edsager
asked on
Error Code 7: Can I still find documents on hard disk drive?
Hello All,
I am devastated about what has happened over the last few days.
I started getting Error Code 7 in Windows Vista for the System Hard drive, which also housed all my documents...10's of thousands of documents...probably several hundred thousand documents.
I used Genie Backup Manager Pro 8 to backup several folders as a full backup every 10 days and in between that time, incremental backups of changed files. The GBM backup files are from 12-31-2009 through 1-10-2010. These were on an external hard drive.
When the hard disk started to act funky (would not boot and gave a message of missing bootmgr, sometimes BIOS would not show that the hard drive was connected), I tried using the Vista disk repair to repair the booting problems, tried to restore to previous time, etc. The hard drive continued to fail with booting, though I could get into Safe Mode about 45% of the times I tried. I thought it was Vista, so I purchased Windows 7 and installed it on the hard drive. Eventually, I started getting the same problems with the hard drive not booting, so I installed Windows 7 on a different hard drive and connected the bad hard drive as an external SATA hard drive...in case I needed to try and recover files from it. It was at this point that I found out that the backups did not contain a .GBP file, which is apparently needed for restoration with GBM.
I renamed the backup jobs extensions from .C000, .C001, etc. to .zip and extracted the files manually, but I seem to only get the files which were changed...not the full backup of all of the files.
I have an older file recovery software, FILERECOVERY Professional 3.2 and am trying to scan the bad hard disk for the deleted files, but the hard drive seems to be so slow in allowing the scan that the software shows it will take 109,794 minutes to finish scanning.
What can I do to get the files from the seemingly broken hard drive? Is there a way to fix the hard drive (I used check disk on it a few times, but it would hang after a few hours of running)? Is there any free or low-cost software or service which might be able to help me?
Thank you,
edsager
I am devastated about what has happened over the last few days.
I started getting Error Code 7 in Windows Vista for the System Hard drive, which also housed all my documents...10's of thousands of documents...probably several hundred thousand documents.
I used Genie Backup Manager Pro 8 to backup several folders as a full backup every 10 days and in between that time, incremental backups of changed files. The GBM backup files are from 12-31-2009 through 1-10-2010. These were on an external hard drive.
When the hard disk started to act funky (would not boot and gave a message of missing bootmgr, sometimes BIOS would not show that the hard drive was connected), I tried using the Vista disk repair to repair the booting problems, tried to restore to previous time, etc. The hard drive continued to fail with booting, though I could get into Safe Mode about 45% of the times I tried. I thought it was Vista, so I purchased Windows 7 and installed it on the hard drive. Eventually, I started getting the same problems with the hard drive not booting, so I installed Windows 7 on a different hard drive and connected the bad hard drive as an external SATA hard drive...in case I needed to try and recover files from it. It was at this point that I found out that the backups did not contain a .GBP file, which is apparently needed for restoration with GBM.
I renamed the backup jobs extensions from .C000, .C001, etc. to .zip and extracted the files manually, but I seem to only get the files which were changed...not the full backup of all of the files.
I have an older file recovery software, FILERECOVERY Professional 3.2 and am trying to scan the bad hard disk for the deleted files, but the hard drive seems to be so slow in allowing the scan that the software shows it will take 109,794 minutes to finish scanning.
What can I do to get the files from the seemingly broken hard drive? Is there a way to fix the hard drive (I used check disk on it a few times, but it would hang after a few hours of running)? Is there any free or low-cost software or service which might be able to help me?
Thank you,
edsager
ASKER
Oy. What were the wrong techniques? I did the repair attempts before I noticed the Error Codes. What would have been the better course of action?
Thank you,
edsager
Thank you,
edsager
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Try mounting the drive internally. I'm not quite sure how you've mounted it externally unless you've run a connection direct from motherboard. If you've done something like that then ignore the suggestion.
Try GetDataBack http://www.runtime.org/ Free to try. If it sees the missing files you pay for full functionality.
That is probably a better util than File Professional.
Try GetDataBack http://www.runtime.org/ Free to try. If it sees the missing files you pay for full functionality.
That is probably a better util than File Professional.
