Maxtor failed

pumpkinsoftruth · 07-05-2006, 09:12 AM

I have looked through the sticky explaining the different backup options....but I don't believe I can use any of them right now. My primary master drive (Maxtor 160GB) failed after about 2 years in the middle of the night. I have a 320GB Seagate slave drive I could move the data to, but I am unsure if that is still possible.

I get a "S.M.A.R.T Error Status: Bad" in the bios for my master drive and if I attempt to continue I get the signs of a now corrupt hard drive (missing certain windows files or otherwise unable to start Windows). Is there any program that could salvage files off this hard drive with Windows XP not working? Do I have to resort to the "Put in freezer" option?

Thanks.

**Real_Bullet** · 07-05-2006, 09:28 AM

you could use your seagate drive as first HD and Maxtor HD as 2nd.

and on your desktop see if you can access it.

error message · 07-05-2006, 09:29 AM

if you say that it its is missing windows files...i suggest using your windows xp cd, boot from the cd and repair...or use the recovery console

error message · 07-05-2006, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Real_Bullet

you could use your seagate drive as first HD and Maxtor HD as 2nd.

and on your desktop see if you can access it.

actually i'd go with that!

pumpkinsoftruth · 07-05-2006, 09:32 AM

that would require me installing windows on the seagate first though wouldn't it?

error message · 07-05-2006, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumpkinsoftruth

that would require me installing windows on the secondary one first though wouldn't it?

yep...if you dont have space on that HDD. try using it in someone else's comp...
..alternatively...you could try what i said in the previous post.^^

Tumbleweed36 · 07-05-2006, 09:47 AM

Hi,

Unfortunately, when you get a SMART error and it says the drive is bad....that is very bad news and you may not be able to access it. Put the thing as a slave on the computer you are using to access this site and see if you can get any of it to read. If not, then download the free maxtor tools and see if you can repair it. The freezer trick usually only works when you hear a grinding like noise that indicates that metal is rubbing together. Just for kicks, (seriously doubt if it will ever work), but a repair install would not hurt anything. However, with the SMART error (which are pretty darn accurate), it is doubtful if you will be able to get the data off this drive. Good luck!

pumpkinsoftruth · 07-05-2006, 12:08 PM

Well the hard drive did show up in Explorer but froze if I tried to access it. I then ran some Maxtor diagnostic off a boot disk and it just told me it was dead. When I restarted it then said "Invalid Boot Diskette" and wouldn't let me boot up. What's weird is even if no hard drives or floppy drives are hooked up, it still says that same thing. I have horribly bad luck, the other computer's hard drive died as well. I brought it down to my other computer to test it as a master with my Seagate and the computer just kept restarting with it plugged up. Now I just have my Seagate hooked up and am trying to install XP on it so I at least have one working computer. Yet it shows 1 partition....

C: Partition1 [Unknown] 131072 MB ( 131071 MB free)

It's a 320GB hard drive and its certainly not empty.....I don't understand.

pumpkinsoftruth · 07-05-2006, 12:40 PM

UPDATE:

The Invalid Boot Diskette thing relates to the IDE Controller, for some reason on Dell Dimension 4100's it messes up and gives that message constantly. I just put the hard drive on another cable. I still have the issue with the Seagate showing up as 131 gigs though....

pumpkinsoftruth · 07-06-2006, 08:55 AM

I need help, why does my Seagate Hard Drive say it needs to be formatted in another computer when it has gigs of stuff on it?

pumpkinsoftruth · 07-06-2006, 10:41 AM

Alright well just in case this helps....In Norton Ghost 9.0 it shows the drive as two seperate destinations.

(F:\) Disk 2 File System: Unknown Size: 131071 Primary

(*:\) Disk 2 File System: Unallocated Size: 155088 Primary

Once again...just a day ago it was one 320GB drive with one partition, NTFS.

Anyone have any idea what's going on?

**Real_Bullet** · 07-06-2006, 04:21 PM

its set at 2 partitions because NTFS is only valid in XP I think, might be win 2000 also, some where along the line its reading F: as Fat/Fat32 file system more then likely.

But that maxtor, its dead, i can tell by that when you tried access it and it locked up on you.

pumpkinsoftruth · 07-07-2006, 01:26 PM

I bought another hard drive and put Windows on that. I am currently formatting the Seagate with all the partition issues. Of course its showing up as formatting 131GB instead of 300GB so I guess the other space "died". I'll just have to RMA it, I think it's still covered under warranty.....

**Real_Bullet** · 07-07-2006, 03:19 PM

I doubt the other space is dead on your seagate, theirs a partition error somewhere, its best to delete all partitions and start over, may also wanna check the seagate website to see if theirs any tools.

Tumbleweed36 · 07-07-2006, 05:11 PM

Hi,

To get this done correctly, I would suggest you use the use the Seatools utilities from their website to partititon and format: HERE

07-05-2006, 09:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
pumpkinsoftruth Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 19 OS: XP	Maxtor failed I have looked through the sticky explaining the different backup options....but I don't believe I can use any of them right now. My primary master drive (Maxtor 160GB) failed after about 2 years in the middle of the night. I have a 320GB Seagate slave drive I could move the data to, but I am unsure if that is still possible. I get a "S.M.A.R.T Error Status: Bad" in the bios for my master drive and if I attempt to continue I get the signs of a now corrupt hard drive (missing certain windows files or otherwise unable to start Windows). Is there any program that could salvage files off this hard drive with Windows XP not working? Do I have to resort to the "Put in freezer" option? Thanks. Last edited by pumpkinsoftruth; 07-05-2006 at 09:14 AM.

