Sometimes you can use a LiveCD such as Ultimate Boot CD (http://
groups.google.ca/group/ott.forsale.computing/topics?lnk=srg),
From here various vendor supplied disk diagnostic tools allow you to
query the drive SMART status or any additional tests. What you don't
want to do is anything which can alter the disk. The first step is
to get the data off by:
a) Imaging the hard-disk;
b) Looking at filesystem recovery/partition entries using a non-
destructive technique
Requisition an equivalent or slightly larger hard-disk and then hook
it up to preferably another channel and then finally to slave.
If you find the hard-disk fails to spin-up, check for PCB damage such
as fried drive electronics/chips. Then failing that try placing it
in the fridge for a few hours and then plug it back in. Depending on
how old this drive is, certain low-end 10-40GB drives from vendors
such as Fujitsu and IBM had thermal issues/chipset defects which can
temporarily be averted to retrieve data before involving a data
recovery service.
After this point you can work on reassembling data and fixing the
file systems if they are broken. There are some local data recovery
services (check Monitor Magazine and call around for pricing.)
Thanks,
Allan Fields <afields [ at ] ncf [ dot ] ca>
On 17-Jan-08, at 2:35 PM, William Case wrote:
Hi;
I am trying to rescue a friend's hard disk. It seems dead to me but I
thought I might ask here for anything left to try.
Problem:
* His Maxtor 40GB SCSI disk worked up until recently;
* It was dual boot into WindowsXP and Ubuntu Gutsey;
* He was using 'parted' while in Ubuntu to extend (enlarge) the
WindowsXP partition when suddenly it burped without finishing
and would not restart;
Attempted solutions:
* swapped in and out of two machines as both master and slave;
* BIOS on both machines identifies the make and size of the disk
correctly as both master or slave;
* used rescue disk ==> parted and fdisk;
* parted returns "unable to open /dev/sdb -- unrecognized disk
label"
* fdisk returns "unable to read /dev/sdb"
* Tried fdisk /mbr from my Windows - Dos partition. It returned
"Can't write mbr" or some such error message.
* At this point, I would like to be able to boot either
Ubuntu or
WindowsXP
He would like to rescue his data and/or disk and I would like to help
him. (This is a pre-owned machine which had WindowsXP included but no
re-installation disk.)
Any thoughts, suggestions, tips or help welcomed.
--
Regards Bill
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