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Home: Video University Forums: Tech Q & A:
Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution

hlanden
The Dean / Moderator

Apr 30, 2007, 3:52 PM

Post #1 of 12 (3378 views)
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Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution	Can't Post

Friday night I had a hard drive error on my 200GB Maxtor. Pirate

No matter what I did it said:

"A disk read error occurred. Press CTRL + ALT+Delete to restart"

My last complete backup (to a second 200 GB drive using Casper for Win XP) was over 3 weeks ago. So I started calling all the Data Recovery places only to hear how this could cost me thousands of dollars. One guy recommended CompUSA. So Saturday morning I drove over and was told they'd let me know. Sunday morning I heard the good news THEY RETRIEVED ALL THE DATA! The total cost to me was $99. Since I had a complete other hard drive with everything on it, all I had to do was to find the important stuff that had been lost and put it back. They gave me 5 DVDs with a Roxio Recovery program which had everything I needed. I bought another 200 GB drive and after doing a complete virus check, then mirrored my repaired backup drive to the new drive (which I now promist to do more often!)

The last time I went though this, I went to a Mom and Pop data recovery. They couldn't retrieve any of the data and charged much more than $99.

All the CompUSA guy could tell me was that it wasn't a hardware failure. He said it was some kind of software error and then he listed about 20 possibilities, none of which he could finger.

If this ever happens to you, try CompUSA first. Don't try to repair the thing yourself. That apparently causes more fatal problems that it cures. This sentence should begin "When" not if this hsappens to you.

Hal
Produce Profitable Special Interest Videos

Sandy B
Veteran

May 1, 2007, 1:06 AM

Post #2 of 12 (3355 views)
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Re: [hlanden] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks, I have a Lacie 500Gb big disk extreme that won't communicate to my computer. The other two that I have work fine, this one just won't connect itself. I will see if CompUSA can help. It has been so long, I can't remember what is even on the HD.

Thanks again for your story.

Sandy B
SSPBLOG

"Good luck seldom comes in pairs, but bad things never walk alone" Chinese proverb

jmkraft
User

May 1, 2007, 7:27 AM

Post #3 of 12 (3345 views)
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Re: [hlanden] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

I had a hard drive crash in the middle of a project a couple years ago (the night before showing it at a retirement ceremony/dinner). I simply put it into the freezer until it was nice and cold, then hooked it up and transfered data until it quit and repeated the process (about three times).

Glad I haven't had to do that again :)

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http://www.AntiqueTractorDVD.com

Brackish
Veteran

May 1, 2007, 4:27 PM

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RT Steele
Veteran

May 6, 2007, 3:10 PM

Post #5 of 12 (3259 views)
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Re: [Brackish] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

My hard drive failure rate is around 30%.

One/third of your drives fail? I've never heard of these kinds of statistics before.

I have only experienced a drive failure once... and that was 15 years ago when it was normal to have them made with 5% of the clusters already bad. Laugh

These days I don't do anything special with my externals other than make sure they're all powered up/down in the proper sequence. I do work in a basement though where things run a bit cooler.

- RT (jynxed for sure now)

Sandy B
Veteran

May 9, 2007, 2:28 AM

Post #6 of 12 (3209 views)
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Re: [jmkraft] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

Really. Placing the HD in the freezer until it was nice and cold. I think I will try that with my Lacie and see if it can boot up.

Sandy B
SSPBLOG

"Good luck seldom comes in pairs, but bad things never walk alone" Chinese proverb

jmkraft
User

May 9, 2007, 10:01 AM

Post #7 of 12 (3197 views)
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Re: [Sandy B] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Really. Placing the HD in the freezer until it was nice and cold. I think I will try that with my Lacie and see if it can boot up.

I already had a new HD in the computer loaded with windows XP. When I took the bad one out of the freezer, I just connected it like an additional drive (slaved off the good one) and transfered files untill it quit working, then repeated the process until I retrieved all my data.

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http://www.AntiqueTractorDVD.com

Christopher
User

Aug 17, 2007, 5:05 PM

Post #8 of 12 (2597 views)
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Re: [hlanden] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

Great tip, Hal. I was going to try the freezer trick this weekend, but then I figured I would try the CompUSA route first. Then I remember all the CompUSA's in the metro Atlanta area closed a few months back. The closest one is a three hours drive.

Back to the freezer plan....
---
FX1, HC1, iMac G5, Final Cut Studio
The Signal - in theaters October 23, 2007

hlanden
The Dean / Moderator

Aug 17, 2007, 5:08 PM

Post #9 of 12 (2595 views)
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Re: [Christopher] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

Why not call them and see if you can Express Mail it to them. Ask them how they want it packed.

Hal
Produce Profitable Special Interest Videos

Brenda
User

Aug 17, 2007, 7:30 PM

Post #10 of 12 (2581 views)
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Re: [Christopher] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

Christopher,
Micro Center is located in metro Atlanta as well as in other cities around the US. They are currently looking into buying up some of the former CompUSA sites too.
They service both Macs and PCs. I have used both places and know some computer techies who have actually liked Micro Center better (than CompUSA OR the freezer). Smile

You can find your closest Center online.

Hope this helps!

Tim A
User

Oct 24, 2007, 12:32 PM

Post #11 of 12 (2052 views)
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Re: [jmkraft] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

I simply put it into the freezer until it was nice and cold, then hooked it up and transfered data until it quit and repeated the process (about three times).

I had to do this once, it works.....at least that time it worked. Smile

__________________________________________________________________

MoonLitNite
User

Dec 7, 2007, 4:23 PM

Post #12 of 12 (1683 views)
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Re: [hlanden] Hard Drive Failure and the amazing solution [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Hal,

Aside from the freezer trick, I recommend purchasing SpinRite to fix the type of problem a CompUSA guy can remedy. Anyway, we should run SpinRite on our drives every month or so - Steve Gibson developed an unbelievable product to resurrect seemingly wasted disk drives.

Warm Regards, Michael
Happy Trails to you... until we meet again