Failed Hard Drive

[beans101]

Good Morning all,

Would really appreciate some help on this please. After using a very old PC for some time I finally decided to buy new desktop PC to make work more efficient. I bought the individual parts separately and when I had everything I arranged for a local pc repair shop to build it for me due to my lack of experience, risk etc in this area.

The old PC featured 2 SATA HDDs and I planned to transfer all data onto the new pc which 2 SSDs. Unfortunately, only 1 of the HDD is still functioning correctly and this transfer worked. For the second HDD, when it is connected to the PC it makes it does not function and attempts to boot from it on the old PC do not work - at times it makes a bleeping sound. The PC shop was unable to read files from their workstation also. I realise how significant mistake I have made in not backing up this drive, but I really do want to somehow get the data on this drive as the information is very important to me for work and personal. The local pc shop could not help further but they advised I look into professional firms who may be able to help. I am really just trying to find out what are my main options and what is most sensible in my situation as there is so much information online and hard to discern what is safe and reliable. Thanks in advance

 

[KompuKare]

There are of course good reasons why professional data recovery is so expensive.
You have to balance that with how valuable the data is for you.
If the data is very valuable, I think you just have to take it to a professional.
My thinking is that a failing or failed drive, each time you turn it on - never mind try to read from it - could be the last time.
Because of this, it is easy to make things worse.
Having said all that, if the data isn't as valuable to you to be willing to spend £hundreds+ handing it over to a professional data recovery place, and are willing to risk DIY, there are approaches which might help.

1. But a new good drive at least as big as the old one.
2. Make a sector by sector image of the drive ignoring errors.
3. If the drive never showed up at POST, it may be possible that a live Linux aimed at data recovery can see the drive.

Anyway, that is the minimum of you want to try it yourself.
It is extremely risky and may make any future attempt by a data recovery expert impossible.
In other words: you can make things worse!
Even with professionals, the data night be gone, and I'm not sure how charges work with them. One trick they may do is to buy or have your exact make, model, and revision to be able to swap the controller but I'm sure approaches like are expensive and even then there's no guarantee.
Good luck, and remember kids: back up your data!

 

[Tanin'iver]

I'm sure some people will recommend you try this or that recovery software to try to read the drive, and normally that would be my advice too.

If your local PC shop already looked at it and couldn't help though, it's likely they already tried that - could you ask them if they did?

Assuming they have, then yes professional data recovery firms will be your only option, and yes they are expensive.

 

[beans101]

There are of course good reasons why professional data recovery is so expensive.
You have to balance that with how valuable the data is for you.
If the data is very valuable, I think you just have to take it to a professional.
My thinking is that a failing or failed drive, each time you turn it on - never mind try to read from it - could be the last time.
Because of this, it is easy to make things worse.
Having said all that, if the data isn't as valuable to you to be willing to spend £hundreds+ handing it over to a professional data recovery place, and are willing to risk DIY, there are approaches which might help.

1. But a new good drive at least as big as the old one.
2. Make a sector by sector image of the drive ignoring errors.
3. If the drive never showed up at POST, it may be possible that a live Linux aimed at data recovery can see the drive.

Anyway, that is the minimum of you want to try it yourself.
It is extremely risky and may make any future attempt by a data recovery expert impossible.
In other words: you can make things worse!
Even with professionals, the data night be gone, and I'm not sure how charges work with them. One trick they may do is to buy or have your exact make, model, and revision to be able to swap the controller but I'm sure approaches like are expensive and even then there's no guarantee.
Good luck, and remember kids: back up your data!

Unfortunately, I don't think I can let it go so have resigned myself to accepting I may have to pay up. Thank you very much for imparting the advice

 

[beans101]

I'm sure some people will recommend you try this or that recovery software to try to read the drive, and normally that would be my advice too.

If your local PC shop already looked at it and couldn't help though, it's likely they already tried that - could you ask them if they did?

Assuming they have, then yes professional data recovery firms will be your only option, and yes they are expensive.

I did ask and they offer it but admit it comes with high risk and it is not their forte. Accepted it will cost a pretty penny to go professional route. Thanks very much

 

[JasonM]

One option that might work.

Find an identical working drive, then swap the electrics board with your existing drive.

You have to hope it's the electronics side that's failed, and not the physical side. If it's the electronics side failed, then doing the above should get your old drive working again.