Double hard drive failure!!
- Thread starter The Jeep
- Start date
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Ah, what a way to spend New Year's day...
OK, I ran the Drive Fitness Test on all 4 drives and, surprisingly, they all passed except for one which has bad sectors, and that's one of the working drives!
So both 'faulty' drives seem good according to this DFT and appear OK in BIOS. It's just Windows, then, that seems to have the problem with them (fair assumption?). Any ideas as to how I can 'fix' the problem in Windows -is it a corrupt FAT or the like? Is it possible the data's fine but the header info / file table is corrupt?
Further, do you think I am OK to go ahead with the DFT routine to resore bad sectors on the otherwise working drive? Or should I just leave it alone?
Thanks a lot.
++++++++++++++++++++++
I should add that the 'good' drive that came up with bad sectors after the DFT is also an IBM Deskstar model. I also double-checked to make sure I hadn't got the drives mixed up
OK, I ran the Drive Fitness Test on all 4 drives and, surprisingly, they all passed except for one which has bad sectors, and that's one of the working drives!
So both 'faulty' drives seem good according to this DFT and appear OK in BIOS. It's just Windows, then, that seems to have the problem with them (fair assumption?). Any ideas as to how I can 'fix' the problem in Windows -is it a corrupt FAT or the like? Is it possible the data's fine but the header info / file table is corrupt?
Further, do you think I am OK to go ahead with the DFT routine to resore bad sectors on the otherwise working drive? Or should I just leave it alone?
Thanks a lot.
++++++++++++++++++++++
I should add that the 'good' drive that came up with bad sectors after the DFT is also an IBM Deskstar model. I also double-checked to make sure I hadn't got the drives mixed up
Ol so the drives arnt "faulty" just the info on them is, as you say muddled. There is plenty of fata recovery stuff out there, but I'm sure you sorted that out with Iggy?
I'd do a complete backup first, ghost the drive if it were me, but also if it were me, I'd concentrate on the others first.
Good advice, eggplant. Thanks.
The picture I'm getting is that the drives are fine, it's possibly just some system data that's become corrupt, rendering them unreadable in Windows.
I've had a look at a few recovery sites and downloaded some trial software. Interestingly, 'Easy Recovery' found so-called 'critical system structure errors' on all but one of my drives, including my system drive. They recommend I purchase the full product, of course....why am I feeling a bit cynical here?!
Can you guys recommend a good, cheap (free!) recovery program and is there any program that will recover the drive 'as-is', without the need to individually recover the files, transfer them to another drive, then reformat the original drive?
Cheers.
The picture I'm getting is that the drives are fine, it's possibly just some system data that's become corrupt, rendering them unreadable in Windows.
I've had a look at a few recovery sites and downloaded some trial software. Interestingly, 'Easy Recovery' found so-called 'critical system structure errors' on all but one of my drives, including my system drive. They recommend I purchase the full product, of course....why am I feeling a bit cynical here?!
Can you guys recommend a good, cheap (free!) recovery program and is there any program that will recover the drive 'as-is', without the need to individually recover the files, transfer them to another drive, then reformat the original drive?
Cheers.
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Cant say as I know of one - but please let us all know what you find and how it worked!
The only ones I've used are Ontracks easy recovery pro (not cheap) they also do a piece of software that might fit your needs but thats expensive too and I havnt seen it. I have also used one called "lost and found" this is no longer available though, it was made by powerquest I think and was only about £30, its ages since I used it and dont even know if it works on ntfs partitions (thats how old it is! but it was very good in its day)
The last one I have used is called DRPC or something, it was also expensive and not as good as ontracks generally.
Not much help I'm afraid!
The only ones I've used are Ontracks easy recovery pro (not cheap) they also do a piece of software that might fit your needs but thats expensive too and I havnt seen it. I have also used one called "lost and found" this is no longer available though, it was made by powerquest I think and was only about £30, its ages since I used it and dont even know if it works on ntfs partitions (thats how old it is! but it was very good in its day)
The last one I have used is called DRPC or something, it was also expensive and not as good as ontracks generally.
Not much help I'm afraid!
No, that is helpful eggplant.
Maybe I should go with the ontracks product (though they don't tell you in advance how much it will cost for the full product - hundreds? In which case, no way!).
