data loss

[dimsum411]

how do you deal with data loss?

I recently lost 2 drives 160/80gb in the span of two days. First one just kicked without warning, and the 2nd one literally caught fire while I was in the process of trying to revive the 'dead' one.

Both drives were about full with mp3's, game iso's, programs, and personal files. While i've lost hope for the cooked one, the other one spins up, but then clicks at a steady rate about two seconds apart, which is another sign of a post mortem drive, as the problem is mechanical and I'd rather not shell out 1200 to repair it in a cleanroom. DAMMITAPAOPSIHDFPAOHITAPWOIUHR!o!hoHFA ;DJF;Lk!lJO;IFJ;LKSJFD;ADSFSDASHLAK;HRASF;ASK;AKJF AHSRTO;OAKSJ;

I got the last laugh to some degree by defacing the toasty one,(fun with a dremel & exactoknife) i'm going take the platters out and use them as drink coasters as soon as i find my 'star' bit screwdriver. I'm still bummed from all my stuff gone.

[Striker]

I remember hearing some random crap about companies who can retrieve data from dying /dead drives such as that. Maybe you can look into something like that and see what turns up. Who knows, it may be affordable, and allow you to not lose all of your collected loot.

If not, then make more coasters. Coasters are nifty.

[Chimera[NL]]

Use the magnets, that make the read/write arm float, on your fridge. Not even a hurricane will blow your memo away now. Damn those things are strong.

[nineball16]

there is software you can use. final recovery pro is a good one, try and get a full version. You have to have the software on a separate drive to recover any lost data, even if the lost data was on a drive that was formatted.

I've used it before and it works. you should give it a go seing it is pretty much your only option

[no_nonsense4857]

Ask any computer shop (where assemblers do business), for a Data Recovery solution for the crashed HDD.

They will either point you to the right address or guys figure out what the problem is (will be mainly with the circuitry on the HDD or unluckyly a mechanical failure). In any case they would give you an estimate of the cost involved for the recovery (either solder some new chips on the circuit board or take out the platters and get the data from another HDD).

Hope you are lucky enough to get back your data at minimum cost. Data loss sure sucks!!

BTW, which brand did the two belong to ??

[SuperDavidGT]

i generally end up chucking a tantrum and beating the shit out of my computer, getting a new one and then getting the backup of my documents off the secret file on my ipod.

[no_nonsense4857]

i generally end up chucking a tantrum and beating the shit out of my computer, getting a new one and then getting the backup of my documents off the secret file on my ipod.

Just keep in mind that the ipods got a hdd too. (touch wood :))

[dimsum411]

BTW, which brand did the two belong to ??

Maxtor Diamondmax 80gb ide (burnt circuitboard)
Western Digital Caviar WD1600 160gb ide (click click dead)
(don't ever buy these drives :mad: )

I've found a company that does this type of work fairly inexpensively compaired to other quotes. roughly $300-700 from an email quote, but since most of the data was 'acquired' and isn't necessarily mission critical, I think I'll just cut my losses and create a new raid mirror.

btw, seagate ftw (knock on wood), a company which has never failed me once, and the 5 yr warranty is unprecedent.

here's the company link, for anyones future reference:
http://www.gillware.com/index.php

[RogerWilco]

If its only got a burnt circuit board you may be able to swap with an identical drive.

[SuperDavidGT]

Just keep in mind that the ipods got a hdd too. (touch wood :))

lol oh yeah. ill back it up on a dvd or something then. thanks for the reminder (why the fuck didnt I think of that before?)

[no_nonsense4857]

Maxtor Diamondmax 80gb ide (burnt circuitboard)
Western Digital Caviar WD1600 160gb ide (click click dead)
(don't ever buy these drives :mad: )

And I have not one but two Maxtor DimondMax (250GB) HDDs in my wish list on new egg :o

Need to rethink and see whats important cache size or reliablity. I choose the DiamondMax for its 16MB cache with the seagate lacks. Now that pust my wish list in soup! Time to change, but change to what?? :confused:

[King Speedy]

I have an old WD 160GB drive as my main baby. I recently added a nice 300GB Maxtor MaxlineIII as my second drive, for CD/DVD images and recorded TV eps.

As for recovery, oftentimes at work I've swapped out the circuitry on a drive for another on the same model in order to recover the data. Works like a charm.

[TopSecretBoy]

Seagate FTW.

[King Speedy]

I would have gotten a Seagate instead of the Maxline, but the access times on the Seagates aren't quite as snappy as I'd like.