to recover the data on the slave. After you recover the data and verify good data on the master, you can blow away the partitions on the slave, re-partition, re-format, and you'll be good to go.

I have used this many times and it works great. Trial version available, but it's worth the money just to have it.

http://www.runtime.org/gdb.htm

[YvetteKuhns]

I agree with Autoload, but I will suggest that you should scan for viruses BEFORE backing up files from the corrupt hard drive to the master hard drive. Remember to set the jumpers correctly when making the old master a slave.

When you use that big old 120 gig HD, is that detected and supported correctly on either PC? Sometimes the motherboard needs the BIOS flashed (updated) while other times Windows is not properly reporting or supporting it.

Also, are both hard drives using FAT32 or NTFS format? If you have one format on one hard drives and a different one on the other, you have to make sure your recovery program will support that. There are many freeware or free trial programs from which to choose. Know the facts BEFORE trying them.

[jayelarex]

The main problem is that I cannot "browse" the HD, when I click on the drive XP ask my if I would like to format it.

The leaves out trying to recover the files from any recovery app.

I have TRIED to format the drive but it fails and gives me errors after I try to format it.

I am sure that My mobo supports the drive (it was obvoiusly working before and I have the newest versions of the bios.)

the file system was ntfs, at this point I just need to be able to at least get teh drive "working" so I can at least read it.

[YvetteKuhns]

I am wondering if you toasted a new hard drive. Hmm.... No, I still think that Windows is corrupted or the motherboard has a corrupted or old BIOS that needs updating.

Does both the master and slave hard drive have NTFS format? I had a problem with Windows 2000 Pro using NTFS. I reformatted the drive with FAT32, because I wanted to dual boot with Windows 98 SE to use things that didn't have drivers or wouldn't work in 2000.

Does both the master and slave hard drive have NTFS format? I ask again, because this may be why your recovery program won't work. Some programs can work for all of them while Norton has programs that have strange restrictions.

http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/system/fwdatarecovery.html
here are some freeware recovery tools

[Autoload]

The main problem is that I cannot "browse" the HD, when I click on the drive XP ask my if I would like to format it.

The leaves out trying to recover the files from any recovery app.

I have TRIED to format the drive but it fails and gives me errors after I try to format it.

I am sure that My mobo supports the drive (it was obvoiusly working before and I have the newest versions of the bios.)

the file system was ntfs, at this point I just need to be able to at least get teh drive "working" so I can at least read it.

Just a FYI... you can use recovery apps to get data off drives that have been formatted. So if you want the data off the drive for whatever reason after a good or failed format the option is there with the program I mentioned. Often it takes multiple formats to actually remove the data. Contrary to what you may think, formatting a hard drive does not remove the data from it entirely. With that said.....

If you are not interested in recovering the data on the drive then open up Disk Management utility in XP. To open the console type in compmgmt.msc in a run dialog box and click OK.

Once the console is open select 'DIsk Management' in the left window and in the right window your drives a partitions will appear. Right click the drive/partition that is giving you trouble and delete the partition. After deleting the partition you right click the indicated area of "unallocated space" and create a partition.

Here are instructions if you need help with creating a partition on the drive in question. Since there are several types of partitions and I don't know which one you want you can pick.

Microsoft - How to use the Disk Management Utility (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309000)

[David Byrnes]

However, all this is moot if the boot sector, or sector 0 (or is it sector 1...it's been 13 years since I studied basic drive design), on the drive is damaged. This is a physical location on the drive that cannot be changed. If so, that drive is now a door-stop. It cannot be formatted. There is also the possibility that something in the electronics of the drive has gone haywire.

[YvetteKuhns]

Contrary to what you may think, formatting a hard drive does not remove the data from it entirely.

That's for sure. I have reformatted drives three times before data was cleared enough to not have anything appear when doing a dir(ectory) listing in DOS. Using a utility like PowerMax for Maxtor hard drives can allow you to scan your drive for errors, then let you do a low level format and other things. If the drive is toast, it will tell you BEFORE you waste time trying to format it. ;)

[fluKe]

Even formatting the drive three times will not erase all the data on it.