GDB is very good on recovery but you can try other tools also. For example R-STUDIO: http://www.data-recovery-software.net/
Or Recuva www.recuva.com
If these fail then your option is professional recovery shop.
Or Recuva www.recuva.com
If these fail then your option is professional recovery shop.
If the hard drive will not boot corectly that maybe just a problem with windows but if the hard drive itself is ok try slaving it to another computer it will run without windows. Then copy over your files to the new system hard drive.
Make sure it has a large hard drive.
Or connect it to an external USB case and then slave it
If an ide use the DVD rom ide and power on another system
Data Recovery Tutorial: How to Slave a Hard Drive ( ide) as Sata cannot be slaved
http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2007/04/23/how-to-slave-hard-drive/
If a sata
find another system with 2 sata connections and connect yours to one and copy the files over to other hard drive
Otherwise try a Knoppix live CD
Free and Open Source Live Linux CD. Knoppix is a GNU/Linux distribution that boots and runs completely from CD or DVD and can be used to read and write Windows and other partitions
http://www.knoppix.net/
If you get your files back, Learn valuable lesson never store your stuff on a system drive, always use external USB drive to keep as a backup. if your windows fails or a virus destroys it all maybe lost
cheers
Make sure it has a large hard drive.
Or connect it to an external USB case and then slave it
If an ide use the DVD rom ide and power on another system
Data Recovery Tutorial: How to Slave a Hard Drive ( ide) as Sata cannot be slaved
http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2007/04/23/how-to-slave-hard-drive/
If a sata
find another system with 2 sata connections and connect yours to one and copy the files over to other hard drive
Otherwise try a Knoppix live CD
Free and Open Source Live Linux CD. Knoppix is a GNU/Linux distribution that boots and runs completely from CD or DVD and can be used to read and write Windows and other partitions
http://www.knoppix.net/
If you get your files back, Learn valuable lesson never store your stuff on a system drive, always use external USB drive to keep as a backup. if your windows fails or a virus destroys it all maybe lost
cheers
ASKER
dlethe: I agree that diagnostics would have been the best way to go if I really thought the hard drive was the problem. However, I had similar problems when the hard drive was much newer and I did a clean install of Vista on it, after having Windows XP on it. Consequently, I thought it was Vista again rearing its slow, but visually appealing head.
Under the previous circumstances, it was suggested that I use the repair tools which came with the Vista DVD and those methods worked before...and sometimes they did not work, which, one time when it did not work, caused me to have to reinstall Vista. That was a couple of years ago. I figured that since the same procedures did not work this time, I would install Windows 7 and be done with the Vista frustrations.
I guess what I am asking is, how does one distinguish between hardware problems and OS + software problems? Is there some software which can be running in the background which will test the drive for potential failure?
The SMART diagnostics indicated the drive was healthy and only recently did the Checkdisk utility start showing errors when I used it (recent = within last week). I thought Checkdisk was going to fix the problems.
I do appreciate your advice and I am wondering how this can be avoided or at least minimized in the future.
dbrunton: I mounted the hard drive externally to the case by connecting it to external SATA data/power connectors on the back of the case. I am a little afraid to try the recovery software you mentioned because I do not want to write any more to the disk or cause more physical damage to the disk.
noxcho: Thank you for your suggestions. I had already tried Recuva and it could not read the hard drive, giving me an I/O error.
Merete: The drive is a SATA and when I connect it to the external SATA data/power connectors, it is listed as a slave (when it is recognized at all).
Thank you for the tutorial.
How would using Knoppix help? Is there Linux software which can recover the deleted files?
As far as not putting my data on the system drive, I have always had backups on other drives (almost always external HDDs) and this time, not only did the hard drive fail, but so did my backup software. I wonder what the odds are of that occurring.
To All: Thank you for your assistance.
Unless there is an option which will not make the recovery of the files harder by professionals if my efforts fail, I think I will go with the professional recovery option.
Thank you,
edsager
Under the previous circumstances, it was suggested that I use the repair tools which came with the Vista DVD and those methods worked before...and sometimes they did not work, which, one time when it did not work, caused me to have to reinstall Vista. That was a couple of years ago. I figured that since the same procedures did not work this time, I would install Windows 7 and be done with the Vista frustrations.
