Laptop Down for the Count

[JD5652]

I had a "Cyclic Redundancy Check" data error failure on boot up. Did a little research on what the hell that meant and ran a check disk & repair function "ckdsk /r" on the hard drive. It went through the cycles and found some bad sectors on the disk..... took about an hour for the whole process.

Now when I boot it up, the hard drive just hangs up with the HDD access light on solid.

I retrieved the ole' Recovery Disk and now it's telling me that it will reinstall Windows XP Pro.....BUT EVERYTHING on the HDD will be lost.

Here's my question....I don't have any supercritical data on the laptop, but I do have some stuff that I'd rather not loose. ......Is there a way for me to retrieve the data before I wipe the slate clean and start over??

Oh yea...it's a Panasonic Model CF-73 running Windows XP Pro...I can get the additional info on the laptop if it will help.....

[WAHOONBOX]

THIS CALLS FOR FLAT'..............

[ocnslr]

If the drive is mechanically and electronically sound, then it isn't booting because one or more system files were in those bad sectors and now can not be accessed.

If that is the case, then the drive may be "readable" and that means accessing it as a secondary drive using another computer. This would be fairly easy with a desktop harddrive - you simply plug it in as an extra drive in the computer. However, that is not possible with the little laptop drive. So, you need a "case" for it - basically you remove the HD from the laptop, insert it in this holder, then connect it to another computer - usually by USB. This is easy enough, if you have the case for the HD. Otherwise, it might take a call to Geeks-on-Call or someone else.

If the drive has a mechanical and/or electronics problem, then it will not be readable even if put in an external interface holder.

Last variant - the drive doesn't have any problems, but the bad sectors contained the File Allocation Table for the drive, so the files you want to find can't be located because the file can't be read. The hosting computer will see the drive, but indicate that it isn't formatted.

If the data is really important, then get out a big checkbook and contact a professional data recovery service. But only after trying the less-costly approach above.

Brian

[flatbottom]

run this software and you are almost 99.99% your files will be recovered

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

best 100 bucks you will spend this year

Steve is known for data recovery and all data recovery companies will use this software or a variant there of. It reads the hard drive at a very low level and could possibly recover files you erased months ago

[Deep C]

Sugar!

I didn't know about that stuff. Mine crapped the pillow a couple weeks ago and and I did a full a-z recovery. Lost a big selection of music, video and pics...

[Glenn W]

I think I'd check the num lock button first

[JD5652]

Thanks everyone for your input....well....except Glenn.......

FYI, the drive was fully accessible ...readable...writable...all programs ran fine PRIOR to the infamous "chkdsk /r" operation.

Flat-

I've check out the spinrite site....I assume that after I download the software .....I set up (F2) the laptop to boot off the CD/DVD drive and then spinrite should take it from there??.....

[flatbottom]

Yes JD. The generic cd drivers are included in the software to enable the boot process. A floppy can be used. A usb storage card can be used. You will love this guys software. It is all written assembly. The smallest foot print in writing code.

The bios on the motherboard should already be set up that way. For instance: When you loaded the windows recover cd into the laptop....it booted from that cd. But for your knowledge of the fact, go into the bios and check. If it is setup that way ....back out of the screen and exit saving no changes made. It will take quite awhile on a large hard drive to complete spinrite. In comparison with a slow cooked pork shoulder perfectly done by JD The same results will amaze most men and women are hypnotized by aroma

[WAHOONBOX]

I WAS BEGINNING TO FEEL COMPUTER SMART TIL GLENN SPOKE UP.

[WAHOONBOX]

LET'S CONTINUE THIS COMPUTER THING A LITTLE FARTHER CAUSE I HAVE ONE LITTLE OL BITTY ISSUE STILL REMAINING


NEW COMPUTER ....DELL GX280 WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION

PINNACLE STUDIO 11PLUS IS INSTALLED

WHEN I OPEN UP STUDIO MOVIE PROGRAM...I GET A POP UP SAYING THAT I NEED TO UPDATE MY DISPLAY ADAPTER

IT GIVES ME ONE TO GO GET : INTEL 82915G/GV/910GL EXPRESS CHIPSET FAMILY

IT SAYS TO GO TO THE MANUFACTURER....DELL...WHICH I DID TO DOWNLOAD IT. WELL.....WELL? I STILL GET THE MEESSAGE TO UPDATE MY DISPLAY ADAPTER AND DELL GIVES ME BUT ONE FROM THE CHIPSET COLUMN....IT STILL DOESN'T WORK.........http://support.dell.com/support/down...&catid=&impid=

I KNOW THIS IS A LONG SHOT HERE..


ANY SUGGESTIONS?

I HAVE THIS QUESTION ALSO POSTED IN THE PINNACLE STUDIO "MEMBERS " FORUM AS WELL