07-05-2006, 09:28 AM	#2 (permalink)
Real_Bullet TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2005 Location: Lumberton, MS Posts: 517 OS: Windows Vista Home Basic My System	you could use your seagate drive as first HD and Maxtor HD as 2nd. and on your desktop see if you can access it. __________________ I can speak Chinese, PPHUBK'YU.

07-05-2006, 09:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
error message Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: London, UK Posts: 271 OS: XP Pro/Home/Vista ULT	if you say that it its is missing windows files...i suggest using your windows xp cd, boot from the cd and repair...or use the recovery console __________________ everything that has a beginning has an end... "To define recursion, ...we must first define recursion."

07-05-2006, 09:32 AM	#5 (permalink)
pumpkinsoftruth Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 19 OS: XP	that would require me installing windows on the seagate first though wouldn't it? Last edited by pumpkinsoftruth; 07-05-2006 at 09:36 AM.

07-05-2006, 09:47 AM	#7 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,672 OS: XP Professional	Hi, Unfortunately, when you get a SMART error and it says the drive is bad....that is very bad news and you may not be able to access it. Put the thing as a slave on the computer you are using to access this site and see if you can get any of it to read. If not, then download the free maxtor tools and see if you can repair it. The freezer trick usually only works when you hear a grinding like noise that indicates that metal is rubbing together. Just for kicks, (seriously doubt if it will ever work), but a repair install would not hurt anything. However, with the SMART error (which are pretty darn accurate), it is doubtful if you will be able to get the data off this drive. Good luck! __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread.

07-05-2006, 12:08 PM	#8 (permalink)
pumpkinsoftruth Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 19 OS: XP	Well the hard drive did show up in Explorer but froze if I tried to access it. I then ran some Maxtor diagnostic off a boot disk and it just told me it was dead. When I restarted it then said "Invalid Boot Diskette" and wouldn't let me boot up. What's weird is even if no hard drives or floppy drives are hooked up, it still says that same thing. I have horribly bad luck, the other computer's hard drive died as well. I brought it down to my other computer to test it as a master with my Seagate and the computer just kept restarting with it plugged up. Now I just have my Seagate hooked up and am trying to install XP on it so I at least have one working computer. Yet it shows 1 partition.... C: Partition1 [Unknown] 131072 MB ( 131071 MB free) It's a 320GB hard drive and its certainly not empty.....I don't understand. Last edited by pumpkinsoftruth; 07-05-2006 at 12:12 PM.

07-05-2006, 12:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
pumpkinsoftruth Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 19 OS: XP	UPDATE: The Invalid Boot Diskette thing relates to the IDE Controller, for some reason on Dell Dimension 4100's it messes up and gives that message constantly. I just put the hard drive on another cable. I still have the issue with the Seagate showing up as 131 gigs though....

07-06-2006, 08:55 AM	#10 (permalink)
pumpkinsoftruth Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 19 OS: XP	I need help, why does my Seagate Hard Drive say it needs to be formatted in another computer when it has gigs of stuff on it?

07-06-2006, 10:41 AM	#11 (permalink)
pumpkinsoftruth Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 19 OS: XP	Alright well just in case this helps....In Norton Ghost 9.0 it shows the drive as two seperate destinations. (F:\) Disk 2 File System: Unknown Size: 131071 Primary (*:\) Disk 2 File System: Unallocated Size: 155088 Primary Once again...just a day ago it was one 320GB drive with one partition, NTFS. Anyone have any idea what's going on?

07-06-2006, 04:21 PM	#12 (permalink)
Real_Bullet TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2005 Location: Lumberton, MS Posts: 517 OS: Windows Vista Home Basic My System	its set at 2 partitions because NTFS is only valid in XP I think, might be win 2000 also, some where along the line its reading F: as Fat/Fat32 file system more then likely. But that maxtor, its dead, i can tell by that when you tried access it and it locked up on you. __________________ I can speak Chinese, PPHUBK'YU.

07-07-2006, 01:26 PM	#13 (permalink)
pumpkinsoftruth Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 19 OS: XP	I bought another hard drive and put Windows on that. I am currently formatting the Seagate with all the partition issues. Of course its showing up as formatting 131GB instead of 300GB so I guess the other space "died". I'll just have to RMA it, I think it's still covered under warranty.....

07-07-2006, 03:19 PM	#14 (permalink)
Real_Bullet TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2005 Location: Lumberton, MS Posts: 517 OS: Windows Vista Home Basic My System	I doubt the other space is dead on your seagate, theirs a partition error somewhere, its best to delete all partitions and start over, may also wanna check the seagate website to see if theirs any tools. __________________ I can speak Chinese, PPHUBK'YU.

07-07-2006, 05:11 PM	#15 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,672 OS: XP Professional	Hi, To get this done correctly, I would suggest you use the use the Seatools utilities from their website to partititon and format: HERE __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread. Last edited by Tumbleweed36; 07-07-2006 at 05:14 PM.