Seems to me there are two major things which make computers vulnerable: hard disk crashes and virus attacks. Both are providing certain companies with a lot of money.... sorry, am I getting cynical again? Maybe one day computing won't suck....
Maybe it's time for your software solutions, Igorian. Ready when you are
Maybe I should go with the ontracks product (though they don't tell you in advance how much it will cost for the full product - hundreds? In which case, no way!).
Seems to me there are two major things which make computers vulnerable: hard disk crashes and virus attacks. Both are providing certain companies with a lot of money.... sorry, am I getting cynical again? Maybe one day computing won't suck....
Maybe it's time for your software solutions, Igorian. Ready when you are
Try HDD Regenerator - it can recover soft errors at the sector level, and there's a trial license available.
If you have a sector that's truly physically bad, then you'll need to low-level reformat to map it out.
If you have a sector that's truly physically bad, then you'll need to low-level reformat to map it out.
Thanks Softus, had a look at the HDD regenerator...interesting. Seems to be suitable for a physically damaged drive, whereas I believe I just have corrupt files. So, I think I'm going to go with File Scavenger from QueTek. The trial download's already shown that most (if not all) of my files are there awaiting recovery (about £25 for licence).
Once I've recovered my files, I'll reformat the drive. I'll then check it with the Drive Fitness Test. If it fails that, I may consider the regenerator.
I appreciate your help and will let you know how I get on
Once I've recovered my files, I'll reformat the drive. I'll then check it with the Drive Fitness Test. If it fails that, I may consider the regenerator.
I appreciate your help and will let you know how I get on
Er, You can't tell yet. You wrote:The Jeep said:
It's pointless reformatting, or doing anything until you establish whether or not the media is in good order, and this is exactly the purpose of HDD Regen.
You're welcome. I know it's difficult when you're getting what seems like conflicting advice from different directions, but I can't stress strongly enough that you need to establish the physical state of the drive, even before you go to the extent of streaming files off it.I appreciate your help and will let you know how I get on
Personally I would concentrate on getting back what I can first and foremost from the 2 drives. As for fixing bad sectors, if it were me, and ibm's DFT was throwing up problems, I'd bin the drive (after ghosting it of course!) you have already seen what a headache a dodgy drive can cause, I wouldnt take the chance.
As for low level formatting, on a modern IDE drive this isnt actually possible as far as low level formatting in a traditional sense goes, maybe thats why manuf's took that option out of the bios ages ago? If you ever get bored have a read up on how a hdd is manufactured and how its integral controller works then you will see why. That said, a lot of these low level formatting utilites dont actually do a low level format per-se, but rather just wipe the drive and mark bad sectors as being bad - which you can do in other ways.
As for low level formatting, on a modern IDE drive this isnt actually possible as far as low level formatting in a traditional sense goes, maybe thats why manuf's took that option out of the bios ages ago? If you ever get bored have a read up on how a hdd is manufactured and how its integral controller works then you will see why. That said, a lot of these low level formatting utilites dont actually do a low level format per-se, but rather just wipe the drive and mark bad sectors as being bad - which you can do in other ways.
Thanks gentlemen, I have taken your comments on board.
I managed to recover 100% (as far as I know) of my 'lost' files on both drives using File Scavenger. I then reformatted the drives in Windows and checked them using the drive fitness utility: they both came out with no apparent errors. I have now recopied the original files back to their respective drives, run a disk check on them, and everything seems hunky dory.
I realise that there may still be errors on the drives which might show up with the HDD Regen tool, but I don't feel like spending more cash at the moment. If the DFT and Scandisk (or Windows 2000 equivalent) say they're good, then I'm happy with that for now.
I will, of course, backup any data that isn't already backed up, and keep a check on the drives by doing the occasional disk check on them.
I guess I've been lucky this time!
I managed to recover 100% (as far as I know) of my 'lost' files on both drives using File Scavenger. I then reformatted the drives in Windows and checked them using the drive fitness utility: they both came out with no apparent errors. I have now recopied the original files back to their respective drives, run a disk check on them, and everything seems hunky dory.
I realise that there may still be errors on the drives which might show up with the HDD Regen tool, but I don't feel like spending more cash at the moment. If the DFT and Scandisk (or Windows 2000 equivalent) say they're good, then I'm happy with that for now.
I will, of course, backup any data that isn't already backed up, and keep a check on the drives by doing the occasional disk check on them.
