No boot device found/available error message- Hard drive, Windows, or Trojan?

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Don Thomson

An old trick we still use is to put the Drive in a zip lock bag and put it in the freezer overnight.

You can try cloning it but if it's clicking sounds like a damaged

If you can see it - there are some very good recovery programs that can get your data back even after a format.

ASKER

Bill - how loud should the clicking be and how much head movement when it boots?

jcmarron - she has backed up some data but of course she wants to recover all. Torn up about Outlook mail

dbrunton - I made the boot cd, ran the HD Diagnostics "Disk Info" on my laptop to test it out and it's just sitting after the list of unpacks, how do I get out of this program? Also I don't see a hd diag for a Toshiba hard drive......

DTH - too cold for me but will clone if possible

jcimarron

SamK04--
"of course she wants to recover all"
Forgive me I have not re-read your initial post. If a Repair Install can be done, it will not affect installed programs or personal data.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

ASKER

Yes but I haven't been able to see the disk but for a moment down the troubleshooting road.
How do I kill that Disk Info program with UBCD?

>> how do I get out of this program?

Reboot.

Use the IBM/Hitachi diagnostic.

ASKER

There's nothing but a flashing cursor after the unpack list shows up and I have no reply from the keyboard. All keys no reply. Should I do a hard shutdown with that program sitting open?

Yep. No problem.

ASKER

Well I got the ubcd in the sick Toshiba and when I run the IBM/Hitachi diag and it hangs at loading DFT....

what file did you download?, an UBCD**.iso? and you burned it with an iso buirning tool ?

look here for more info :
Hardware diagnostic CD UBCD

go to the download page, scroll down to the mirror section, and click on a mirror to start the download
Download the UBCD and make the cd <<==on a WORKING PC, and boot the problem PC from it
Here 2 links, one to the general site, and a direct link to the download

since the downloaded file is an ISO file, eg ubcd527.iso - so you need to use an ISO burning tool
if you don't have that software, install cdburnerXP : http://cdburnerxp.se/

If you want also the Ram tested - run memtest86+ at least 1 full pass, - you should have NO errors!

For disk Diagnostics run the disk diag for your disk brand (eg seagate diag for seagate drive) from the HDD section - long or advanced diag ! (runs at least for30 minutes)

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ ultimate boot cd
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html download page

** you can make a bootable cd - or bootable usb stick

Try the Powermax one next. One of them is version 4.09 and one is 4.23

Try the version 4.09 which is supposed to be generic and handle a range of disks.

The IBM\HItachi is supposed to handle Toshiba as well but seems to have not liked your disk.

Bill Shaffer

I don't know why you're really considering running diagnostics or other checking utilities on the hard drive.

1 - clicking noise
2 - not showing up in bios at one point or reporting incorrect size
3 - several sources reporting I/O errors, even on other machines

Any one of these problems should take you into stop what you're doing and look into data recovery phase. You're going to end up costing the client even more money on the inevitable data recovery.

Forget Windows repair. You don't want to use a proven unreliable HD anyways, and even if you -could- salvage a Windows repair sticking a client with a unreliable HD is a sure fire way to lose a client.

Forget about the virus. It's just coincidence. You'll be able to easily block/remove the virus files on the transfer of the data anyways.

This is one of those cases where if you are in over your head on data recovery, you need to explain it to them that this is beyond your level of expertise and it has to go offsite. There is no shame in doing that, and you'll actually look like a -better- technician by doing so.

When it comes to data recovery, I basically put it to people like this; here's the companies that do data recovery, realistically speaking you're looking at at least a couple hundred dollars, is your data worth that to proceed and get a quote? Right there some people will stop you and say the data isn't worth the money. Now you're in the situation where you've established an expectation and proceed to quotes, or they decline the service and you just look towards getting them into a working PC.

This is also the perfect time to explain to them why they are in this situation if there is no backup and how you can teach them to get better about that.

this can indicate motherboard problems >> I setup a USB with Ubuntu Desktop to boot from, tested it on my laptop, and it booted fine and I could see my folders. I tried it on the sick Toshiba and it hung with a dull white screen <<

what i would try - is to hook the original toshiba drive to a working PC, and start disk management
then look if the restore partition is there; if so - copy it to a new disk drive, and restore the toshiba from it

Here's how :, turn off the power, hold the zero (0) key and turn on the power - then release the zero key when you see the recovery program loaded and follow screen

ASKER

nobus - I got the cd burned ok, I just right-clicked on it after download and chose "burn disc image".......I already tried it in a working pc also but same "no boot device" message

dbrunton - Thanks, I tried both diags you suggested and they both come back with "Primary Master no device found"

Bill - I had to run some diagnostics, even though it doesn't look good. All I want off this drive is the data if possible, we have a 2 new drives available and recovery software ordered. The drive still spins, if it's something mechanical inside, I'm willing to pursue further to at least narrow it down, they're aware if it's physical it's dangerous. I told them data recovery could get expensive. They backed stuff to the USB stick every so often, but just couldn't get it all before the crash.

At this stage I'd say it's time for the data recovery specialists.

I wouldn't try the freezer bag trick as it seems to have stopped being recognized by the BIOS.

>> already tried it in a working pc also but same "no boot device" message << if the cd does not work in a good PC - you clearly did something wrong, or have a bad download
you can remake one -follow my guide above

in the meantime, look in the bios if the disk is seen correct

ASKER

nobus - I'm sorry, I mean the sick hard drive gave the same "no boot device" message when I tried to plug it into another 2nd working Toshiba with Vista

I got the ubcd disk going and tested a couple of small utilities on my laptop. When I tried the disk in the sick Toshiba it could test the mem and others, but it didn't detect a device with the IBM/Hitachi utility or the two Powermax utilities.

sam - that's normal, since the problem is ON THE DISK
on the other hand - it is a bad practice to boot from a disk - coming from another PC or system
you should hook it up as 2nd drive

if the disk is not seen with the UBCD -then look in the bios if it sees the drive
if it does not see it, test with a known good drive if it sees that one!

ASKER

Unfortunately I don't have the setup to connect it as a second drive. The bios still doesn't see it and neither did the ubcd boot disc. The good test drive with Vista eventually booted out of the Startup Repair.....

>> . The bios still doesn't see it << on both systems?
if you don't have another pc to connect it to - look for a friend who has one where 2 drives can be connected, or use an usb adapter

ASKER

Ended up with new WD 500gb HD and recovery discs, setup Win7, updated and copied what saved data there was. Will split points, thanks to all, and ask one more question - are there hard drive utilities to test the components?