Hard Disk Problem

Recover the hard-disk by a recovering programme or replace the HDD

Try using the same Harddisk with another system. You may be able to recover it. Check for the cable (replace the cable) as it may be one of the reasons why your BIOS is not able to read the HDD. Also leave the BIOS setting of HDD as Auto instead of the actual settings. So that it will be able to check out. HOpe the above would help you to recover. Last but not the least use a recovery program.

Unfortunately, if your hard disk is not even recognized by BIOS, you can't use any recovery or hard disk test programs.

However, I'd first suggest that you re-connect the power to the drive and perhaps even replace the IDE cable (or whatever typeof cable is used). It's easy to have either a defective cable and/or bad connections. Be sure to at least remove and re-connect BOTH ends of the IDE cable.

Also, does the disk spin up when you turn on the power? Disks that have really gone badfrequently will make some odd noises. If you haven't heard weird noises (grinding, constant seeking of the heads in the disk, or whatever), then your disk may still be good or at least readable.

If the above suggestions don't work, if you have access to another computer, try disconnecting the hard drive in that other computer and connecting your hard drive to see if it is recognized in that computer. (You don't have to mount the drive, just connect the power and drive connectors to your drive temporarily.)

If none of the above suggestions work, then your drive appears to be truly dead and everything on it gone.

One other idea, is to check the jumper settings on the drive.
Some have specific jumper requirements for use as a single drive.
For instance, most Western Digital drives will not be recognized if they are a single drive on the channel, and the jumper is set to master.

TechRepublic ran a article a while back that you may want to reference Titled 200 ways to revive a hard drive,search for it and it may have something that may be of help
One option that you may try is install the drive in another machine as a slaveand extract the data from the drive.

If you have added other IDE devices that conflict (2 master devices) they might not be recognized by BIOS, if this is the case try removing the device you added.

do one or more of the following:

a) open up your case and make sure the cable is plugged into your hard drive correctly.
b) Plug the cable into your hard drive differently
c) set the hard drive to "master" mode
d) replace the cable
e) re-scanthe drive using bios
f) manually enter in the drive settings into the bios.

This question was closed by the author

Thanks for all the help everyone. I've already done all that has been mentioned, but I was wondering if I had forgotten any thing.

I think the drive is truly dead.

Michael