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Hard drive recovery software

  • 24-07-2007 10:11pm
    #1
    Lord Oz
    Registered Users Posts: 531 ✭✭✭


    My 300gb external hard drive just failed. What's the best software to use to recover any data?

    PS: Don't buy a Maxtor drive!


Comments

  • #2
    humbert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,238 ✭✭✭humbert


    When you say "failed" do you mean it's no longer spinning? If so it's a hardware problem and things are bleak :(


  • #3
    vir7ual
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭vir7ual


    why say dont buy maxtor. i build and sell computers, use varying computer manufacturers for parts and components and you get similar problems from all companys. You could have just got a bad hard drive from a batch being made, quite comment when high output is involved. (unless you have had other issues with maxtor)

    Is the hard drive spinning? making noise? receiving power?
    Testdisk can recover partition tables if this is whats causing the problem. Comes bundled with knoppix.
    Knoppix will mount most things windows wont - used this on numerous occasions when drive shows not formatted in windows.
    Gpart is another handy tool again comes with knoppix. Guesses partition tables and writes them to the drive.

    you could always just take the case off the enclosure and plug the drive straight into a computer. copy your files using windows explorer.

    Be careful with what ever software you do use, if these try and write anything to the drive, your stuff will become more difficult to get back


  • #4
    Lord Oz
    Registered Users Posts: 531 ✭✭✭Lord Oz


    Sorry, I should have been clearer. It says the drive is corrupt, maybe the partition table is gone. Physically the drive seems fine, windows mounts it fine and recognises it as the right drive letter. When I try to browse the drive it says the drive is corrupt.

    I've tried both Windows 2000 and ubuntu. Windows says it's corrupt and Ubuntu just can't mount it. I've had the drive 3 years and it's been fine, but it's just stopped working.

    Would Norton Partitionmagic be of any use?
    Edit: I used partitionmagic's check errors and it gives me a "Bad file record structure".

    Thanks for your suggestions vir7ual, I'll try them. Will those programs work if linux isn't able to mount the drive?


  • #5
    GoneShootin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,478 ✭✭✭GoneShootin


    http://www.grc.com/spinrite.htm


  • #6
    Manaris
    Registered Users Posts: 154 ✭✭Manaris


    GetDataBack

    I used this only this week when my hard drive got corrupted after a failed attempt to move/resize a partition with partition magic (involving a power cut while the partition was being moved!). Windows could not even see the drive, but it managed to recover every single file. Would definitely recommend it, it saved my life (well, 500GB of music and videos at least)!


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