Help! Older laptop failed and need to save info from it

[Clark Kent]

I have an older Compaq laptop that has very important files on it. I knew it was failing but I kept putting off doing any major backup. Well about a week ago it stopped even booting and it seems the hard drive is the culprit.

The laptop also has a failed cd drive so I can't use the normal Windows XP restore cds. It does have a working floppy disk drive though. I know the bad hard drive is a 20 GB Hitachi 2.5 laptop drive. I pulled it out and put it in an external USB enclosure but I'm not sure if I did it right as I could never get my new computer to see the drive (in fact it would always freeze up "My Computer" under Vista when I tried to read from it).

Anyone have any suggestions or course of action to salvage some of my files from this hard drive? I am desperate at this point...

[CrabbyAzz]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I have an older Compaq laptop that has very important files on it. I knew it was failing but I kept putting off doing any major backup. Well about a week ago it stopped even booting and it seems the hard drive is the culprit.

The laptop also has a failed cd drive so I can't use the normal Windows XP restore cds. It does have a working floppy disk drive though. I know the bad hard drive is a 20 GB Hitachi 2.5 laptop drive. I pulled it out and put it in an external USB enclosure but I'm not sure if I did it right as I could never get my new computer to see the drive (in fact it would always freeze up "My Computer" under Vista when I tried to read from it).

Anyone have any suggestions or course of action to salvage some of my files from this hard drive? I am desperate at this point...

Check Hitachi's support website for downloadable files to create a diagnostic/repair floppy for your hard drive. Sometimes these tools are effective in making the drive readable.

[Forrestandjen07]

take it to geek squad?

[groovyone]

Scratch my comment. Reading is my friend.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by CrabbyAzz

Check Hitachi's support website for downloadable files to create a diagnostic/repair floppy for your hard drive. Sometimes these tools are effective in making the drive readable.

That is an idea I hadn't thought of yet. I guess my last resort is going to some computer place and having it done, but I have somewhat looked into the prices and hard drive recovery services are not cheap.

[pacificvibes]

I had this happen to my laptop. Did you back up your files on a external HDD??? Does it even turn on now???

[CrabbyAzz]

Well, the 1st thing the Geeks will do is exactly what the OP already did, plug it into an external USB harddrive enclosure. The 2nd thing they might do is download a diagnostic/repair floppy from Hitachi. You have to put the drive back into the laptop and boot with the floppy and follow the instructions.
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm


Sometimes people will use a live CD such as Knoppix or Ubuntu live. This will work if it's just a matter of corrupt data, but I don't think thats the case here. I can't imagine the geeks doing more than this.

If it's not recognizing the drive at all, it may be a defective drive controller. I've overcome this on 3.5 inch drives by swapping the PC board (drive controller) from a similiar hard drive with great success. Usually just a matter or 4 or 5 screws. Don't know if it's as easy on a 2.5 drive.

Otherwise it's a physical problem with the drive heads. I've swapped a cylinder from one drive to another once. It actually worked, but I will never do it again. Disarming a Nuclear bomb would be easier.

[pacificvibes]

Originally Posted by CrabbyAzz

Well, the 1st thing the Geeks will do is exactly what the OP already did, plug it into an external USB harddrive enclosure. The 2nd thing they might do is download a diagnostic/repair floppy from Hitachi. You have to put the drive back into the laptop and boot with the floppy and follow the instructions.

Sometimes people will use a live CD such as Knoppix or Ubuntu live. This will work if it's just a matter of corrupt data, but I don't think thats the case here. I can't imagine the geeks doing more than this.

If it's not recognizing the drive at all, it may be a defective drive controller. I've overcome this on 3.5 inch drives by swapping the PC board (drive controller) from a similiar hard drive with great success. Usually just a matter or 4 or 5 screws. Don't know if it's as easy on a 2.5 drive.

Otherwise it's a physical problem with the drive heads. I've swapped a cylinder from one drive to another once. It actually worked, but I will never do it again. Disarming a Nuclear bomb would be easier.

When I took mine in, they said my whole HDD was shot. I lost everything.
I couldn't even turn my laptop on.

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

That is an idea I hadn't thought of yet. I guess my last resort is going to some computer place and having it done, but I have somewhat looked into the prices and hard drive recovery services are not cheap.

yeah, it just depends how badly you want the files back. take it to a local computer store that you trust or that someone recommends, i definitely wouldn't take it to best buy because of their ridiculous prices.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Forrestandjen07

take it to geek squad?

