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Jeyanthi_India

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Harddisk problem

How can i retrieve the data from a hard disk which is not detected by the system?
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Jeyanthi_India

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System not detects hard disk., but able to detect other CD ROMs and other devices. System is able to detect a new hard disk.
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jhance

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If you're looking for a low-end one without the Serial ATA capability (which you don't need today) see:

http://www.promise.com/product/product_detail_eng.asp?productId=11&familyId=3
Sorry, IGNORE that last comment.  It was meant for a different question.....
ok

if you boot off of a windows boot disk and do a
"fdisk/status" and see what come up.
If you get the drive size and FAT type then you should beable to mount the drive using the windows startup disk.

If you have nothing at all, plug in the hdd to the power along with the IDE cable and listen to see if you han hear it spinning, also listen out for any noises, could have worn out bearings. If the drive is under warrenty then send it back to where you got it from, however a replacement does not sort out the problem.

You can open up the drive in a very clean fresh environment and if you put your finger on the center spindle and try to move it back and forward a little, don't touch the platter just the center spindle.

If there is a little tention and a squeek as you move the platter spindle then you may have a problem witht he bearings and the drive is not reaching the rpm it needs to function correctly,

hold the drive about 4 inches above a kitchen table and just drop it. The head should be ok because it will have parked to the side of the platter.

When you have done the deed of dropping the drive 4 inches
onto the kichen table move the spindle again and see if the squeek/tension is still there.

if its gone then screw back on the lid to the hdd and place the drive back into the caddy where its stable, fire her up, see if the bios picks up the drive in the boot sequence, and try to transfer your files via the hdd to floppy disks.

p.s. be careful that you  power down the drive and pc, disconnect everything totally before attempting to tackle the drives problems,

Bin the hdd and get a new one.

Motherboard
Please IGNORE the very bad advice just given if you have any hopes of recovering your data!!!  

If you open the drive in anything other than a Class 100 or better cleanroom, you have ruined it!

Any of these techniques will make a potential data recovery MUCH MORE DIFFICULT or IMPOSSIBLE!!!
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The dropping technique above is used for hard disks that ARE recognised by the system but don't start up.  And that are not opened up.

This is a last resort method for getting stuck hard disks going again.  But only used on hard disks that ARE recognised by the system.
I agree with jhance! Never open a HDD if you're not experienced! My best advice would be to send it to a data recovery service technician, well thats after you're positively sure that you're out of options.  Just take jhance advice, that should be enough troubleshooting.
It may just be a simple case of IDE cable being stuffed or jumper misconfiguration.

Try out a new IDE ribbon cable first.

Also, some harddrives have issues with other harddrives/IDE devices if they are set to a setting that another "must" have to operate.  I would try changing the device jumpers (on the same IDE channel of course) from slave, master and cable select.

I would try the HDD by itself with the jumper set to master.  If this does not work, try cable-select.  If you still have nothing try no jumper at all, and if you still cannot detect it, then it is more than likely that the HDD itself is stuffed.  Hope this isn't the case...
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