Recovering Information

The safest approach would be to first create a duplicate of that hard drive using either a hardware disk duplicator, or a package like Norton Ghost or Clonezilla.

The risk is that the use of various utilities could make things worse, and if there is a hardware problem, things could go from bad to worse very quickly.

Once a good clone/copy of the hard drive has been made, then some recovery efforts could be done on the known good hard drive using a data recovery utility.

The recovery utility that I've had the most luck with has been with a package called R-Studio. Cheap, no, effective, yes.

http://www.data-recovery-software.net/

In your case I'm guessing that either the partition table was damaged, the file allocation table was damaged.

While it's possible that these files were just deleted, that typically does not happen as a result of the PC failure.

Also it depends on what was being used on the failed unit as to how you proceed. For instance if you where using File Encryption don't do anything as you will most likely DESTROY the Encryption Key.

But first thing is to Take Owner Ship of the Files on the External HDD by following the directions here

http://tinyurl.com/3aw7

You should also Unhide Hidden Folders in the OS but depending on what you are using this changes with each OS.

If you Encrypted your Data you need to use the same version of Windows to read your Files as if you where using XP Pro on the Old and Vista on the New the New OS doesn't support the same Encryption Protocols so you can not Unencrypt the files under Vista.

Now to hardware you need to test the HDD for function with the Drive Makers Testing Utility failing that Seatools will surfice

http://tinyurl.com/yvq99t

As for Data Recovery Software this may or may not be of use to you depending on what is happening here and if there was any form of Encryption in use don't bother as recovering the Data Encrypted will not be of any use without the Encryption Key or a system that can mount thew Encryption Key & use it. If that is the case just take the Drive to a Data Recovery House and let them do their magic on it.

But if you are sure that the Data is readable and not showing up on a working HDD the following is a list of the more common Recovery Software but generally speaking you get what you pay for Ontrack's product works a treat but it's anything but cheap.

Here is a short list of the better ones

http://tinyurl.com/273ay5

http://tinyurl.com/rmvrv

http://tinyurl.com/yvrsl

http://tinyurl.com/yyk8cm

http://tinyurl.com/382vm

http://tinyurl.com/ynwnel

http://tinyurl.com/nc4kx

http://tinyurl.com/2wox7l

http://tinyurl.com/374d8b

http://tinyurl.com/djw6u

http://tinyurl.com/f73se

http://tinyurl.com/8bd3f

http://tinyurl.com/afu2j

While the last 2 are from the same company they are very different products. Win Hex should only be considered foe use by someone who knows Hex Inside Out while Davory is a great cheap General Purpose Application.

Personally I prefer the On Track Option but it's anything but cheap. However because I use this type of software a lot it's paid for itself many times over by now, for a cheaper option Spin Rite from Gibson Research or Stella have both very good reputations by other TR members.

Col