Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
8. If you can see the file system, then priority actions are:
• Copy the most important data off the drive
• Copy the rest of the data off the drive
• Determine if the drive can be recovered (scan with virus checker and disk utilities)
• Repair the operating system
The best way of doing this is to install your spare hard drive in the computer and boot to either
it or the CD/floppy bootable. Copy the important data off first, copy the less important data off
next, and then do your diagnostics. If your diagnostics look like the drive is repairable, then go
right ahead and repair it. However, the FAT (or FAT16) is the most commonly readable file
system around, so generally you will want to transfer data to this file system. If it becomes
apparent that the file system is intact and not infected with a virus (or has had a boot sector
virus removed), then you may need to replace the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the drive.
Simple. Boot to a DOS disk that has the fdisk utility and run an 'fdisk /MBR' to replace the
MBR. Remember, balance the time it takes to restore the operating system against the time it
takes to recover data, get a new drive, and install a fresh operating system. Normally, disk
recovery is simply a matter of recovering the data. Returning a drive to its previous state is a
goal but may simply be more costly than recovering the data and replacing the drive. How
much effort to expend on the process is entirely up to you and the client.
w.techrepublic.com
Drop it
From: Bob Matott
Besides the typical use of sys C: to transfer back the system files deleted during
"housecleaning" by typical users, I've gotten lucky by turning the drive upside down and
setting it on top of the power supply (which seemed to remove "a static charge" that had built
up). Also have used various Disk Manager packages to "talk" to drives with FAT/NTFS
corruptions just to recover the data. If drives are being reformatted from an operating system
that doesn't want to "fully go away" (can name a few!), the disk manager software has also
worked in this scenario many times to get rid of the old and allow you to reformat with the
new. Of course, there's always the "drop it from 4-5" onto a flat hard surface" or "smack the
side of the case with the flat of your hand" approaches. Believe it or not, both techniques have
worked. Rumor has it that sometimes the heads "stick" to the platters during parking/cool
down.
From: Kenneth Lillemo
Sometimes a hard drive that has been running since nearly forever won't spin up after being
shutdown for a while. This can be caused by the heads sticking to the platter. As a LAST resort,
I will drop the drive onto a firm surface from approximately eight inches. Inevitably, this will
solve the problem and the drive is useable long enough to remove the data. My Sys admin
spouse gives me a funny look every time I do it but can't argue with the results.
