Hard Drive not Visible
HP Laptop w/SATA Hard Drive. Windows 7 Home Premium.
System won't boot, hangs at splash screen.
Same if using Windows 7 DVD.
So, can't use live DVD command prompt for chkdsk, etc.
And, can't re-install Windows.
And, can't get a clone/image.
Using HDDRegenerator live CD, boots and runs. Sees HD. Finds multiple bad sectors which are unfixable.
Finds others that are fixed.
Using Knoppix live DVD, I can see the drive and its contents.
Using another computer (Windows 10), the HD is barely visible; it only gets drive letters for its two partitions. But Storage management won't open and show the list of drives when this drive is connected. Can't open the drive with command prompt. It hangs when the drive letter is given. And, sometimes this computer won't boot if this drive is connected (via SATA).
I've *never* seen anything like this. My ultimate objective would be to get the drive to boot at least and even lacking that to make an image.
System won't boot, hangs at splash screen.
Same if using Windows 7 DVD.
So, can't use live DVD command prompt for chkdsk, etc.
And, can't re-install Windows.
And, can't get a clone/image.
Using HDDRegenerator live CD, boots and runs. Sees HD. Finds multiple bad sectors which are unfixable.
Finds others that are fixed.
Using Knoppix live DVD, I can see the drive and its contents.
Using another computer (Windows 10), the HD is barely visible; it only gets drive letters for its two partitions. But Storage management won't open and show the list of drives when this drive is connected. Can't open the drive with command prompt. It hangs when the drive letter is given. And, sometimes this computer won't boot if this drive is connected (via SATA).
I've *never* seen anything like this. My ultimate objective would be to get the drive to boot at least and even lacking that to make an image.
SOLUTION
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McKnife
That's what defective drives look like. Seen this kind of behavior multiple times, always defective drives.
ASKER
I really have no doubt this is a defective drive.
I'll try Clonezilla next.
My experience with "mostly readable" drives is that, if a clone can be made, then they work. My working hypothesis is that any critical area on the drive is way smaller than the drive (as are the bad spots) and the probability that the bad spots overlap the critical spots is pretty small. One may have to reinstall an app now and then or a data file but this is rare. Of course, the worst case is that it *won't* work.
I'll try Clonezilla next.
My experience with "mostly readable" drives is that, if a clone can be made, then they work. My working hypothesis is that any critical area on the drive is way smaller than the drive (as are the bad spots) and the probability that the bad spots overlap the critical spots is pretty small. One may have to reinstall an app now and then or a data file but this is rare. Of course, the worst case is that it *won't* work.
ASKER
Nothing worked. Clonezilla at least was communicative with it / about it. Said that it was awaiting a file check (a chkdsk flag?). With no way to run chkdsk, this rather left Clonezilla out of the picture.
Fortunately, I'd backed up the data first and it appears likely could still do that.
But running this drive in any computer / OS seems either:
1) impossible (there are many cases of this).
2) limited to copying data
Yet, I'm not sure that bad sectors will prevent making an image. As I recall, errors of that type can be ignored in many of the imaging programs. Still *something* is preventing it. And, I wonder why it's worse on Windows machines / boots? None of the Windows-based live CDs seemed to like this HD.
But the Linux ones at least can see it.... ? And, I couldn't add it to a Windows machine and see it effectively.
Fortunately, I'd backed up the data first and it appears likely could still do that.
But running this drive in any computer / OS seems either:
1) impossible (there are many cases of this).
2) limited to copying data
Yet, I'm not sure that bad sectors will prevent making an image. As I recall, errors of that type can be ignored in many of the imaging programs. Still *something* is preventing it. And, I wonder why it's worse on Windows machines / boots? None of the Windows-based live CDs seemed to like this HD.
But the Linux ones at least can see it.... ? And, I couldn't add it to a Windows machine and see it effectively.
it is strange that you can't boot from a windows DVD - but ok from otherlive cd :
>>System won't boot, hangs at splash screen. Same if using Windows 7 DVD. <<
i f you have the data, you can make an image of the drive - then do a factory restore from the recovery partition to a new drive
what drive model is it - and what laptop model ?
i take it the drive is identified correct in the bios?
