Got a HD question for all you computer geeks

[sorry dog]

My laptop took a 4 foot fall onto pavement a while back which pretty much totalled it. I took it apart and only the RAM, CPU, and odd parts are salvageble. I plugged the HD into a USB enclosure I had and it spun, but it sounded like the head was going through a few strokes before stopping. It wouldn't be recognized.
I bought a ATA6 to 80 pin adapter with the hopes that an IDE controller in connection with a good HD salvage program might get some of the stuff back. I've used one way back when with some success, but I don't remember what it was. Any suggestions on a HD recovery program?
I had a lot of it backed up but had gotten lazy so there's 2 month worth of stuff I'd really like to have.

[Cheap Thrills]

If it took that hard of fall I would almost bet money that the heads slammed into the platters usually when that happens it knocks off or damages the head beyond recovery. if it's spinning up and it making a continuous Ka click ka click ka click and is not reconised , it's dead. if the data is business related or worth alot to you there are several data recovery companies that can disassemble the drive and recover the data . Expensive though.
Good Luck with it..
C.T. :wink:

[sorry dog]

Heads should have been parked since it was off, but your probably right on the dead part...however I'd like to take a shot at it...adapter was only $8.

[LHC30Victory]

ALso, depending on what brand and age of laptop you have, the HDD wont work without it being installed in THAT laptop. Security feature that is hard to overcome. A 4 ft drop with it off, won't always toast the drive.

[sorry dog]

Compaq R3000...about 2 years old at time of death. HD is a 60 gig IBM Travelstar.

[Cheap Thrills]

Heads should have been parked since it was off, but your probably right on the dead part...however I'd like to take a shot at it...adapter was only $8.
If it was off you may have a chance at recovering the data. I haven't seen too many take a 4' fall and survive. I keep threatening to get a Panasonic Toughbook (http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=68953&catGroupId=32001&modelNo=Toughbook-29&surfModel=Toughbook-29) since most of the dozen or so I've owned have met their death by falling.
Good Luck.
C.T. :wink:

[deltaAce]

Remove cover from desktop PC. With the adapter on the small HDD, connect it to the middle IDE connector of your PC ribbon cable. On your PC HDD, move the jumper pin to Master. On the small HDD, move the jumper pin to Slave. When your PC starts in Windows, you should see another disk drive from which you access your data & slide over to C: drive, then save.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/5937/hdd2hj1.jpg

[sorry dog]

Finally got a change to hook it up to IDE controller...no dice. Can hear the head trying to get it's bearing. Probably toast but I'd still like some suggestion on HD recovery utility. The one I used years ago didn't need the BIOS to recognize the HD...just don't remember what it was and that was in the PIO4 standard days.
Anybody ever used a HD recovery service? I know it's at least in the high hundreds. The HD had some pictures that had a memory value to them...and about 20 hours worth of porn surfing. :)
Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way. :boxed:

[Jbb]

Headboard against the wall again......lol....sorry.... :p

[boater72]

http://www.acsdata.com/

[Tequila-John]

Ouch. Good luck

[572Daytona]

I checked and most of the tools I have are from pre-ide days so they probably won't help at all. If you can't see it in the BIOS you are probably sol. A couple of tricks that I've heard of but never tried is putting the HD in a freezer overnight and see if it starts spinning after that, or if you have a like kind dirve that working, swap the electronics with it to see if it's the electronics that are busted and not so much the drive itself. Did you check with Tom "data center in his basement" Brown?
It sounds like you need to start using the Hot Boat media center as back-up storage like a lot of people do :p

[deltaAce]

Go to Major Geeks.com On the lefthand colume select Drive Utillities, take your pick of many HDD repair Apps.

[Cheap Thrills]

Did you check with Tom "data center in his basement" Brown?
Now that was just plain funny right there :D
I've never heard of the freezer treatment seems to me that the condensation that would build up as it was comming up to room temp. would cause more trouble. :idea: though it would be a way to sidetrack the angry mind and give the user some time to cool down. :p
Any Luck Yet ?
C.T. :wink:

[sorry dog]

I think it's spinning so I'm not sure about the freezer treatment.
The shock rating was 100g's and it wasn't a direct hit on the drive so I'm a bit dissapointed it didn't survive better.
I haven't seen Tom much around lately...is he in Crisco training again?

[mickeyfinn]

ontrack is what I use. Works great