Last month I bought a Compal HEL80 from xoticpc.com. While running utorrent to download some media, I moved my laptop down two flights of stairs in order to listen to music while working out. When I got there, I received the blue screen of death, and now the computer won't boot up, even in safe mode; it just keeps restarting. Chkdsk finds no errors in the hard drive. The windows xp setup doesn't recognize the file system, even after running fixboot and fixmbr. I downloaded a utility, ReadNTFS, which sees the files I wish to recover (~60GB of music). I had previously ordered a 500GB 3.5" SATA HD for storage, which should arrive tomorrow. I also own an IDE/SATA to USB cable. My plan is to hook up the new drive to my laptop using this cable and copy the files over with Read NTFS, but I'm not sure that Read NFTS will see the USB interface. I know that the motherboard has some sort of USB controller, since I'm given the option to boot from USB. But when I tried to install windows on another HD I had lying around using the same cable, the setup told me that while it could see the drive, it was impossible to install windows on it due to the harddrive not being in startup setting, or something like that (sorry I don't have more information about this). So I'm not sure how Read NTFS will take this. I went to the store, and looked at a PCI card that had an e-SATA connection, which I could plug into my desktop. But then will I be able to read from the 2.5" hard drive using the same cable? I also saw a PCI-e card with two SATA inputs, but once again, I don't know how the controller will react with the laptop. I'm curious as to any thoughts on my proposed solutions, or any other, better solutions that anyone might come up with. Many thanks.
1. Easiest way is to take out that HDD from Laptop nd put it in a IDE 2.5" ATA enclosure and hook that with ur desktop computer where u want to save those files... 2. If ur computer has XP or Vista... it will read NTFS without any problem..
Welcome to hardwareforums abrichr :beer: Note for everyone: I belive ReadNTFS allows dos to read NTFS partitions. I would suggest you use a LiveCD , such as the Ubuntu LiveCD/Installer. (So you dont have to buy a hard drive enclosure) A LiveCD refers to a operating system which can run off a CD / DVD / read only storage by using some of your computers RAM as a Virtual Hard drive. ubuntu will be able to use the hard drive plugged in via usb, but you might have to mount it yourself. to do this click Applications >> Accessories >> Terminal and enter the following code (hitting enter when you read the end of a command ). Code: sudo mkdir /home/ubuntu/Desktop/USB-Drive sudo mkdir /home/ubuntu/Desktop/Hard-Drive sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /home/ubuntu/Desktop/Hard-Drive sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/sda1 /home/ubuntu/Desktop/USB-Drive This assumes that you have allready formatted the usb hard drive as ntfs, and that the data you want is on partition one of the laptops hard drive (and you want to copy it to partition one of the external hard drive). This will create 2 folders on your desktop (in Ubuntu, running off the LiveCD) and mount your hard drives in the two folders so you can copy and past files between them. NOTE: I have forgotten you need to mount the NTFS partition as write-able, if you are interested in this method say so and im sure someone else will tell you how to do this! i wont be on the forum for awhile as i'm working every day this week (and wont be home ) Good Luck! [OT] I really need to get some sleep, work in the morning [/OT]
Thanks for the replies, but the whole problem is that the drive cannot be read conventionally, either because of a corrupt boot sector, or something else entirely. The only software I have found that can read the drive is Read NTFS.
If the description and source of the quote matches what your using (Read NTFS), then i would say that there is nothing wrong with the actual partition, as i dont think ReadNTFS is designed to recover files from DAMAGED partitions, more as a way of moving files from a NTFS partition MS-DOS booting from a floppy disc (perhaps in the case of windows :swear: itself over, like your case ) unless can find out how to add support for usb storage devices into MSDOS / somebody here knows, i would suggest the LiveCD approach. The Ubuntu Live CD i mentioned earlier has support for NTFS and USB Hard drives, you can do anything with it you can do with a full install (in case you didn't know, Ubuntu is one of many the alternatives to windows [which are quite popular on hardwareforums!]).
