data recovery

[janefield]

I want to retrieve some files from my old PCs (I have two, both made by Time).

The second one was acting up and I was starting to save things. Windows (XP

Home) would not start without a scandisk check which finished by showing no

problems, just an increasing number of bad sectors. Then it would not start at

all, so much for what was left for me to save.

I could not get safe mode or any of the other options to work, but the debugging mentioned a win32 file as being corrupt,

missing or unwritable. I have the recovery disc Time supplied, but it only offers as far as I can see a complete re-install

and loss of all data. I did not install any software prior to this. I have a new computer with XP Pro installed. I did not

get a Windows disc with it, just a recovery disc the shop ran off for me.

I've already read about putting the problem hard disk into the new PC as a slave. Can anyone suggest another way for me to

recover the data myself? Should I try the disc I have even though it is a different version of windows?

[jagabo]

Put the drives in external USB2 cases (US$20-50). Copy whatever you need to another computer via USB.

[Bjs]

Slave problem disc and try

recuva > http://www.recuva.com/
Recover Files > http://www.undeleteunerase.com/

[Nelson37]

Do NOT "Slave" the problem disk. You want it all by itself on it's own cable. I usually disconnect the CD and use that cable. From the symptoms, it should read just fine. You can also use the external USB box, but this way there is zero cost invlved.

The operation is very simple and easy, almost no risk.

[janefield]

Do NOT "Slave" the problem disk. You want it all by itself on it's own cable. I usually disconnect the CD and use that cable. From the symptoms, it should read just fine. You can also use the external USB box, but this way there is zero cost invlved.

The operation is very simple and easy, almost no risk.

Could you give some more details about this, please? For instance, what I disconnect and what I connect to. In the problem PC there are a DVD writer and a DVD ROM.

Thank you.

[jagabo]

Or get one these USB/IDE/SATA adapters:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189169

[jman98]

Do NOT "Slave" the problem disk. You want it all by itself on it's own cable. I usually disconnect the CD and use that cable. From the symptoms, it should read just fine. You can also use the external USB box, but this way there is zero cost invlved.

The operation is very simple and easy, almost no risk.

Could you give some more details about this, please? For instance, what I disconnect and what I connect to. In the problem PC there are a DVD writer and a DVD ROM.

Thank you.

Unfortunately this is one of those things that if you have to ask questions like this, I cannot recommend that you do this. Try jagabo's suggestion of buying a USB case and using that for the bad drive.

I've had this exact same problem as you and I've never been able to fix it without a destructive reinstall of the OS. I was able to copy the data I wanted off the drive by booting from an secondary drive that had an old copy of the first drive made with Norton Ghost and copying stuff off the first drive to the 2nd and then re-installing the first drive.

[Nelson37]

Well, it's not all that hard, but then I do it all the time.

You go to the GOOD PC, with the bad drive removed from the PC it is currently in. ( If you can get the two cases close enough, you don't even have to remove the drive, and you can use the original power connection if necessary). On the DVD/CD drive or drives, there will be a wide ribbon cable going to both drives. Remove it from BOTH drives, detach the power cables, put the end of the ribbon cable and one power on the suspect drive. Boot from the existing drive and copy files. The red stripe on the ribbon cable goes next to the power connector, cable should be keyed so it only goes in one way. The joke is the red stripe is "always on the left."

I guess I should mention that you do this with power off and set the drive on a non-conducting surface, so as not to activate the smoke chips.

Does the error msg mention the exact name of the bad file, there is a recovery/file copy procedure which might be usable.

Also, while the USB method is usually workable, it introduces a complication into the issue. Same as having two drives on same cable, while it often works, I have seen it fail where the drive alone does work. Same with the USB, I have watched it fail when an internal connection worked. Simplify, ALWAYS, ALWAYS Simplify.

[INFRATOM]

Download Ubuntu it is free it can start your computer from cd and everything works when it starts and just copy your data onto a flash drive. Ubuntu FYI is a free OS, download the image and burn it to a cd. Then boot the Ubuntu on your problem computer, you may have to change the boot priority to cd if it didn't boot. it is very simple to use.

[janefield]

Thank you all for your help. I have managed to retrieve most if not all
of the data from the old hard drive. I used the Ubuntu disc and it allowed
me to see that the data was still there, but it would have meant another
learning process to find out how to get Ubuntu to recognise the external
hard drive I hoped to use for transferring the data. So I bought a USB
enclosure and it didn't take too long to transfer the 100 odd Gb.

Can you tell me if it is possible, now that I seem to have access to everything
on the old PC hard drive, now in a neat, black Lexi enclosure, to access
the e-mails. I found the Inbox folder by rooting through the folders within
Application Data, but got the message "Not Responding" when trying
to open it using Notepad and Wordpad. You further assistance would be
much appreciated. Thanks again. Best wishes.

[INFRATOM]

It depends what email program you are using. I would guess it is either outlook or out look express. you usually have to export and import them but if you copy the data to the same location in your other computer it may show up. on my home computers I don't use local email program to test for you. maybe someone that does may reply. Online email is easier free storage, virus safe and can be accessed from any computer. So take the content of the inbox or whatever folder and put it in the other exact position see if it shows up. I am not sure if outlook uses any index in that case may not show. Compare the two, from extensions you should be able to tell what goes where.