HDD formatting problem

PhysicalPariah · 07-23-2007, 04:23 PM

Okay, well. I recently bought a Samsung HD401LJ 400gb HDD from a small shop down the road. I first attempted to install windows onto it using NTFS slow formatting, when i realised the time it would take [1 hour and it was only at 25%] (big mistake here) I simply restarted the pc and formatted in NTFS quick.
All was going well untill two days ago. Now the hard drive refuses all access to the files in it, makes a clicking noise about three times a minute (one that is not native to a hard drive- definitely) I checked it using scandisk and the dos command chkdsk but each time they stop at 25% and say an error occured.
In any other situation i'd simply go back and format it back in NTFS slow, But. I've stupidly and unthinkingly transfered photos of my latest holiday onto it, ones that i desperately need back.
So my problem here is, how do i get those photos back? I've tried the recovery pseudo dos with the win xp disc and access was denied! widnows itself wont recognise it, as a secondary or primary hdd..... im running out of options here.

**linderman** · 07-24-2007, 03:29 PM

go to your hard drive manufacturers website and download their free diagnostic utility >>>>> do the extended or full test

if it passes then you next step is
http://www.runtime.org/gdb.htm

**PanamaGal** · 07-24-2007, 04:55 PM

Can you attach your drive as a slave in another machine? If so, perhaps you can recover your pictures that way.

07-23-2007, 04:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
PhysicalPariah Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1 OS: Windows XP	HDD formatting problem Okay, well. I recently bought a Samsung HD401LJ 400gb HDD from a small shop down the road. I first attempted to install windows onto it using NTFS slow formatting, when i realised the time it would take [1 hour and it was only at 25%] (big mistake here) I simply restarted the pc and formatted in NTFS quick. All was going well untill two days ago. Now the hard drive refuses all access to the files in it, makes a clicking noise about three times a minute (one that is not native to a hard drive- definitely) I checked it using scandisk and the dos command chkdsk but each time they stop at 25% and say an error occured. In any other situation i'd simply go back and format it back in NTFS slow, But. I've stupidly and unthinkingly transfered photos of my latest holiday onto it, ones that i desperately need back. So my problem here is, how do i get those photos back? I've tried the recovery pseudo dos with the win xp disc and access was denied! widnows itself wont recognise it, as a secondary or primary hdd..... im running out of options here.

07-24-2007, 03:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 19,384 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: HDD formatting problem go to your hard drive manufacturers website and download their free diagnostic utility >>>>> do the extended or full test if it passes then you next step is http://www.runtime.org/gdb.htm __________________ Even a Broken Clock is Right Twice a Day ! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

07-24-2007, 04:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
PanamaGal Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Panama Posts: 1,240 OS: WinXP Pro SP2; Windows Server 2003; Windows Vista Ultimate; Vista Business	Re: HDD formatting problem Can you attach your drive as a slave in another machine? If so, perhaps you can recover your pictures that way. __________________ It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.