Kfc,
If all else fails on recovering what data you can't get now, you might want to try this:
I know it sounds as strange as some Filipino superstitions, it has worked for some people. Take a ziplock freezer bag and put the hard drive in the freezer overnight.
There's no guarantee that it will work and I'd try other measures first. Guys I know who have had luck usually got just one chance to recover data before the HD up and died for good--so have your back up tools ready..
I am sure you probably shut the whole thing down cold, disconnected everything reconnected and tried getting it back up. If you get lucky any which way, you'll probably have one shot at recovering data.
Usually a HD that's gone REALLY bad makes odd sounds--like an old phonograph needle on a bad album for a while before dying.
For tech questions, I like the search engines
www.altavista.com and sometimes
www.dogpile.com I got this in a quick look at Altavista:
mikeres Senior Member - 1K
posted: Jan. 27, 2008 @ 9:11p
wale said:
FWIW, I froze my easily removed hard drive and it's inserter track in a baggie overnight and it started the next morning; with a little tapping and slapping to get it going. Lasted just long enough to copy everything I wanted on it.
When all else fails, freezing overnight is worthwhile.
But, I would try some less drastic approaches first
My condolences in dealing with Hell---oops, I meant Dell.
They're are ways the govt has for recovering data from even purposefully smashed hard drives, even burned ones. Acid's the really only effective way to remove all data. Even wiping a working HD clean--'formatting' it--leaves stuff that can be recovered by hi tech methods.
When I was doing the fiancee paperwork for our 'packet', my system went crazy and all our yahoo chat archives went nuts--going from print to some sort of undecipherable binary code. A real Imodium moment!
Back then, yahoo had all kinds of computer help rooms. I got in one and being totally bummed, I started saying how awful and nit picky the USCIS was to some guy in a Yahoo room. I even called them NAZIs!!
This is TOO weird!! The guy turned out to be with the Dept of Homeland Security--USCIS -- quite high up in the govt (probably trolling for bad guys) and he actually sent me a a program down load that wasn't supposed to be for non govt. employees. It saved my ass.
Stuff like this happens and it'll all work out and make it all sweeter in the end when it works out. (And it will!) The USCIS/Embassy guy in Manila who passed my wife's final interview sent her a lovely text congratulating her afterwards. They are people too--and often over stressed.
I have to give you a lot of credit for your having saved portions of your data. Your GF will surely understand if you lost and can't get back personal info data--that can be gotten again and names, addresses, BDays and phone numbers should be kept on paper too anyway.
We can copy and print the heart warming letters you've posted here as well.
Hard drive crashing, flooding and a huge snowstorm coming?I would like to think that you've gotten most of your 'bad luck' out of the way and things will get better! You're going to have at least a couple more challenges outside the norm here in the overall process, "K" and I am positive that if this is 'the girl' for you, no matter what obstacles come up, it'll work out just fine. There's strength in numbers. People helped us and we've helped people and we'd be happy to help you!
