Bootable USB hard drive diagnostics

Hi

I've got a bit of an issue... I have a laptop that won't boot to Windows (Vista... I know), and the optical drive doesn't work properly. I don't have an external optical drive, so I'm wondering if it's possible to make a bootable USB with a hard drive diagnostics on it.

Also, while I'm at it... what's the best diagnostic to use for a Toshiba SATA drive (2.5")? I simply have a suspicion that the hard drive on this laptop could need replacing, and honestly that's one of the cheapest parts on a laptop to replace. I'm hoping a reinstall of the OS will work, but I'd like to test the hard drive first.

I've heard of UBCD on a bootable USB drive, that has a hard drive diagnostic, but am wondering if anyone has experience with it, or has another recommendation. Thanks!

 

Alright, update to the situation:

I'm using a bootable USB with Linux Mint on it, and have successfully loaded Mint on the laptop. However, while able to access the Recovery partition of the HDD, I'm unable to access the System partitions of the HDD. Error message:

Unable to mount location. DBus error org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NoReply: Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.

Are my suspicions that the hard drive could be bad/going bad correct?

 

Hello,
Toshiba bought out Fujitsu awhile back and on Toshiba's website they list the same Fujitsu DOS diagnostics v7 that is on the UBCD. I have used UBCD but have not used the hard drive diagnostics. You can create a bootable USB either by using this method or by using Unetbootin.

Another person had the same problem with mounting his hard drive which he thought was starting to fail. See post #4

http://forums.cnet.com/7723-7591_102-395119.html

 

Thanks for that info. I just got the bootable USB UBCD up on the laptop, and don't see a Toshiba or Fujitsu drive diagnostic utility listed.

I guess I'll try a universal drive diagnostic utility first... unfortunately, the laptop belongs to a friend of mine and has pictures and etc. he really doesn't want to lose. I didn't realize the hard drive could even have an issue until I started trying to work with the computer.

 

In the UBCD it is listed as ATA Diagnostic Tool. Says on Toshiba's website that it also works for SATA

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

 

Okay, that's the tool I'm trying to use. Only problem is, I'm not sure I know what I'm doing... I've never used UBCD before (never had to, heh).

Once I select the ATA Diagnostic Tool, I'm offered different boot options... no matter which I select, I get a "UBCD: Error!!! missing fjdt.bat (check CD)" after the scrolling. I downloaded UBCD as a torrent with completed hash check, and used Universal USB Installer 1.8.1.9 to put it on the thumbdrive (which supports the UBCD version I downloaded specifically).

Getting into unknown territory.

EDIT: Re-made the USB stick, same error.

 

That looks like a bat file that UBCD uses to launch the DOS diagnostics. The actually DOS utility is here. There is a readme file in the zip that explains the utility. You may want to try the UNetbootin method. Are you using v5.0.3 of UBCD?

 

Yes, that's the UBCD version I'm using. I figured that file had something to do with the utility, since the utility never launched.

I'll try the UNetbootin method, thanks.

Meanwhile, I was able to get something else on the UBCD to work (HDD>Data Recovery, not sure but it's a Linux GUI with Hostname: PartedMagic). It won't let me into the C:\ partition either. It's an HP laptop... and the recovery partition is 250GB (half of the HDD), but only contains the factory settings for the computer... I only hate HP computers more and more each day.

EDIT: So far, I'm liking UNetbootin better... doesn't act as if I'm an idiot, asking me a dozen times if I selected the correct drive. :-D

 

I just put the CD in my computer and scrolled down to the ATA diagnostics. I just let it boot by itself, not picking any boot mode, and the diagnostics came right up. When I get a chance, I will put it on a USB and see if I get the error.

Do you have access to a Vista recovery CD so you may be able to do a chkdsk /f ?

 

I tried that as well, and got the same error. Hopefully UNetbootin will change that.

 

Same error after using UNetbootin to create the bootable USB UBCD.

I guess I'll play around with another universal diagnostic utility or two, and see if that works.

 

Another utility only saw the optical drive (and said it's broken... but I already knew that), and another utility has another missing .bat file error.

I guess I'll try UBCD4win or Hiren's...

 

Well, whatever. UBCD4win took awhile to download, as their mirrors are slow, and then ended up being corrupted. I had a copy of Hiren's, but it's not wanting to work well as a bootable USB.