The hard drive not only stores the files etc. on the disc but keeps a catalouge of what files are on the disc. When you format a drive all you are doing is clearing the catalouge or marking the files as available space to be overwritten by something else.

In order to actually remove the data from the disc you need to write new data (usually random binary code) over the disc several times so as to destroy the information that was there previously rather than just marking it as free space on the catalouge. If you don't do this it's still possible to recover the data. Buy a drive off e-bay and most of the time you'll find you can recover the data which was previously stored on it.

Even after destroying the data on the disc properlly it is possible to retrieve it with the right tools using the magnetic traces left behind. But only extremely wealthy people and government organisations can really do this.

[YvetteKuhns]

I have tried to format it hoping I could use a data recovery app but that didnt work either.

Anybody have any suggestions or application(s) that I can use to fix the HD?

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,6769,00.asp
Lost & Found - download free trial.

OR

http://www.bestdiskrecovery.com/RFPTechSupport.html
Freeware - read the page and see if this will work for you.

ALSO

http://www.freewareseek.com/search.php3?q=hard+drive+data+recovery
Read and compare. While one may not work, another might.

I would make the messed up drive a slave to one that works and has recovery software on it. I never reformatted a drive that I wanted to do data recovery on until after I recovered the data, so I am not sure what to recommend. Good luck!

[victor.salazar]

I had a 120 Gb Hd Maxtor, and the last week i lost all my files because i format my drive c, i search by internet and i see a web with data recovery software :)
this is the link: http://www.software-recovery.com with this software you can recover all deleted or lost files.
The web have a FREE demo software, download there and see the files that you can recovery, is so easy and fast!

[lukeles]

Partition Table Doctor 3.0 -- partition recovery tool.
Partition Table Doctor is the only real partition recovery software
used to recover partition for hard disk when you experience a drive error
(other than hardware failure) this versatile tool automatically
checks and repairs the Master Boot Record, partition table, and
the boot sector of the partition with an error, to recover the
FAT16/FAT32/NTFS/NTFS5/EXT2/EXT3/SWAP partitions on
IDE/ATA/SATA/SCSI hard disk drives. It can create an emergency
floppy disk or a bootable CD for partition recovery even if your
operating system fails to boot. Partition Table Doctor manager
for MS-DOS, Freedos, Windows 95/98/Me, Windows NT 4.0,
Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003.

http://www.ptdd.com
http://www.ptdd.com/partition-recovery.htm
http://www.ptdd.com/recoverylostpartition.htm

[tenndevil]

Did you add a new hard drive to this sytem, or has the 120 always been a slave?
Try reseating the cable and power plugs.

You might want to download the the data tools from the website of the drive manufacturer, they have basic tools that can let you know what the problem may be, they can tell you if it's been fixed by them or give you an error code for an RMA, if it's still under warranty. As long as you run the right tests and follow their directions you won't lose the information on the disk.
If after you get the information off the drive, you might want to delete all partitions and then conduct a low level format, and start all over.

[intelboy15]

My experience tells me that your drive is no longer good...but in that case it seems you are able to boot into windows and logon as well...am I right or wrong?

Hmm rereading your original post, Jay, the actual disks in your hard drive might have worn out in certain areas. Basically your hard drive has outlive it's usefulness and should be used as a doorstop (as suggested by David Byrnes).

If your're trying to recover lost data and if the file(s) are not that big and can be fit into floppies, then you can copy them to a/several floppies through DOS/cmdline. I'm assuming that the corrupted/bad sectors of the HD hasn't completely ruined your file directory structure and the files needed to be recovered are not in those bad sectors.

I think your best option is to backup your data if you can and get a new hard drive.

[weston133]

Go to...

http://h20179.www2.hp.com/psgna/caller/chat.asp

HP is owend by COMPAQ. COMPAQ's chat support usually helps me whenever i have any problems (there chat support is GREAT!). Try asking them, they should know exactly what to do.

[kmzpub]

Hello,

You can try using Active@ Partition Recovery tool to restore. It really has some great restore methods, that were able to save me some time before. Try this tool, you won't regret doing it then!
http://www.partition-recovery.com/