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100% Green · 06-30-2009, 04:29 PM

I back up my computer now, so no need to remind me of the need to do this.

I have an old work computer that crashed a few years ago, and I need to get some data off of it. I have taken it to both Best Buy and Staples, both of whom say they aren't able to get any data off of the hard drive. Is there anything else that can be done? The guy at best buy recommended some website that wanted to charge me 2 grand, which i'm not looking to do. The guy at staples said the hard drive isn't spinning, which means it's completely dead.

TIA for your advice on this.

sleepy · 06-30-2009, 04:38 PM

If it is a physical problem with the HD, then they may be correct. Only really serious equipment and expertise can resolve the problem, and it will cost you big time.

I have seen hard drives that "get stuck", meaning the magnet on the arm is stuck down on the drive itself, so it won't spin. There is a chance you could get that resolved. Where are you located?

Put Dahlman in!! · 06-30-2009, 04:39 PM

boil it for 10 minutes

loobis · 06-30-2009, 06:55 PM

Sometimes sticking a hard drive in the freezer overnight can help if it's seized. It sounds stupid, but the cold makes the metal contract a little and can free it up for a short amount of time. I have personally had this work for me (I work in IT).

Just make sure you take it out of the freezer and plug it in right away before it warms up too much. If it works, copy what you need asap.

Heat Miser · 06-30-2009, 07:10 PM

What's the message you get when you try to boot?

Winston Wolf · 06-30-2009, 07:21 PM

Download "Recuva"

Plug old drive in as a Slave drive, recover files. This worked for me a few weeks ago when I thought everything was lost.

SpartanInNH · 06-30-2009, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK421

Download "Recuva"

Plug old drive in as a Slave drive, recover files. This worked for me a few weeks ago when I thought everything was lost.

Probably won't work if the hard drive is not spinning, unless the problem is resolved per sleepy/loobis/some other cockamamie idea.

And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

madvillian · 06-30-2009, 08:14 PM

if the drive is physically damaged where it's not even spinning than they are correct. $2000 and up is probaby the going rate.

DCSpartan · 06-30-2009, 08:36 PM

If the crash was simply Windows crashing and not booting, you should be able to get the data off. If the problem is that the drive makes a clicking sound and nothing happens, you could be looking at the $2K solution.

If the issue is the first, you can put the drive in another computer as a second computer. If you are not comfortable in doing that, I highly recommend this little device:

Amazon.com: Coolmax 15438 CD-350-COMBO Multifunctional Converter for 2.5/3.5/5.25 IDE/SATA Device: Electronics

It allows you to hook up a regular disk drive and plug it into your USB port and it will act like a thumb drive. Basically it is the electronics that are in those large external drives (without the case).

CA Sparty · 06-30-2009, 09:22 PM

https://services.seagate.com/index.aspx?lng=en-us

I have used them before to recover completely dead drives. But it is not cheap. When one of my 750GB drives died it was $900 to get it recovered. They got everything though.

100% Green · 07-01-2009, 12:16 PM

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Looks like i'm SOL. The hard drive doesn't even make a clicking noise when they hook it up to their machines at staples/best buy. I took it out of the computer, so I don't remember what message it used to get when I started it up, but if I remember correctly it was a blue screen of death.

CA Sparty, is there a minimum for seagate? Did they tell you how much it would cost before they did the service or are you committing to whatever they charge when you send it to them?

DC Spartan, isn't what Staples/Bust buy use a similar device to the one you posted?

I don't even need most of the files on it, although the photos/music would be nice, I really just want the old e-mails.

tuff bob · 07-01-2009, 12:45 PM

Do you think the drive is spinning up? Does it appear on the BIOS boot screen?

100% Green · 07-01-2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuff bob

Do you think the drive is spinning up? Does it appear on the BIOS boot screen?

I don't know what spinning up means, sorry. I actually do remember a message appearing now that you bring it up, it may have been something about the hard drive not being found? It's been a few years since I actually had this drive in a computer.