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Extracting data from a dead hard drive *Please Help*

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by wirelesscop

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Hello Everyone,

I was hoping that someone might be able to help me with some problems I have been having with my Dell Inspiron 8200 Laptop.

I have had the unit for a few years now with minor issues here and there. A few months ago, I kept getting the "Blue Screen of Death" over and over and over again, when I turned the unit on. I forget how I actually got past that. I think I did a "repair" on the partition.

Anyway... Last night I left my laptop on...like most nights... When I went to use the unit, I saw that it had apparently re-booted itself on its own. On the screen was the following:

"PRIMARY HARD DISK DRIVE NOT FOUND
FIXED OPTICAL DRIVE NOT FOUND

NO BOOTABLE DEVICES--STRIKE F1 TO RETRY BOOT, F2 FOR SETUP UTILITY."

When I hit F1...the same screen keeps popping up over and over again.

I don't mind replacing the HD, BUT there is still some information that I would really like to get off my HD that is still in the 8200.

I guess my question has a few parts...

First, is there a way to retrieve the information from the drive?

Second...WHAT IS GOING ON with the unit? Is there a way to recover it?

Third... Is their a way, IF the HD is completely dead, that I can dissassemble the HD and "transplant" the (platters) into another, new HD so I can retrieve the data that way?

P.S. I already tried the "freezer technique" and it didn't work.

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks!

5 replies

by jdclyde

Those that HAVE lost data, and those that WILL lose data.

No backups of your data? At this point your pretty much toast.

I have seen where people have made an adapter cable so they could plug a laptop HD into a desktop system as a slave to try to copy data off. If it isn't even being recognized then it probably isn't even spinning up.

There are places that can extract this, but you are talking major cash.

NOTE about the freezer technique. It says to do that as a last resort because that will finish off a bad hard drive in most cases.

Sorry this isn't what you wanted to hear....

by stress junkie

I read an article on another site about your problem. They only offered two solutions. The freezer technique was one. I hadn't heard of that before reading your question. Interesting coincidence that I then read about it the same day at another site.

Anyway, the second solution in that article is what jdclyde suggested about connecting an adapter to the notebook hard drive and trying to read it in a full sized computer. Presumably you don't have numerous notebook computers.

You can purchase an adapter for this at the following business site:

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=906&sku=17705

I have nothing to do with this business. I rarely would recommend a particular business but since this adapter is pretty hard to find I figured I'd put a source for it in this discussion.

And, as jdclyde said, try to make a habit of backing up your data.

by jdclyde

I have done business with them when I needed some custom cables made. The first one was wrong so they sent a second one at no charge. It was a complex cable.

I never thought to look for this here, and will have to order one now that I have the link! Thanks! The one I saw was home made.

by anykey???

try replacing the logic board,could be that there is a problem there.
If you dont want to spend the big bucks on professional data recovery,give this a shot.

Connect the drive up to a desktop as a secondary drive, leave it lay outside the machine so that you can get to it and carefully open the drive, boot the desktop on the primary drive once the machine gets started and the old drive is not spinning gently give it a spin to help it get started, if this process works
BACK UP YOUR INFO!!! and trash the drive.

Level what ever clean room, professional data recovery. blah blah blah.

If the drive is junk you can't make it any more junk so what the hell open it up and give it a whirl.

I have personally seen this work, just don't try it with mission critical info, leave that to the pros.

by eteller

yeah, that's an obscure cable, but exactly what you need for this. I think you can get one at a Fry's Electronics, if you have one in your state. That's where my buddy got his. I also agree with the last post... if it's trash, what's the problem with risking more injury? As Bill Cosby said, "If you aren't careful, you might just learn something."

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