Re: Need help with a totally avoidable problem

"Frog Prince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Joe Gill" <joegill@[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> |
> | "Frog Prince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> | news:[email protected]...
> |
> | > | Given the noise issue, I would say it's more likely mechanical than
> | > | electrical, so you may luck out with the first method.
> | >
> | > Money is not an option as these folk take a lot of small contributions
> | > coupled with sheer force of will and a lot of volunteers make it do
> | > multiples of  what one would expect.
> | >
> | > frankly I did find a back up of the needed file but that was the end
of
> | > September so some poor volunteer is going to have to finger bone the
> data
> | > from Sept forward.
> | >
> | > Seems to spin up but unable to access the data on the drive.
> | >
> |
> | <SNIP>
> |
> | 1) Does this happen to be a Western Digital drive? If so is the noise a
> | 'clicking' variety?
> | This may be a case for the 'deep freeze' treatment, after all other
option
> | fail!
>
> No Quantum.  Label says it's a Dell P/N 00019tuy-12542-015-03t0
>
> | 2) To when mounted in your system, what did you see? I know you said
> "unable
> | to access the data on the drive", but what exactly did you see?  No
> message?
> | No action? No response? What's in the event log?
>
> The computer has a generic error message that while it does not
specifically
> say so in retrospect the error message was your drive is toast.
>
> | 3) I know the org has 'shallow pockets', but what is the value of the
data
> | on the drive? If for example, it contains the name/addresses/phones/ of
> all
> | the people who have 'deep pockets' who support the org, it may be a case
> of
> | investing $xxx to get back the list(s).
>
> Records are a list of food stamp recipients, the data is in very poor
> quality hard copy.  Will require a lot of work on the part of a willing
> volunteer.
>
> | 4) Some(I know at least one) of the recovery companies that does
'remote'
> | recoveries on your PC.
> | (Unmunge my address to request the name that I used)
> |
> | 5) Another possibility is to find someone who has an 'image copy'
program
> and
> | copy the data off the drive, telling the program to attempt to copy all
> | sectors. Take that copy and work with it. Start with CHKDSK /F on the
COPY
> !
>
> How to do this if the system will not recognize the drive?  I've put this
> drive on another computer running the same OS as a secondary and get an
> error message that the drive needs to be formatted.
>
>

1) Did the old system at least 'recoginize' the drive?

2) How big is the drive? It may be a case of the drive not being recognized
correctly by the new system, due to size, and/or BIOS restrictions.

3) Many of the vendors have software that allow you to
check-out(not-destructively) the drive! Maxtor now supports the Quantum
line.. Look @ the POWERMAX utility on their site, It runs from a boot CD,
and runs with low-level disk commands...

4) When you attempt to access on the new system, is there any mechanical
noise from the drive or does it feel like the drive is 'spinning up'?