 

Hi,

What was the original Vista error when trying to boot the laptop?



(I put the fujitsu file on a USB and was able to get it to run. I can put up a zip of the utility on mediafire to see if it works for you.)

 

Hey sach2,

The original Vista error was the dreaded two option menu, one being Recovery. Neither option worked... it would eventually load the Recovery, but no input was recognized (you could select between the two options before it automatically selected Recovery, but couldn't do anything once IN Recovery).

I took the HDD out of the laptop and connected it as an external through USB to my desktop. I was wrong about the recovery partition being 250GB... it's actually 13GB. Either way, that's the only partition I can access. Disk Management (in Computer Management) shows the two partitions (220GB and 13GB), but the main system partition (220GB) just has that number in it. I right clicked it and selected Properties, and Disk Management wanted me to refresh... now it's Not Responding. The drive is done... the main partition finally showed up in my Explorer after several minutes and wants me to format it.

I think diagnostics are probably useless at this point... now it's a matter of trying to get those pictures. Would formatting that partition and then using data recovery software (obviously saving recovered files to a different media) be a viable option? I know he doesn't have the money to use a professional data recovery service.

EDIT: Disk Management now shows the system partition as RAW Healthy (Active Primary Partition). Yikes.

 

Actually, we'll see how this works.

I grabbed iCare Data Recovery Software as a freebie a few months ago... haven't had to use it yet. I figured, why not see if it works?

It has a "recover lost partition" option, so I tried it on the drive... it's finding stuff. Now let's see if it can get it back. I'm guessing it will take awhile.

EDIT: And tgell, thanks for your help thus far. I didn't notice your edit until just now... I have a Vista install disk, if that's what you mean... but remember, CDs/DVDs are useless with this laptop, as it's optical drive is inop. I'm having bad bootable USB luck tonight, too!

2ND EDIT: Holy........ estimated time left for iCare to finish a hopefully successful recovery.... guess. Over 33 hours. Heh. Now 40.

 

Don't let Windows Disk Management format the drive. Even though it says RAW. Other software may be able to work with the drive even if Windows Disk Management won't.

See what iCare Data Recovery might do. I'll take a look at it. I'm suspecting something wrong with the partition table but formatting the partition just adds a layer to recovering it.

****
Another program to look at might be Partition Wizard to see if you right click on the C: partition and click Explore if it can find any files. It probably will. Then it is a matter of which program to use to recover the partition.

 

Well, I haven't formatted the drive yet, as I know that recovery's better without messing with it. I just wasn't sure if the freeware recovery programs I have (i.e. Recuva) could work with RAW or not.

I'm letting iCare do its thing. The only thing I don't like is that it didn't give me the option to recover the data to a different drive... it's restoring the data on the original drive, AFAIK. If it's successful, obviously I'll immediately transfer the data.

EDIT: Thanks for mentioning Partition Wizard! I haven't heard of/used that program before. I'll definitely check it out. ICare is apparently feeling more confident, scaling its estimated time down to a mere 19 hours.

 

After reading up on iCare's website, it appears right now it's just scanning the drive, and will have options of recovering the files to different storage media after the scan is complete. That makes me feel much better.

 

After iCare runs and does its thing keep in mind:

It may be as simple as a chkdsk /r since the partition is showing up. I seem to recall that sometimes a chkdsk /r will make a RAW drive seeable again. I'm not certain that Windows will do a chkdsk on a RAW partition but I would take a look to see if that is an option. If the laptop's C: drive shows up as a drive letter in Computer then right-click and select Tools and check drive for errors, check mark both boxes and let it run.

I know Partition Wizard has a Check File System option when you highlight a partition. I think it is equivalent to a chkdsk but am not sure if it includes the /r or /f option to actually fix the file system if any errors are found. But that is an option if Windows won't perform a chkdsk on the drive.

I'll read up on iCare.

 

Okay, thanks for the tips. I'll be posting back with results as they come.

 

The scan completed, and a lot of files are listed. I haven't had time to sort through yet (not everything is in original folder order, etc.) but there are a lot of corrupted files.

 

I was able to extract all of the image files and then sort through to get all of the actual pictures (versus icons, web images, etc.)... so I was able to save all of his pictures. In this case, at least, iCare worked! I ordered a new drive for him.