I guess I've been lucky this time!
The trial edition doesn't cost any cash, or even any money. If you're not sure that the media is sound then you're risking the loss of whatever you put on it.The Jeep said:
I don't know how you can tell whether or not you've been lucky. If the disc is fine then you haven't been lucky. If it isn't then it won't be bad luck that catches you out, it will be laziness.
Well, heres my comments for what they are worth.
If I get a machine in and I (or the customer...) suspects a drive is faulty, I'll do a few checks- Assuming there are no obvious signs such as the drive clunking, then I'll run checkdisk and the manufacturers utility - some of these have a quick and an "advanced" check, I'll run the quick first, if it shows up a fault then ok the drive is faulty enough to be replaced, if it doesnt then I'll run a full check, if its still ok then as far as I'm concerned its fine, I see no other reason to do any further checks. Depending on my initial observations, and how important the data is, I may or may not clone the drive before doing anything else.
So in the issue we have here, my way above would now see the job as being complete, however this is a little different, we have 2 drives (initially 2!) with issues, both of which seem (after checks carried out) to be physically fine but the data has been corrupted, I'd be concerned about this but would be inclined to think that the corruption occured due to windows issues, however having no proof of this leaves a situation which no one likes to be in - problem fixed but no reason found.
What would I do? I would advise the customer that I had found no physical fault, and that all seems fine, I would however also advise that the problem may or may not reoccur, now if this were a home pc, I'd probably leave it at that, if it was a company pc, and downtime/data loss from this pc was critical (critical-ish - if it was that critical then 1 pc with 1 drvie wouldnt (shouldnt!) be used anyway) then I would give them the choice - but would put it to them this way - a new drive costs about £50 or so depending on size, plus fitting of course, would the machine going down again be worth more or less than £50 + fitting? more often than not if you put it that way, a new drive it is. I do the same with my equipment, for eg I recently had a backup tape that periodically failed backup, not often, but more than it ought to (i.e. never) so I replaced it, cost about £30 but you can guarantee if I hadnt, then there would have been a problem and of course the days work on that particular tape would have been the one that was needed.
If I get a machine in and I (or the customer...) suspects a drive is faulty, I'll do a few checks- Assuming there are no obvious signs such as the drive clunking, then I'll run checkdisk and the manufacturers utility - some of these have a quick and an "advanced" check, I'll run the quick first, if it shows up a fault then ok the drive is faulty enough to be replaced, if it doesnt then I'll run a full check, if its still ok then as far as I'm concerned its fine, I see no other reason to do any further checks. Depending on my initial observations, and how important the data is, I may or may not clone the drive before doing anything else.
So in the issue we have here, my way above would now see the job as being complete, however this is a little different, we have 2 drives (initially 2!) with issues, both of which seem (after checks carried out) to be physically fine but the data has been corrupted, I'd be concerned about this but would be inclined to think that the corruption occured due to windows issues, however having no proof of this leaves a situation which no one likes to be in - problem fixed but no reason found.
What would I do? I would advise the customer that I had found no physical fault, and that all seems fine, I would however also advise that the problem may or may not reoccur, now if this were a home pc, I'd probably leave it at that, if it was a company pc, and downtime/data loss from this pc was critical (critical-ish - if it was that critical then 1 pc with 1 drvie wouldnt (shouldnt!) be used anyway) then I would give them the choice - but would put it to them this way - a new drive costs about £50 or so depending on size, plus fitting of course, would the machine going down again be worth more or less than £50 + fitting? more often than not if you put it that way, a new drive it is. I do the same with my equipment, for eg I recently had a backup tape that periodically failed backup, not often, but more than it ought to (i.e. never) so I replaced it, cost about £30 but you can guarantee if I hadnt, then there would have been a problem and of course the days work on that particular tape would have been the one that was needed.
I
Igorian
You have to also apply the fiddler factor. It's rare that a customer will tell you exactly what happened to cause a problem, either out of embarassment or because they want you to think they know more than they do or because they really don't have a clue.
If I remember correctly, Mr. Jeep likes to fiddle with his BIOS amongst other things, so may have caused the problem himself (IMHO).
If I remember correctly, Mr. Jeep likes to fiddle with his BIOS amongst other things, so may have caused the problem himself (IMHO).
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