PC HDD Data Recovery

[dyazdani]

My inlaws' computer is having issues with the hard drive. It will not boot, nor can any data be accessed even when used as a slave on another working PC.

Does anyone have any suggestions on recovering the data? They have some files they need and don't have a backup.

Thanks!

[RobP]

Why wont it boot? Do any error messages come up when it tries to load? Is it Windows XP? If so can you use the disk to get into the recovery mode?

[dyazdani]

Says "Error loading operating system" most of the time. Sometimes the PC just shuts down and sometimes it gives you the BSOD.

I think it's running 2000

[RobP]

Sounds exactly what mine did last week, I ended up booting from the windows CD and then running CHKDSK /R , rebuilt the boot sector and it came back with no problems.

[dyazdani]

I'll try... can I run CHKDSK on it as a slave on my main PC? It's nice that way since I can boot off of my working HDD...

[RobP]

You should be able to do so, although I have never done it that way.

[PewterTA]

Get this program, it'll fix your drive (most likely)...

http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

If that doesn't work and you just want to try to restore files, I use EasyRecovery Professional...

http://www.ontrack.com/easyrecoveryprofessional/

Well worth the money if you definitely need the data back. So far I haven't found a drive that I couldn't get stuff back off of with those two programs (unless the drive was physically dead - bios didn't even see the drive).

[dyazdani]

I was able to use CHKDSK and get what I needed. I still can't boot due to some corrupted files, but I got their personal documents moved to my HDD.

I'm building them a new computer now...

[RobP]

Did you do the CHKDSK /R command? Or just CHKDSK?

[dyazdani]

With the /R... it repaired some sectors, but some were not recoverable, apparently losing some OS files...