Recovering from SMART failure, raw read error?

[Kourosh]

I have a hard driver that suddenly "failed". When i boot, SMART
shows a status of "bad" and using diagnostic tools, the attribute that
fails is "Raw Read Error Rate".
I'm just wondering, is there any chance i could recover the data
myself? I know it's possible but I don't want to pay so much money to
have someone do it for me...
any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Malke]

I have a hard driver that suddenly "failed". When i boot, SMART
shows a status of "bad" and using diagnostic tools, the attribute that
fails is "Raw Read Error Rate".
I'm just wondering, is there any chance i could recover the data
myself? I know it's possible but I don't want to pay so much money to
have someone do it for me...
any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

You could try with data recovery software. Please understand that there
is a very good chance of completely destroying the data since the hard
drive is bad. However, since you don't want to pay for the professional
data recovery that would get your data back (and it is quite
expensive), I suppose you have nothing to lose by trying. Here are a
few data recovery software links:

http://www3.telus.net/mikebike/RESTORATION.html
PCInspector File Recovery -
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/welcome.htm
Executive Software “Undelete†-
http://www.execsoft.com/undelete/undelete.asp
R-Studio - http://www.r-tt.com/
Ontrack's EasyRecovery - http://www.ontrack.com/software/

Malke

 

[Ron Martell]

I have a hard driver that suddenly "failed". When i boot, SMART
shows a status of "bad" and using diagnostic tools, the attribute that
fails is "Raw Read Error Rate".
I'm just wondering, is there any chance i could recover the data
myself? I know it's possible but I don't want to pay so much money to
have someone do it for me...
any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

1. Try the diagnostic software from the hard drive manufacturer's web
site. Sometimes these utilities have the ability to repair some
errors.

2. Try Spinrite from Gibson Research (www.grc.com)

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Kourosh]

ok I will try spin-right
The problem i have with using recovery software is that... i've
attached the harddrive to a second machine, and it won't even recognize
it (windows doesnt' recognize it as a device, much less as a drive)....

I'm trying some utilities on boot CDs and some do and some don't
recognize the disk...

is there a recovery software that comes with its own boot CD? because I
can't run anything on windows (since it doesn't recognize the
harddrive)

 

[Malke]

ok I will try spin-right
The problem i have with using recovery software is that... i've
attached the harddrive to a second machine, and it won't even
recognize it (windows doesnt' recognize it as a device, much less as a
drive)....

I'm trying some utilities on boot CDs and some do and some don't
recognize the disk...

is there a recovery software that comes with its own boot CD? because
I can't run anything on windows (since it doesn't recognize the
harddrive)

From your description of the problem, it is unlikely that you'll get
anything off that drive with standard data recovery software. It's dead
and the only way to get data off a dead hard drive is to send it to
someone like Drive Savers.

You need to have another computer with a working install of Windows.
Download the recovery software you choose to that machine, install it,
and create the bootable media from there. Then boot with it to see what
happens with the damaged hard drive.

If the drive isn't even seen, then forget about it. See my first
paragraph.

Malke

 

[Kourosh]

ok I'm getting some SLIGHT progress... thank you for the replies! more
input would be helpful

I've made a boot disc using Ultimate Boot Disc for Windows...
I've tried several boot discs, some don't recognize the disc as a
device at all. One of them only recognized it as a 300MB drive (it's
120GB).
In the new disc I've built, SOME tools recognize the whole drive but
others only recognize a portion of it ....
Any good recovery tools i should try to add to my boot disc? The only
one i've experienced before is EasyRecovery...
also what are some diagnostic tools i could use? I used a western
digital diagnostic uitiliy but that only tells me what SMART errors
there are. Any known tools for repair/diagnostics from western digital
that you know of? I couldnt find anything

thanks again!

 

[Malke]

ok I'm getting some SLIGHT progress... thank you for the replies! more
input would be helpful

I've made a boot disc using Ultimate Boot Disc for Windows...
I've tried several boot discs, some don't recognize the disc as a
device at all. One of them only recognized it as a 300MB drive (it's
120GB).
In the new disc I've built, SOME tools recognize the whole drive but
others only recognize a portion of it ....
Any good recovery tools i should try to add to my boot disc? The only
one i've experienced before is EasyRecovery...
also what are some diagnostic tools i could use? I used a western
digital diagnostic uitiliy but that only tells me what SMART errors
there are. Any known tools for repair/diagnostics from western digital
that you know of? I couldnt find anything

You are beating a dead horse (drive), Kourosh. You are not going to
repair a dead hard drive with software. Get whatever data off it you
can, if you can, and then throw the drive out and move on.

Malke

 

[Kourosh]

sigh thanks
data recovery expets seem to charge extremely high process hah.
Trying easy recovery now... it seems to recognize some random files,
but all with weird names :-\


thanks for the replies....
time to get a new horse

 

[Malke]

sigh thanks
data recovery expets seem to charge extremely high process hah.
Trying easy recovery now... it seems to recognize some random files,
but all with weird names :-\

You can do a raw recovery with Easy Recovery and then you'll need to
pick through what it recovers and see if any of it's useful. That's why
data recovery (software only) isn't cheap. I usually charge $150-350
for those services.

Recovering data from a failed drive (professional companies like Drive
Savers) requires taking the drive apart in a clean room and replacing
drive parts and other processes. That's why those services start at
$500 USD and go up from there. Some insurance companies are now
covering data recovery service charges under "Loss of Intellectual
Property" so you can see if yours does and if the data is worth it.

After you get all this resolved, set up a good backup/disaster recovery
program and stick to it.

Malke

 

[Kourosh]

hehe thanks for the response again
I've had this issue like 6 times already? I never learn a lesson
though... 6 computers at home haha,... it's not my computer that failed
this time though

anyways backup software is "annoying" most of the time, that's probably
why i avoid it.... what backup strategies would you suggest? I've never
tried anything But the stuff they use at work always annoys me by
poping up and slowing down everything