Re: Need help with a totally avoidable problem

"Frog Prince"

| I've just stated doing volunteer tech support for a local food bank.  Folk
| have a heart of gold but  ....
<snip>

Answering my own post:

Thanks for all the input.

Now a follow up:

Got all the toys, software and hardware assembled to do the deed in the most
impressive manner.

About 2 hours into the project one of the cutest young volunteers I'd seen
(looks like I expect my oldest new granddaughter should  when she will be
22) comes by and mentions:

*SYT:     'so you got it to quit making that horrible noise?'

FP:    What noise?

SYT:  Sounds off and on, just like the '75 VW junker Bug I had when I was in
school. (does an impression of the noise -- rancus but still cute)

Light goes on:  Makes a lot of inquires, basically this 'noise' has been
getting worse for about 6-8 weeks.

BTW can you fix it? Next question:  can you recover the files?

FP response:  Only if I can get this computer into the Lazarus Mode.

SYT:   Slow contemplative response:   Never ...heard ... of ... that ...
what's involved?

FP: The only way this drive and the data it contained, is coming back to
life is with divine intervention.

The was a student studying at the next table who about choked on his coffee.

Next I see him I'll have to explain the meaning of C&C warnings

*SYT = sweet young thing

Still in all I greatly appreciate the response.  I learned something new and
remembered a few more that were in the recesses of my memory.

I carried the HDD home, going to play with it a bit.  Any ideas at all on
how one might recover the data?