View Full Version : My kid just dropped my external hard drive...
he biked over the cables.
It is a maxtor 250gb external hdd. It contains Everything.
I plugged it in to check, it made screeching noises, it did not connect to pc. Turned it off immediately.
Searched the web, it looks very bad.
I need those files.
How much would it cost to get some pro shop place to retrieve the files?
(i sent a request to ontrack) pending.
any other advice?
Data recovery may be VERY expensive.
I know that Seagate have a service, presumably just for Seagate drives.
In future, make sure the cables are tight. That way the kid will drop instead. He'll make screeching noises too.
just got a reply
1290 NOK
=
238,45 USD
just to look at it....
clocker
11-24-2007, 02:27 PM
Forensic recovery performed by a local specialist has averaged @$2000 and they make no guarantee of data integrity.
The two referrals who actually went through with the process seemed happy enough (as were we to get our kickback) but amazingly, neither has done much to prevent a recurrence of the problem.
If you have data critical to the point that you'd spend cash to recover it then you need a multi-faceted backup strategy.
Forensic recovery performed by a local specialist has averaged @$2000 and they make no guarantee of data integrity.
:pinch:
A few months age it happens to me. It never works again.
Broken
11-24-2007, 05:55 PM
I had a hard drive go bad recently, it was set up to run in RAID 0 with another. When it happened I lost everything. Luckily I had the irreplaceable stuff like family pictures backed up on a disk and a flash drive. But I lost everything else. A lot of everything else.
I didn't even look into data recovery because I know of the outrageous price tag on doing so. Just another reminder of the importance of regular backups of everything on a stable media such as disk or tape, and if it's really important material more than one.
The price for the analysis is to be charged also if recovery is not possible. Recovery for a disk with physical damage will normally be approx NOK 6500-9000 including tax.
1201 - 1663,59 USD
optimus_prime
11-24-2007, 10:37 PM
if that's the real dustfree laboratory recovery than the price is right. just make sure it's not some dr frankenstein in his basement.
after hearing those screeching noises be prepare to say goodbye with some of your data tho, those are heads scratching the platters :)
They are connected to ontrack.
I won't buy any more sweets for my kid for about ten years, then we can get it fixed.
One nice thing though, i emailed ontrack in the states, i got a reply from a ontrack connected service in my country within 2 hours. (in the weekend)
optimus_prime
11-24-2007, 10:52 PM
yeah, but it could be power company or thunder or something, obviously not making backups means no sweets for you either :)
anyway, only real waste is your hard work, everything else is abundant on internets :)
MaaxHimself
11-24-2007, 10:55 PM
What are sweets...you mean candy? lol jk
Good luck on getting your data back!
AmpeD
11-24-2007, 11:05 PM
sell your kid on ebay.
:lol: you guys
or force him to study l33t file extraction.
The mom was watching him ffs.
http://a.imagehost.org/0035/candy_frost2_2.jpg
Detale
11-25-2007, 09:17 AM
Well what was the drive doing on the floor? Also dude it's not that hard to open a HDD just be careful you may be able to swap the platter out with another hdd
clocker
11-25-2007, 01:39 PM
Well what was the drive doing on the floor? Also dude it's not that hard to open a HDD just be careful you may be able to swap the platter out with another hdd
No way.
Absolutely no way.
Dust, although by far the greatest danger, is not the only problem.
Even assuming that one could successfully transplant the platters to another housing there is the matter of aligning the heads so data could be read.
I don't pretend to understand the complexities involved- I'm just regurgitating the spiel we got from the data recovery firm- but there is more to it than one would suspect.
optimus_prime
11-25-2007, 04:00 PM
yeah, i personaly fixed several mechanical drive failures by gently pulling drive open only over arm rest, not over platters and fixing position of a magnet. and even some continued to work without a hitch it's definitely not something anyone should do with ANY kind of really valuable data. it's basicaly a gamble. diy swaping burned electronics is ok, but one should think twice before opening sealed head assembly :)
peat moss
11-25-2007, 04:41 PM
Dam kids can't figure out whats harder on computers , wifes or kids ? I know this will sound dumb but try the old HDD in the freezer trick ? Easy to do as its external .
Here's a thought, assuming that sending the disk to the data recovery people is a non-starter.
By default, the heads "fly" about a micron above the disk surface. The pits in the damaged platter would probably cause the head to crash so the head alignment techniques that the data recovery people use is so that they can get the heads at that distance from the platter without it actually "flying".
The probability is that bits of the disk surface are now rattling around inside the platter chamber, but most of the damage will have taken place on the heads themselves. Since you can't currently get any data from the drive I can't see any harm in at least trying Detale's suggestion. It will cost you the price of an identical drive to swap the platters into, and may not work, but I don't see another option.
LoKaLiRi
11-26-2007, 02:05 AM
it is 99% ur data will lost :pinch:
sorry :(
Detale
11-26-2007, 02:16 AM
I recently saw a tutorial on how to Open a HDD somewhere It didn't look that hard Clocker I will see if I can find it again and Post it here
clocker
11-26-2007, 02:50 AM
When I still worked at the shop and had access to lots of *spare* (i.e., junk) parts, my co-worker Eric and I played with HDDs quite a bit.