ok, perhaps the method i was suggesting was a little over complicated (well, in reality my description was the problem ) I have found a guide to recovering files from non-bootable windows install using another computer and windows files sharing.... so if you have another computer around (which i guess your using to post here ) you can plug the hard drive into that computer, and copy the files over the network without too much effort (will take alot longer, but you can just leave it over night ) Its a tad out of date, as it refers to Ubuntu 5.10 (Current versions are 6.06.1 and 6.10) but it should all still work the same its 15, short well explain steps.. the last one being telling windows to open the share on the remote machine, so you will be able to drag and drop files between the network folder and the computer you are on (or onto the USB drive connected to the computer you are using). hope this is more helpful! jclark.org - HOWTO Recover Files from a Non-Bootable Windows PC using Ubuntu Live
Karanislove: Thanks for your input. The software is installed on a bootable CD. I'd already tried CHKDSK, which did not find any errors with the harddrive. Impotence: Thanks for the good advice. I'd actually forgotten that I had an old copy of knoppix 3.33 lying around, and it reads the hard drive fine Completely slipped my mind. I guess I'll just hook up the new hard drive through USB and save my files there, then reformat the original. Now, however, it seems I may have another, more serious problem. Knoppix gives me the error message "PCI BIOS BUG #81[00000000] found" while booting up. I've booted into knoppix on this machine before, however, and do not recall seeing this message (although I may be mistaken). Is it possible that the drive is damaged? Or is this something else entirely? (Sorry for posting off-topic, I'll start a new thread if necessary)
A couple of other thoughts: If knoppix can read the drive, why can't the windows setup utility? Also, browsing around the harddrive in knoppix, for some reason shows that there's nothing under C:\Documents and Settings\Richie\. It's just empty. Hardware malfunction, or windows fucking me over?
were still on topic (data recovery), and you started the thread so i would say no worries If knoppix continues to boot, i wouldn't worry too much... i dont know what the error is, but from the wording i would say its something to do with a piece of hardware giving an unexpected response (or rather, an incorrect response?)... pure guess work tho
I'll try to put it out of my mind. I only thought I'd ask because Read NTFS can read the contents of C:\Documents and Settings\Richie\ and Knoppix can't. *sigh*
If NTFS is a problem then you wouldn't be able to browse that drive at all, not even a single folder...I think hah:
Yeah, I'd think so too. But then why does windows setup read nothing, knoppix only read some, and Read NTFS read everything? Due to Canada Post's incompetence, I wasn't able to acquire the new HD today. I'll post back when I (hopefully) get it tomorrow.
I think its due to different codings. Each software is made in a different way... So one software has something n other doesnt. Its like u need AV for Windows but not for linux, reason being Linux provide better codings n security
Looks like my problems keep compounding themselves. I've received the drive. When I plug it into a power source, however, it does not spin up, but instead emits a low-pitch beep every few seconds. Here are the full specifications for the drive: http://www.maxtor.com/_files/maxtor...data_sheets/maxline_pro_500_data_sheet_en.pdf Perhaps it's not compatible with my cable? I bought it off ebay, here are the specs: eBay: USB 2.0 to SATA/IDE/2.5/3.5 Hard Drive Converter Cable (item 290038463658 end time Oct-17-06 19:02:30 PDT) I don't have a SATA enabled mobo to hook it up to. I'm going to call a friend and see if it works on his. Edit: I just realized that he's out of town, and I don't know anyone else with a SATA interface. I'm thinking of buying an external enclosure and testing it on that.
Alright, I had the drive tested at ye ol' locale computer shoppe, and it's definitely dead. I'm picking up another one tomorrow, this time WD instead of Maxtor. Will post back.
Seagate is the top brand in HDD n they have recently bought the Maxator as well, n started manufacturing that as well. Which means both of them are same. So go with either Seagate or Maxator instead of WD...
Everyone says something different about the brands. Whole reason I went with Maxtor this time was because I hate WD; almost every drive I've ever owned from them has crashed. A brand new drive that doesn't spin up, however, doesn't really impress me either Plus I need a new HD asap, and this one's the only one I could find around here that's cheap enough. Thanks for the input though
it will still be the same equipment manufacturing the maxtors drives though, and the maxtor drives have an bad reputation... whatever the stand it, i would go with WD or seagate for awhile (to avoid any old Maxtor manufactured drives).
alright, so i *finally* got a working drive and enclosure, and managed to format the whole 500GB with FAT32. knoppix doesn't see it, however, since it's connected through USB on a laptop, and I suppose knoppix doesn't have the correct usb controllers. i'm curious as to whether ubuntu does. ReadNTFS works, but *extremely* slowly. it takes about 10 minutes to transfer an 8MB song, and i have over 60 gigs to transfer... does anyone know of any similiar software that works a bit faster, perhaps?
