help

You need to test with the HDD Makers Testing Utility available here

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

To download the correct Testing Utility just click on the Makers Name. If the drive fails this test you need to retest it but in a different working computer so remove the drive and test again in a different computer. If it still fails you have a bad HDD but if it passes now it is either the M'Board, Data Lead or Power Supply that is faulty in the original computer.

As for recovering the Data Yes this is possible even on a completely Dead HDD provided that the Coating on the Platters is intact and hasn't been scrapped off you can recover the data but it's not going to be cheap.

If this is [b]Important Data[/b] you need to send the Drive to a Professional Data Recovery Service like On Track

http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com/data-recovery-services/

But if the drive is working and you have access to either another working computer or USB Enclosure that this can be fitted to and a Desktop Computer and the Data [b]Is Not[/b] Important only Nice to have back you can attack it with one of the Software Applications here if you can not simply copy it off the Drive.

All you need do is run one of the Many Data Recovery Programs preferably one that Rebuilds the Partition Information.

Here is a short list of the better ones but it is by no means a complete list of all the available software.

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 for 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.

To use one of these the Drive needs to be working and you should fit it to a External USB Enclosure suitable for that Drive type and be able to leave it running while the Recovery is done. You also never write anything to this Drive you need to write any Recovered Data to another Drive to prevent overwriting any Data you are trying to recover.

Col