He's trying to save the data..... not lose it forever.....

[Clark Kent]

I think the Geek squad's level of expertise ends at installing anti-virus software. I will try and get it to boot with one of the various boot disks. I have heard some tricks like freezing the hard drive for several hours sometimes works. I have a suspicion the drive itself is not failing but that a key system file has become severely corrupted or fragmented like the Mft. Does anyone know how to set the jumpers on the laptop drive in the USB enclosure typically? Do you set the drive as a master or a slave in that situation?

[pacificvibes]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I think the Geek squad's level of expertise ends at installing anti-virus software. I will try and get it to boot with one of the various boot disks. I have heard some tricks like freezing the hard drive for several hours sometimes works. I have a suspicion the drive itself is not failing but that a key system file has become severely corrupted or fragmented like the Mft. Does anyone know how to set the jumpers on the laptop drive in the USB enclosure typically? Do you set the drive as a master or a slave in that situation?

I am sorry to hear this is happening, Im sorry that I cant help you but I wish you the best and hope you get your files back.

[katharsis]

Let's see...

What kind of enclosure did you put it into (does it have it's own power supply or does it get the power through the usb cable)?

When you do turn it on (in the enclosure) can you hear / feel it spinning?

Try turn it on (give it a few seconds) and then plug into your USB port.

Any chance of checking what kind of format was on the hdd? Fat32/ NTFS ?

If it's FAT32 Vista might have some problems reading it and you need to get it to work a different way.

I suppose you had XP on the notebook? Try look online (maybe even on Compaq site) to download some start up floppy disks.

As far as the jumper settings, it really depends on the drive on the casing. Usually it is master or at least cable select. You can't do any harm trying trying each option.

[katharsis]

Check here for the bootdisks-

http://www.bootdisk.com/

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by katharsis

Let's see...

What kind of enclosure did you put it into (does it have it's own power supply or does it get the power through the usb cable)?

When you do turn it on (in the enclosure) can you hear / feel it spinning?

Try turn it on (give it a few seconds) and then plug into your USB port.

Any chance of checking what kind of format was on the hdd? Fat32/ NTFS ?

If it's FAT32 Vista might have some problems reading it and you need to get it to work a different way.

I suppose you had XP on the notebook? Try look online (maybe even on Compaq site) to download some start up floppy disks.

As far as the jumper settings, it really depends on the drive on the casing. Usually it is master or at least cable select. You can't do any harm trying trying each option.

Excellent questions to consider. Do you have access to an XP machine to try?

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by groovyone

Excellent questions to consider. Do you have access to an XP machine to try?

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Unfortunately I don't have access to another XP machine. I called eight different friends and relatives and they all have switched to Vista already.

As for the drive itself, I am pretty sure it was NTFS. I was actually wondering if the computer running Vista was a problem in seeing the drive. In the next day I am going to the store and buying floppy disks to create a boot disk. I haven't used floppies in years as I had been using usb flash drives to transfer information (though unfortunately I think the Bios of my broken laptop is too old to boot from the USB port).

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by katharsis

Let's see...

What kind of enclosure did you put it into (does it have it's own power supply or does it get the power through the usb cable)?

When you do turn it on (in the enclosure) can you hear / feel it spinning?

It is an external enclosure that is supposed to be powered just by the USB connection so no external power supply. I would think the external enclosure is compatible with the Vista operating system though now looking at the box for it it says only Windows 98, Windows Me, 2000, XP. Has anyone seen an external enclosure that is compatible with every Windows OS except Vista?

[katharsis]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

It is an external enclosure that is supposed to be powered just by the USB connection so no external power supply. I would think the external enclosure is compatible with the Vista operating system though now looking at the box for it it says only Windows 98, Windows Me, 2000, XP. Has anyone seen an external enclosure that is compatible with every Windows OS except Vista?

Might depend on when you bought it. But I don't think if it is XP compatible that it would not work under Vista.

Did you try different usb ports? (like front and back ones)

How about going to system management and checking if it does recognize the drive in there?

[groovyone]

Too bad I do not live near Metropolis. I have 2 XP laptops running now (1 mine, 1 work) and I just fired up my oooold Pentium MMX Dell running Windows 95. hahah