Take a look at our
ThinkPads.com HOME PAGE
For those who might want to contribute to the blog, start here: Editors Alley Topic
Then contact Bill with a Private Message
ThinkPads.com HOME PAGE
For those who might want to contribute to the blog, start here: Editors Alley Topic
Then contact Bill with a Private Message
Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
-
- Junior Member
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 11:18 am
- Location: New Hampshire, USA
Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
I tried searching back a couple of years but didn't find anything.
Are there any favorite (free or paid) utilities that will restore a hard drive that fails to initialize, or which refuses to boot even after doing FIXBOOT, FIXMBR, CHKDSK, and even a Factory Restore?
Most of the disks involved seem to have files on them (I can read them on an adapter or a Linux CD machine) but when I try to do a format or an install they crash.
One disk had my working setup on it and now it refuses to be recognized. I'd really like to recover this guy by rebuilding the master tables (again, FIXMBR, FIXBOOT, et al. didn't work).
Any help and endorsements welcomed.
Are there any favorite (free or paid) utilities that will restore a hard drive that fails to initialize, or which refuses to boot even after doing FIXBOOT, FIXMBR, CHKDSK, and even a Factory Restore?
Most of the disks involved seem to have files on them (I can read them on an adapter or a Linux CD machine) but when I try to do a format or an install they crash.
One disk had my working setup on it and now it refuses to be recognized. I'd really like to recover this guy by rebuilding the master tables (again, FIXMBR, FIXBOOT, et al. didn't work).
Any help and endorsements welcomed.
Bruce Guttman
Current stable: 770Z, 600X, T23, R40, R52, T43p, X41, R60, T60, T61, X61, X61T, X201T, T420; T400 (2768-EK9); W510 (4391-CTO), X220T (4296-2W5), T440 (20B6-00AUS), plus an Intellistation M 6219.
New Project: Making X220 work with WWAN.
Current stable: 770Z, 600X, T23, R40, R52, T43p, X41, R60, T60, T61, X61, X61T, X201T, T420; T400 (2768-EK9); W510 (4391-CTO), X220T (4296-2W5), T440 (20B6-00AUS), plus an Intellistation M 6219.
New Project: Making X220 work with WWAN.
-
- Senior ThinkPadder
- Posts: 3832
- Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 5:49 am
- Location: Metro Manila, Philippines
Re: Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
Rather than restore, IMO it's better to back up the files, then wipe the first 50MB of the drive with a secure erase tool. Now, if you're still having problems formatting it afterward, then the HDD itself is malfunctioning.
Planned Purchase: T480s i5-8350 FHD Touch
Impulse Buy: Thinkpad not named for safety reasons
RIP: X220 4291-C91 X61 7676-A24 760XD-U9E
Impulse Buy: Thinkpad not named for safety reasons
RIP: X220 4291-C91 X61 7676-A24 760XD-U9E
Re: Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
A broken disk is broken and should be replaced by a known good working one, on which you then restore the latest backup of the broken disk. Anything else is a waste of time, IMHO.Bruce Guttman wrote:Are there any favorite (free or paid) utilities that will restore a hard drive that fails to initialize, or which refuses to boot even after doing FIXBOOT, FIXMBR, CHKDSK, and even a Factory Restore?
A few 14.1" and 15" T61+ Frankenpads and one T480
Re: Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
If disk is still seen by BIOS:
Connect same or bigger drive to computer (laptop via USB adapter or eSATA, desktop via SATA).
Boot from knoppix or other pen-drive / CD linux.
use fdisk -l and hdparm -i to determine which drive is which
Copy bad drive to good drive via dd_rescue /dev/sdx /dev/sdy wait hours to days (this is why doing it on 2ndary or desktop is good, time depends on how badly the drive has been damaged. Longest I saw was 5 days but it is usually done withn 5-8 hours).
Then connect cloned drive to working windows PC and do chkdsk /B. If drive is not badly damaged it should boot in original system. If it's been badly damaged, recover any files using file recovery utilities.
If disk is not seen by BIOS you can send it to ontrack or similar where it will cost several 100 EUR (once I was given a quote for 600).
Another option is to try freezer trick. You can use external 12V PSU from SATA USB adapter and long sata cable to put drive in freezer. Then power on the computer and copy and data from the drive quickly.
To do just what you want you can zero the drive using Darik's boot and nuke CD or just use linux and do dd if=/dev/zero of=dev/sdx bs=1M count=1
This will erase 1st Megabyte of the drive, wiping partition table. x is your drive (use fdisk -l and hdparm -i to determine which is your drive). Be very careful, disconnect any drives you don't want zeroed as a precaution.
Connect same or bigger drive to computer (laptop via USB adapter or eSATA, desktop via SATA).
Boot from knoppix or other pen-drive / CD linux.
use fdisk -l and hdparm -i to determine which drive is which
Copy bad drive to good drive via dd_rescue /dev/sdx /dev/sdy wait hours to days (this is why doing it on 2ndary or desktop is good, time depends on how badly the drive has been damaged. Longest I saw was 5 days but it is usually done withn 5-8 hours).
Then connect cloned drive to working windows PC and do chkdsk /B. If drive is not badly damaged it should boot in original system. If it's been badly damaged, recover any files using file recovery utilities.
If disk is not seen by BIOS you can send it to ontrack or similar where it will cost several 100 EUR (once I was given a quote for 600).
Another option is to try freezer trick. You can use external 12V PSU from SATA USB adapter and long sata cable to put drive in freezer. Then power on the computer and copy and data from the drive quickly.
To do just what you want you can zero the drive using Darik's boot and nuke CD or just use linux and do dd if=/dev/zero of=dev/sdx bs=1M count=1
This will erase 1st Megabyte of the drive, wiping partition table. x is your drive (use fdisk -l and hdparm -i to determine which is your drive). Be very careful, disconnect any drives you don't want zeroed as a precaution.