First, we tried just to open them and "window" the cover so the internals were visible.
We replaced circuit boards.
We transplanted platters/read heads.
None of them ever did more than spin again.
Even just opening and resealing a working drive resulted in failure.
In case you didn't know, I am typically rather fearless when it comes to fucking with hardware...hardly anything escapes at least disassembly and usually modification.
I've even successfully resoldered caps on motherboards and stripped heatspreaders off CPUs.
Hard drives though...I think there's magic involved, some serious juju.
They are the Devil's work and better left alone.
Thanks for tips, I go for clockers mentality. The files are really that important.
as it turns out we have accident insurance, we have to pay 739$ max...
Detale
11-26-2007, 09:53 AM
Clocker you know you're my go to guy so I withdraw my statement and I still can't find that link I would love to get your take on it though.
@ 100% Good for you I hope it works out for you, Good luck and please keep us updated
Noobs. :rolleyes:
I remember the days when disk drives weren't even sealed units. It was often a case of "Insert a removable disk, then wait about 2 minutes while it spins-up, brushes any dust off the platters and loads the heads".
Head crashes were a common occurrence, but rarely did they make the disk unusable. Just as well when you consider that a 25MB (yes, megabytes) disk cost a few hundred.
optimus_prime
11-26-2007, 01:47 PM
yeah but than you had like 20 meters between two data tracks :)
clocker
11-26-2007, 02:30 PM
Noobs. :rolleyes:
I remember the days when disk drives weren't even sealed units. It was often a case of "Insert a removable disk, then wait about 2 minutes while it spins-up, brushes any dust off the platters and loads the heads".
Head crashes were a common occurrence, but rarely did they make the disk unusable. Just as well when you consider that a 25MB (yes, megabytes) disk cost a few hundred.
These would be "the good old days", I suppose.
Oddly, "they just don't make 'em like they used to".
boodaddymac
12-21-2007, 08:53 PM
If it's an external harddrive all you need to do is take the harddrive out of the enclosure and get a new one for like 20 bucks. try tigerdirect.com
zapjb
12-21-2007, 10:41 PM
he biked over the cables.....
Did you try new cables?
kayvanblue
01-13-2008, 01:26 AM
Foster's Home for Children!!!!!! thats why i sent my kid there! now i m sure my HDD is safe
Just got the hard drive back today.
Their report said it was completely unreadable.
Too much damage.
:cry:
Good news:
Cost = 0$
So now i will fly to Haiti and get some voodoo artist to extract the files.
http://c.imagehost.org/0205/ap_voodoo_080328_ssh.jpg
clocker
07-22-2008, 01:07 PM
So now i will fly to Haiti and get some voodoo artist to extract the files.
Believe me, nothing you might have lost would be worth going to Haiti to retrieve...the place is a real shithole.
Too bad about your drive.
sounds like you experienced something nasty over there.
Read in national geographic that the prisons are full of people with minor crimes, who have been stuck there for over 20 years, cause the bureaucracy is so screwed.
ok then
i'll go to india and get some sadhu to put some good karma on it.
http://bhakticollective.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/sadhu-with-flowers.jpg
clocker
07-22-2008, 03:07 PM
My first (ex) wife and I went to Haiti on vacation- it was incredibly cheap- in 1974.
You couldn't go anywhere without being constantly (as in "every single minute") assaulted by beggars.
Turns out, there isn't really anyplace to go to anyway.
The low point of this ordeal was "the trip to the beach".
Haiti doesn't have any beaches...they're all on the Dominican Republic side of the island...but we were bussed to a distant, man made beach.
A few brave souls jumped off the pier and immediately began screaming- the water was infested with jellyfish.
The only salvation was the Barbancourt Rum factory tour.
You could take the tour (which took about 5 minutes) and then go to the Tasting Room and get unlimited free samples.
We went every day.
Just got the hard drive back today.
Their report said it was completely unreadable.
Too much damage.
So, your favourite porn is gone forever. Tough luck.
bd75sy
10-18-2008, 02:16 AM
My first (ex) wife and I went to Haiti on vacation- it was incredibly cheap- in 1974.
You couldn't go anywhere without being constantly (as in "every single minute") assaulted by beggars.
Turns out, there isn't really anyplace to go to anyway.
The low point of this ordeal was "the trip to the beach".
Haiti doesn't have any beaches...they're all on the Dominican Republic side of the island...but we were bussed to a distant, man made beach.
A few brave souls jumped off the pier and immediately began screaming- the water was infested with jellyfish.
The only salvation was the Barbancourt Rum factory tour.
You could take the tour (which took about 5 minutes) and then go to the Tasting Room and get unlimited free samples.
We went every day.
cant say I blame you for going everyday! I would have too! bet you wished your wife had jumped off the pier... especially after the divorce!
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