I guess what I am asking is, how does one distinguish between hardware problems and OS + software problems? Is there some software which can be running in the background which will test the drive for potential failure?
The SMART diagnostics indicated the drive was healthy and only recently did the Checkdisk utility start showing errors when I used it (recent = within last week). I thought Checkdisk was going to fix the problems.
I do appreciate your advice and I am wondering how this can be avoided or at least minimized in the future.
dbrunton: I mounted the hard drive externally to the case by connecting it to external SATA data/power connectors on the back of the case. I am a little afraid to try the recovery software you mentioned because I do not want to write any more to the disk or cause more physical damage to the disk.
noxcho: Thank you for your suggestions. I had already tried Recuva and it could not read the hard drive, giving me an I/O error.
Merete: The drive is a SATA and when I connect it to the external SATA data/power connectors, it is listed as a slave (when it is recognized at all).
Thank you for the tutorial.
How would using Knoppix help? Is there Linux software which can recover the deleted files?
As far as not putting my data on the system drive, I have always had backups on other drives (almost always external HDDs) and this time, not only did the hard drive fail, but so did my backup software. I wonder what the odds are of that occurring.
To All: Thank you for your assistance.
Unless there is an option which will not make the recovery of the files harder by professionals if my efforts fail, I think I will go with the professional recovery option.
Thank you,
edsager
Edsager
If you can access it while slaved check the recycle bin, you must know once deleted and the bin emptied they are gone and then you require special software to reclaim deleted files/
If you installed another OS over the previous you may be able to restore some personal files if the OS was an upgrade path. othersie
I'd cut my losses at that stage.
Experience is the best teacher, hinsight is great but to prevent this from happening you can now draw on your experience otherwise if in doubt don't is the great rule of thumb.
Ask before you try.
If the hard drive is failing forget it.
how does one distinguish between hardware problems and OS + software problems?
process of elimination, look to the time it started and think about what you may have contributed to it.. added to the system,
scan for malware, defrag chkdsk look for windows errors.
However usually hardware problems will produce no boot dead in the water so to speak, listen to the sounds your system makes. if the drive spins
OS problems you should have a post boot and the option to access safemode and look around.
software problems~> you should have post boot and safemode access to look around
check events and look for problem devices in device manager.
That's about all I do.
I become familiar with my system and never do things blindly.
regards M
If you can access it while slaved check the recycle bin, you must know once deleted and the bin emptied they are gone and then you require special software to reclaim deleted files/
If you installed another OS over the previous you may be able to restore some personal files if the OS was an upgrade path. othersie
I'd cut my losses at that stage.
Experience is the best teacher, hinsight is great but to prevent this from happening you can now draw on your experience otherwise if in doubt don't is the great rule of thumb.
Ask before you try.
If the hard drive is failing forget it.
how does one distinguish between hardware problems and OS + software problems?
process of elimination, look to the time it started and think about what you may have contributed to it.. added to the system,
scan for malware, defrag chkdsk look for windows errors.
However usually hardware problems will produce no boot dead in the water so to speak, listen to the sounds your system makes. if the drive spins
OS problems you should have a post boot and the option to access safemode and look around.
software problems~> you should have post boot and safemode access to look around
check events and look for problem devices in device manager.
That's about all I do.
I become familiar with my system and never do things blindly.
regards M
My short answer on SMART diagnostics is that S.M.A.R.T. is by no means a diagnostic. It is a predictive failure mechanism. It does NOT do a media scan, nor does it detect bad blocks that the disk drive hasn't specifically tried to read. It does not perform any sort of self test.
If you need real diagnostics, gotta get a software product designed to do diagnostics. I am biased towards smartmon-ux, but it costs money. You get what you pay for.
If you need real diagnostics, gotta get a software product designed to do diagnostics. I am biased towards smartmon-ux, but it costs money. You get what you pay for.
ASKER
I tried GetDataBack, without any success, so I must go the route of professional recovery.
Thank you for your suggestions,
edsager
Thank you for your suggestions,
edsager
Yeah, you should have done this earlier.
you have media failure, and made it worse by attempting the wrong techniques to recover.
shut disk down.now send it off. you are just going to make it worse