Trying to access data files from bad drive.

[Guest]

Running Dell DIM 8100 1.5GHz 768MB RDRAM
with XP PRO
New WD HD 120MB with NTFS
bad drive WD HD 120MB with XP Pro now operating outside normal range. Still
runs though. Sector issue not motor.

I installed new HD C: and fresh XP PRO OS with bad drive F: not on EIDE cable.
All is great, thanks to you guys.

Now part #2. Need to access bad drive to try and get back some data files
that my back-ups didn't capture.
Changed new HD to Master and added bad drive back on EIDE cable as slave.
Fired up c: with new HD OS, I thought it would load XP then I could manually
try to access the F: and copy my old files, WRONG!
Bios loaded then went into a system diagnosos telling me my bad F: drive was
bad. I already new this. Then it started to try and fix thes F: drive on
its own. Diagnostics were running so fast I could't read them all. It made
it all the way down to: "correcting errors in bad cluster files". Well its
been doing this with my HD crunching for about 2.5 hrs now.
1) Is this normal and should I let it run?
2) SHUT OFF my computer(I hate doing that) and try this another way?
If so whats the best way?
3) Try to run both drives as cable select? WD says do this only if bios
won't load and your comp. is older.
4) Say goodbye to my files unless I send it out for recovery, very $$$? and
load my 2nd new HD - format it and use it for back-ups so 2 are always
running?

Thanks for any help, these discussions are great.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

See below.

Running Dell DIM 8100 1.5GHz 768MB RDRAM
with XP PRO
New WD HD 120MB with NTFS
bad drive WD HD 120MB with XP Pro now operating outside normal range. Still
runs though. Sector issue not motor.

I installed new HD C: and fresh XP PRO OS with bad drive F: not on EIDE cable.
All is great, thanks to you guys.

Now part #2. Need to access bad drive to try and get back some data files
that my back-ups didn't capture.
Changed new HD to Master and added bad drive back on EIDE cable as slave.
Fired up c: with new HD OS, I thought it would load XP then I could manually
try to access the F: and copy my old files, WRONG!
Bios loaded then went into a system diagnosos telling me my bad F: drive was
bad. I already new this. Then it started to try and fix thes F: drive on
its own. Diagnostics were running so fast I could't read them all. It made
it all the way down to: "correcting errors in bad cluster files". Well its
been doing this with my HD crunching for about 2.5 hrs now.
1) Is this normal and should I let it run?

Yes, this is normal for a flawed disk. However, chkdsk is
likely to thrash whatever is still readable.

2) SHUT OFF my computer(I hate doing that) and try this another way?
If so whats the best way?

I would pull the plug.

3) Try to run both drives as cable select? WD says do this only if bios
won't load and your comp. is older.

I don't think this has anything to do with the issue of having
a bad disk.

4) Say goodbye to my files unless I send it out for recovery, very $$$? and
load my 2nd new HD - format it and use it for back-ups so 2 are always
running?

Boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk (www.bootdisk.com),
then run ntfsdos.exe /L:MNOP to see what you can read and
possibly save to a different medium. Otherwise consider using a
data recovery service. Could be expensive. Revise your backup
strategy.

 

[Guest]

See below.



Yes, this is normal for a flawed disk. However, chkdsk is
likely to thrash whatever is still readable.


I would pull the plug.


I don't think this has anything to do with the issue of having
a bad disk.


Boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk (www.bootdisk.com),
then run ntfsdos.exe /L:MNOP to see what you can read and
possibly save to a different medium. Otherwise consider using a
data recovery service. Could be expensive. Revise your backup
strategy.


Thanks Pegasus, I'll look into that as a last resort. I'm still interested in why i can't by-pass the initial chkdsk. I'd like to know if there a way to do this?

My buddy was able to do this with my last crash. HD failed with the same
issue. I was able to load up and just copy my files over to the new HD.
He's out of town so I can't ask him.

Just looking for more options. Reason is I'm not that good with all this
stuff. I don't understand how one can load another older OS version of a boot
disk onto a different OS. I will give it a try if an easier solution doesn't
get posted.

Thanks for the quick response though.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

interested in why i can't by-pass the initial chkdsk. I'd like to know if
there a way to do this?

My buddy was able to do this with my last crash. HD failed with the same
issue. I was able to load up and just copy my files over to the new HD.
He's out of town so I can't ask him.

Just looking for more options. Reason is I'm not that good with all this
stuff. I don't understand how one can load another older OS version of a boot
disk onto a different OS. I will give it a try if an easier solution doesn't
get posted.

Thanks for the quick response though.

You can usually bypass chkdsk by pressing a key within
ten seconds.

If your disk is still readable then an easy option would be
to temporarily install it as a slave disk in some other WinXP/2000
PC so that you can salvage your files to a folder on a healty disk.

 

[Guest]

See below.



Yes, this is normal for a flawed disk. However, chkdsk is
likely to thrash whatever is still readable.


I would pull the plug.


I don't think this has anything to do with the issue of having
a bad disk.


Boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk (www.bootdisk.com),
then run ntfsdos.exe /L:MNOP to see what you can read and
possibly save to a different medium. Otherwise consider using a
data recovery service. Could be expensive. Revise your backup
strategy.


Pegasus
I tried the boot up disk. While I was trying the windows98 oem version in my floppy drive, it failed. DOS screen says NON-SYSTEM disk or disk error. Won't execute this file. Any Idea what this means, did I do it wrong? Also before downloading this file, during start-up, my bad HD started making a real bad knocking noise. I think it just mechanically failed now. Never heard a noise like this before, can't be good. Did I just give myself a great paper weight???

Thanks For the help. We tried.

 

[Guest]

May you try data recovery software, such as DataRecoveryWizard.
http://www.easeus.com