Need help with HD problem lost everything
I have a dell dimension and I got a code seven error for my hard drive which means the HD is bad. I got the fatal blue screen unbootable disk. Dell sent me a new hard drive, and I installed and re-loaded windows XP. The computer runs fine but I was hoping to recover some files from the HD especially some photos. I installed the new HD in position 0 where the original was and put the old one in position 1 but as far as I can tell the computer is not seeing the old drive. Is there anything other than going to a recovery service (too much money) that I can do to get some of my files? Any help would be appreciated and Thank you in advance:)
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I'm not trying to pick on you. It's just that with an error that warrents mfr replacement without return of part being replaced, the mfr is writting off any chance of recovering the drive fast and thinking that the drive is totally useless.
That said, chkdsk in recovery mode from a Windows CD might be able to mark bad any bad sectors and clusters that are keeping data from being read. That is the only possible and cheap (though quite time consuming) way to get you some data back within the recovery console or very faintly possible within windows if chkdsk completes and does not hang.
Exactly which Dimension model computer do you have?
Do you know how to get into and navigate the BIOS? If not, let us know and we'll step you through it.
You'll need to get into the BIOS to see if your settings are enabled to view a 2nd HDD. Channel 1 (of 0 & 1) may not be enabled. Hopefully that's the case. If your BIOS is enabled to allow a HDD to be read on that channel, then the electronic circuitry (controller) on the HDD itself has failed. You're only recourse is to try to get your failed HDD functioning again by replacing the PCB on the HDD w/ an exact replacement from another HDD of the same model. (You might be able to find one on eBay.) Or - take it in to a recovery service (very expensive)
As for backing up, there is a great little utility that I've used for many years. It used to be called Veritas Backup Exec and has gone through several iterations (sold from company to company) since then. It is now offered by Sonic. It's called Backup MyPC. You can use the software to configure what are called "backup jobs" and schedule them to run automatically and unattended at specific times to whatever media you have selected. (an external HDD, DVDs, network, etc.)
Unfortunately, this is how a great many people are 1st introduced to the importance of backing up their data - after they've lost data due to a HDD crash. The important thing is that you learn from this and begin a regimen of backing up so this doesn't happen to you again. Remember, when it comes to computers, it isn't IF but WHEN they will fail.
Even if you intend to save hard copies of your important documents in the future, nothing takes the place of a sound and well-thought-out backup regimen. Whether you're a home or business computer user, backing up is an integral part of sound computer operation and maintenance. If you don't implement a backup regimen, you are only setting yourself up for disaster - again. The 1st time you experience data loss can be attributed to ignorance and you can learn from your experience. The 2nd time it happens, well... I think you know... there should NEVER BE a 2nd time. Right??
Why Backup?
The Tao of Backup
The issue at hand is retrieving his data or at least trying to. There are a couple of alternative fixes if he is willing to go the extra mile. If the drive is not being recognized in BIOS, regardless of settings, pin assignments, cable reseats, etc, then you have some relatively extreme options available to you.
If the logic board is defective, which in this case it very well may be, then you could look for an identical drive through ebay, other tech sites for sale forums and/or e-tailers. You could swap out the logic board to see if the drive spins up, if it does, you could get the data (I have personally performed this measure with 7 out of 10 successful attempts at doing so). If you have done that, keeping in mind that these are extreme measures, you could use that same drive and transfer the platters to the known working drive from the defective one. This is not for the light-hearted fellows, and requires a make shift clean room, which is self-explanatory but not as simple as it sounds. For further reading, google for some interesting results.
The freeze methods work when the drive is already spinning up, so that may not be an immediate option. If you happen to get the drive up, be sure to try running spinrite on it (again, if available) to check the integrity as scandisk does nothing for people in your situation. Aside from data recovery services, your options are bleak at best. But if the data is important, then whatever it takes.