Recover files from dead hard drive

Is there any way to recover files from a dead hard drive? It looks like I might need to get a new one, but I have some digital pictures on my old hard drive that I don't want to lose. Is there anyway to transfer the files to the new hard drive? Thanks.

 

If the hard disk is truly "dead ", the ways of recovering files are cumbersome, time-consuming and require hardware technical expertise beyond the above-average computer technician. To say that it is dead is to say that it will not even spin or that no readings are possible at all. Sloving this problem is very difficult; but, here goes:

First off, there is the easy and very expensive way of sending the drive to DriveSavers in California. I think they charge about $600 just to evaluate the drive and I believe that amount must accompany the shipment. If there is data on the platters, rest assured they can recover it.

Next, you could try it yourself. If you could purchase a drive of the same model, you could remove the platters from both the old and new drives, bolt the old platters into the new drive and then read the old platters in the new drive case.

If the old drive will spin, the stylus machanism works and the bearings are good, it could be that only the logic board is bad. In that case, you could remove the logic board from the new drive of the same brand and model and use it to replace the one on the non-working drive. That would bring the old platters back to life.

In any case, recovering files from a truly dead drive is a major job. As soon as I explain all this to people who laborously lament to me how important their seemingly-unrecoverable data is and how buch troube and money may be involved in the recovery, I have always found out their data is extremely important only if the recovery process it quick, easy and cheap.

 

Well said Alex, well said!

Mike

 

I had a hard drive in an old 386 that died. Refused to spin up. As I knew I had to replace it I took the cover off, plugged it back in, booted up and gave the HD a spin with my finger. It ran long enough to get data off and only quit when I shut down the computer.

Probably best if you can put this drive in as a slave before you try this.

Maybe worth a try??

 

There are seven rules that, if followed, will prevent data loss of this kind and any other kind. They are:

• Back up to removable media regularly and frequently.
• Back up to removable media regularly and frequently.
• Back up to removable media regularly and frequently.
• Back up to removable media regularly and frequently.
• Back up to removable media regularly and frequently.
• Back up to removable media regularly and frequently.
• Back up to removable media regularly and frequently.

 

Store those backups off-site if they're truly critical.

Case in point: My brother kept regular drive image backups. While he was gone on vacation, someone broke into his house and stole his computer. His backup disks were in a small flip lid compartment on top of his tower. That seemed like a convenient place for them, what?

But more to the point of the original question, it depends on your definition of "Dead." If you mean the drive will no longer boot, then it may be a software problem. If you have tried any repair methods, you should share that information while asking for help.

I have had hard drives that wouldn't boot but would work quite well as "Slave" drives. I have also had drives that wouldn't install as boot drives but would work quite well as "Slave" drives. You can recover the data in those instance but you'll need to install the drive as a slave to another bootable drive that is capable of viewing the format of the drive. That presumes that you have tried all the normal means of restoring the boot system of the "Dead" drive.

You'll need to define "Dead" before anyone can really give you definitive advice.

 

I think we're talking to ourselves.

 

I agree Alex, but aren't the answer's just great.

 

Yup; but, it never ceases to **** me off when people ask for help and then never have the consideration to come back and let us know if or how much it helped.

Even a bum on the street makes some kind of reply when I give him something.

 

i'm really sorry it took me a while to reply, and i can't thank you guys enough for the help. our computer is down, and i'm only able to get to a computer every once in a while, so please excuse the late reply. i'm posting these messages for my brother when he can't get to the computer to do it himself, so i don't fully understand some of the lingo. i'm just relaying it to him. i'll tell him about the possible remedies, and ask him how to define our "dead" hard drive. basically what i understand is that when the computer boots up, there is an automatic error. he made an earlier post about it if you're really curious, but hopefully he can give me a better way to describe it.

thanks again, and i'll try to get back sooner next time.

 

Hey guys

Ok this is the real solomon68 here

Thanks for the replies. My bro posted that it was "dead' which isn't really accurate. As I said in a previous post, the hard drive itself is fine, it's the lsass.exe error I get when I start up that is preventing me from entering windows. So to rephrase, is there a way of rescuing files off a working hard drive, but one that won't let me into windowsxp? Can I install a new hard drive and somehow transfer just these files from the old drive to the new one? Any ideas appreciated.