[lixter]

These past few days my comp has been crashing and i knew something was wrong. today i tried transfering some files over to another drive but when i restarted the comp, the drive failed on me. its not my primary drive though its my D: 400gb drive. so xp kinda did this check on it i guess w/ 3 stages but i forgot what they were, after that when the comp loaded, my drive didnt work anymore. i can still see it on My Computer but it prompts me to format the drive since it is "RAW". i went to disk management and all my drive formats were ntfs but my D: ddidnt have a format. so my question is...is it possible to recover those files or is it completely erased already? I want to try it myself rather than ask an professional to deal with this matter

i've read other post on this matter and i d/led testdisk but can sum1 give me the procedures and what screenshots they need that i can provide? thanks

before running this test, i can i make sure that my files are still on the drive?

 

[Deleted090308]

Hi :wave:

Follow the steps here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/1163140-post1.html
If there are problems with TestDisk - please post a screenshot of the window where the program "stops".

How to post a screenshot.

Also:
Did you receive any error messages when the computer crashed?
Attach a few mini dumps in zip format to your post.
The dump files are located in \Windows\Minidump.

If there are no minidumps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click System.
3. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
4. In the Write debugging information list, click Small memory dump (64k).

How to post an attachment.

Finally:
It's possible you have a malware infection.
Run Kaspersky's online scanner to check for malware.
The online scan needs to install an ActiveX component before it can run.
The installation has to be accepted by you - click the screen (see below).

 

[lixter]

i wen through the test perfectly but after reboot, drive is still not back to normal

 

[Deleted090308]

Did you scan for virus/spyware?

Run TestDisk again, but follow these steps:

A. At the first window, select “No Log” and press the <Enter> key.
B. Select which drive to analyse, choose “Proceed” and <Enter>.
C. Select partition type – Intel if it’s a PC then <Enter>.
D. Choose Advanced > press <Enter>.
E. Choose Boot > press <Enter>.
New screen - please post back with a screenshot.

 

[lixter]

i cant find where the minidump is. i went to the control panel and its already checked. and the directory is at %SystemRoot%\Minidump which i dont know where that is..doing a search right now

 

[lixter]

 

[Deleted090308]

Looks OK.

Try some data recovery programs:

GetDataBack
Recuva
Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier

I really think you should run an anti-virus program.

 

[lixter]

um do you think i should run the norton on the computer that made it crash or the dead hd? because i transferred the hd onto a ext drive and used it on a better computer thru usb.

 

[Deleted090308]

Put the "faulty" drive back in the "crash computer".
Scan both drives for malware.
Run Western Digitl's Data Lifeguard Diagnostic Tools on the problem drive.

 

[lixter]

the reason why i changed it to the ext drive is because the comp still crashes unexpectedly. so leaving it on for scanning for a while is prob gonna freeze on me

 

[Deleted090308]

Try running the computer in Safe mode with networking (tap F8 when the computer is starting).

 

[lixter]

ok so i ran the 3 progs and 2 of them showed nothing thru usb. but the getback showed this:

is this a good sign that my data is still there??

 

[Deleted090308]

How many files did GDB find?
If you don't want to pay for the program - try PC Inspector File Recovery: http://www.pcinspector.de/Sites/file_recovery/download.htm?language=1

 

[lixter]

uh i dunno where i can fidn that but when it was running overnight i took a peek n it was in the 10k files probably

 

[Deleted090308]

GDB has a function that will tell you the status of the file(s) and if they're recoverable - highlight the file and press F3, if I remember correctly.

 

[lixter]

um f3 doesnt work, should i just click "Next"

 

[Deleted090308]

Yes..

 

[lixter]

wow surprisingly the file are still there, i managed to copy a small size files onto a 2nd hd but is it possible to recover the dead hd so i dont need to transfer the files?

 

[Deleted090308]

If those files are precious to you - move them to another HDD before/if the "bad" drive dies completely.

 

[lixter]

ok, but is the drive still usable? i mean its not damage physically and there was no noise. Would it be back in regular condition if i format the drive?