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Hard Disk Failure

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16 replies

by bkubai

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I have an Compaq Armada M700 whose harddisk I cannot access during boot-up. FDISK recognises the existing NTFS partition, but I get "invalid drive" message if I try to access from dos prompt. The OS on the harddisk is NT 4.0. What are my options fordata recovery?

16 replies

by atlas12

Try Partition Magic 5.0 or higher, Convert the NTFS partition to a Fat 16 0r 32 partition, boot with a Win98 bootdisk, see if the HD file are available to you then. Good Luck!!

by jwilczyn

The easiest way to recover data is to connect your HD to another system running WinNT/2000 (both are using NTFS). When your HD is recognised by the other computer, then you can try to copy data.
You cannot convert your HD from NTFS to FAT16/32.

by jwilczyn

You can try using the Partition Magic to convert NTFS-FAT16/32, but I wouldn?t risk it now. Rather try to boot using the ERD-Emergency Repair Disk or the NT setup disk.

by bkubai

This being a Compaq Armada notebook. I do not know any way of connecting the harddisk to another computer

by fenaikh

Hi
firat option:
NTFSDOS is a read only file system driver for DOS/Windows that is able to recognize and mount NTFS drives for transparent access. It makes NTFS drives appear indistinguishable from standard FAT drives, providing the ability to navigate, view and execute programs on them from DOS or from Windows, including from the Windows 3.1 File Manager and Windows 95 Explorer.

1- NTFSDOS
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/NTFSDOS.shtml

2- tools
http://www.winternals.com/

3- file system utilities
http://www.winternals.com/products/fct/

second option:
Visit ontrack.com to download atrial version of easy recovery to help you recover data.

http://www.ontrack.com/easyrecovery/

Good luck

Mohamed

by fenaikh

Hi
firat option:
NTFSDOS is a read only file system driver for DOS/Windows that is able to recognize and mount NTFS drives for transparent access. It makes NTFS drives appear indistinguishable from standard FAT drives, providing the ability to navigate, view and execute programs on them from DOS or from Windows, including from the Windows 3.1 File Manager and Windows 95 Explorer.

1- NTFSDOS
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/NTFSDOS.shtml

2- tools
http://www.winternals.com/

3- file system utilities
http://www.winternals.com/products/fct/

second option:
Visit ontrack.com to download atrial version of easy recovery to help you recover data.

http://www.ontrack.com/easyrecovery/

Good luck

Mohamed

by fenaikh

sorry for 2 answers the internet is so solow that i click 2 times to get my answer posted
some times.

by fenaikh

You can use the setup (installation) floppies. to boot and access your hard disk if it is accessable.

by jesselou

try to boot from your cd-rom drive if you have your windows nt 4.0 cd. then install the operating system in to different directory.if you are trying to access the ntfs partition by using win9x bootdisk invoke first the command sys C:

by yasirs

Hi,

DOS never reconises anything but plain FAT or FAT16 , or the newer win98 DOS ?? can reconise FAT32 , NTFS is a winNT 4.0 or win2000/XP file system cannot be read by DOS or its so may type of versions THANK GOD FOR winXP.

Now for the Question whats to do? Well well I think u should look for a Laptop ( As I recall Armada is a laptop ) hard disk converter to a 40 pin IDE converter which lets the hard disk be attached to a Desktop PC once in place then u can save the data of course to another PC with NTFS , use say ontrack software of the hard disk vendor to format harddisk if needed also use the over write Master boot record ability then reinstall winNT 4.0 keep the format as NTFS again then restore the needed of course documents back. Then other option about file utilities are nice too but then ARE THEY RELIABLE ? So your cheapest way of Data recovery is above other wise teh utilities its first time test the lost can be expensives , oh yeah u can take your laptop to a technologist if the harddisk crashed and they can shift the metal CD plate into a new Harddisk drive but that can cost u a FORTUNE.

Best of luck!!!

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