>>System won't boot, hangs at splash screen. Same if using Windows 7 DVD. <<
i f you have the data, you can make an image of the drive - then do a factory restore from the recovery partition to a new drive
what drive model is it - and what laptop model ?
i take it the drive is identified correct in the bios?
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ASKER
Presumably if one can see the data and copy it running a Linux live CD then the critical data structure is intact.
I have put the drive on another computer with a SATA connection.
That computer doesn't show the contents of the drive but sometimes gives it a drive letter.
Storage Management fails to show the disks when this one is connected.
But, I've not tried to image it in another computer with a Linux live CD like Clonezilla.
I have put the drive on another computer with a SATA connection.
That computer doesn't show the contents of the drive but sometimes gives it a drive letter.
Storage Management fails to show the disks when this one is connected.
But, I've not tried to image it in another computer with a Linux live CD like Clonezilla.
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if you can see the data - that's a good first start - but no warranty the rest is ok
>> That computer doesn't show the contents of the drive but sometimes gives it a drive letter << if it does not, can you give it a drive letter from disk manager?
>> That computer doesn't show the contents of the drive but sometimes gives it a drive letter << if it does not, can you give it a drive letter from disk manager?
ASKER
Disk Manager will not show any drives when this disk is connected via SATA to the computer.....
The drive is bad and its first sector area is damaged. If you don't need data from it then destroy it and buy a new drive.
i don't understand - you said it gave some times a drive letter?
then something must show up, no?
then something must show up, no?
ASKER
nobus: One would hope but that's not the case. In one case the drive letter was not assigned and the Disk Management wouldn't show any of the drives. In another case the drive letter was assigned but the drive could not be "opened" to show contents (Windows OS of course).
McKnife could likely explain as this sort of thing has been seen many times - surely not by me!
McKnife could likely explain as this sort of thing has been seen many times - surely not by me!
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ASKER
I should have mentioned that the first thing I did was pull off the data.
This question was intended to be about imaging and the odd results I was getting.
This question was intended to be about imaging and the odd results I was getting.
since HDDREG found many"unfixable" bad blocks - consider the drive bad
imaging won't help then, sorry- you need a new disk drive
imaging won't help then, sorry- you need a new disk drive
ASKER
nobus:
Of course the drive is bad....
There are many cases where cloning the hard drive onto a new one is a good approach. Thus the focus on being able to create an image. If one were not going to replace the hard drive then why image it (except as a backup)?
Experience suggests that cloning a "bad" hard drive is most often a productive endeavor. Yes, it's probabilistic but rarely do we see problems. Part of a good cloning process is to run chkdsk after cloning (and other things as may be advisable).
From best case to worst case:
1) No problems are found with the new hard drive whatsoever - once it's "clean" re: chkdsk, sfc, malware removal, etc. All of these should be done as a matter of course.
2) A program doesn't work properly and needs to be reinstalled. Or, a data file is corrupted and needs to be restored.
3) The OS is clearly damaged and needs to be restored / reinstalled. Data and app's as well.
If one is well-postured to start from scratch then by all means! My assumption is that this is *not* the case and I was working hard to get an image to work with. Thus this question.
But unfortunately, in this case that's what I had to do as the last resort.
Of course the drive is bad....
There are many cases where cloning the hard drive onto a new one is a good approach. Thus the focus on being able to create an image. If one were not going to replace the hard drive then why image it (except as a backup)?
Experience suggests that cloning a "bad" hard drive is most often a productive endeavor. Yes, it's probabilistic but rarely do we see problems. Part of a good cloning process is to run chkdsk after cloning (and other things as may be advisable).
From best case to worst case:
1) No problems are found with the new hard drive whatsoever - once it's "clean" re: chkdsk, sfc, malware removal, etc. All of these should be done as a matter of course.
2) A program doesn't work properly and needs to be reinstalled. Or, a data file is corrupted and needs to be restored.
3) The OS is clearly damaged and needs to be restored / reinstalled. Data and app's as well.
If one is well-postured to start from scratch then by all means! My assumption is that this is *not* the case and I was working hard to get an image to work with. Thus this question.
But unfortunately, in this case that's what I had to do as the last resort.
ASKER
Thanks all for addressing this rather strange set of circumstances / outcomes!
well - my experience is different with imaging bad drives