T540p, T420s, T400, R61, X61t, T60p, T42p, A21p
Re: Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
My favorite for years has been "iCare Data Recovery" ...Bruce Guttman wrote:One disk had my working setup on it and now it refuses to be recognized. I'd really like to recover this guy by rebuilding the master tables (again, FIXMBR, FIXBOOT, et al. didn't work).
... version 7.8.1 free today at http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/icare-d ... the+Day%29
If your harddisk isn't recognized by Windows and "fails to initialize", then the write heads are bad and the drive can't be fixed .... but you may be able to get your files off of it .... even if the MFT (master file table) has been destroyed and it 'reads' so slowly by a recovery program that you think that all of the read heads except one must have died also.
I have tried all of the following on a harddrive that meets the above conditions ... and they all failed :
- iCare Data Recovery 5.1 and 5.3 (old) ... expected to take 1.5 years to read the 500GB HDD
- Recuva
- MiniTool Power Data Recovery 7.0
- Do Your Data Recovery 3.0.0
- ReclaiMe File Recovery
- Wise Data Recovery
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard 9.5
- DMDE 3.0.4
- HDD Mechanic
- Lazesoft Recovery Suite Pro
Some of the above refused to recognize the harddrive, others always got a 'semaphore timeout' trying to access the bad harddrive, and one of them filled all of memory with 'non-pageable' pages which then crashes the system.
The new "iCare Data Recovery Pro 7.8.1" has an option which allows you to choose which file types to recover (older versions did not have this feature). My attempt at recovery is running again and is currently projected to last 15 days for just .jpg files.
Re: Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
You don't repair a hard drive. All you can do is attempt to recover data.
Anyway, my personal favorite is using ddrescue to make a raw image of the drive, which is mountable on windows using Passmark OSFMount.
Anyway, my personal favorite is using ddrescue to make a raw image of the drive, which is mountable on windows using Passmark OSFMount.
Main: Latitude E6430
Working ThinkPads: IBM 5155, 755C, 755CX, 760ED, 380Z, 600E (x3), i1420, 570E, X20, T23, T30 x3, T43, Z61t, T60p
WIP: 701c (Broken OS), 600 (LCD), PS/2 L40SX (HDD), 570 (No lid), X31 (HDD, LCD), R51 (HDD), Z60t (HDD), X60 (HDD), T400 (LCD), T43p (?)
Dead: i1420 (Mobo, Keyboard)
Working ThinkPads: IBM 5155, 755C, 755CX, 760ED, 380Z, 600E (x3), i1420, 570E, X20, T23, T30 x3, T43, Z61t, T60p
WIP: 701c (Broken OS), 600 (LCD), PS/2 L40SX (HDD), 570 (No lid), X31 (HDD, LCD), R51 (HDD), Z60t (HDD), X60 (HDD), T400 (LCD), T43p (?)
Dead: i1420 (Mobo, Keyboard)
-
- ThinkPadder
- Posts: 1724
- Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:26 pm
- Location: TX, USA & Bombay, India
Re: Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
Last software for HDD attempts.. SpinRite
T61 8892-02U: 14.1"SXGA+/2.2C2D/4G/XP|Adv Mini Dock|30" Gateway XHD3000 WQXGA via Dual-link DVI
X61T 7767-96U: 12.1"SXGA+/1.6C2D/3G/Vista|Ultrabase
W510 4319-2PU: 15.6"FHD/i7-720QM/4G/Win7Pro64 (for dad)
T43 1875-DLU: 14.1"XGA/1.7PM-740/1G/XP (Old)
X61T 7767-96U: 12.1"SXGA+/1.6C2D/3G/Vista|Ultrabase
W510 4319-2PU: 15.6"FHD/i7-720QM/4G/Win7Pro64 (for dad)
T43 1875-DLU: 14.1"XGA/1.7PM-740/1G/XP (Old)
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 837
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 11:21 pm
- Location: Pardubice, Czech Republic
- Contact:
Re: Hard Disk Repair Utilities (when all else fails)
I prefer the linux program 'gdisk' which includes heavy-handed low-level tools.
gdisk has revived a few drives (thumb drives mostly) which had been in my hdd graveyard for a while.
gdisk has revived a few drives (thumb drives mostly) which had been in my hdd graveyard for a while.
T420 i7 3612QM seabios; T420 i7 3630QM; T400 Q9100 seabios; T61 P9600; T60 libreboot; x62; x60s libreboot, led; x24 xiphmont led
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
Need to repair IBM USB ThinkPad keyboard
by ThinkPad560X » Sun Dec 03, 2023 1:01 am » in Off-Topic Stuff - 0 Replies
- 1808 Views
-
Last post by ThinkPad560X
Sun Dec 03, 2023 1:01 am
-
-
-
Thinkpad X1 Tablet Keyboard Repair?
by skinnie » Tue Dec 19, 2023 7:02 am » in ThinkPad/Ideapad Tablets & Convertibles - 1 Replies
- 1575 Views
-
Last post by ZaZ
Tue Dec 19, 2023 9:08 pm
-
-
-
IBM Thinkpad 535X Teardown and Repair
by solidpro » Mon Feb 19, 2024 5:13 pm » in ThinkPad Legacy Hardware - 2 Replies
- 476 Views
-
Last post by solidpro
Sun Feb 25, 2024 3:33 pm
-
-
-
Trying to repair an R51, will an R50 work as a parts donor?
by Glaurung-quena » Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:39 pm » in ThinkPad R, A, G and Z Series - 4 Replies
- 645 Views
-
Last post by axur-delmeria
Wed Mar 20, 2024 1:25 am
-
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests