Hard drive in enclosure looks empty.

My sister's hard drive went bad... real bad. The computer wouldn't boot, not even in safe mode. On the advice of the computer guy at work, I bought her a new hard drive and installed it and reloaded windows and all her programs, and purchased a hard drive enclosure for the old drive. Everything went well, the computer is up and running fine, but of course the documents are still on the old drive.... very important documents to her.

When I plug in the hard drive enclosure, the computer recognizes drive F: and H:, and it displays the file folder skeleton, but there are no documents in there. It is a 40 GB hard drive, and drive F: says it's 9.9 GB and drive H: says it's 0 GB.

I've googled it all day and read that this is actually good news, in that it means the data is still there, I just can't get to it. I read that one of the issues could be that I must "take ownership" of the files since they are set to be read by the old computer and I don't have security access to them. I tried to find out how to do this in Vista, but the article on Microsoft's website was too technical for me to understand what the hee-haw it was saying.

I am not beyond using data recovery software or a service, and I purchased a copy of Norton Ghost (although it remains unopened "just in case"), but I've read enough to learn that trying a bunch of stuff could just screw up the drive more, so I'm looking for some expertise customized for this situation.

When responding, please note that I'm a novice, but I follow directions VERY well as long as they're not too full of lingo.

 

It sounds like the drive needs to be recovered, and lets hope the data is still available. The safest way would be to copy the contents using ghost or another disk clone software. if the drive is failing or has failed, each attempt to read/write to it can cause more problems. After cloning the contents of the drive, you can try and use some recovery software. Recuva is pretty good, and are some others listed here

I don't have much experience with cloning drives, but this is free and looks promising:
http://majorgeeks.com/EASEUS_Todo_Backup_d6195.html

 

It doesn't look like jenandlaw have a spare hard drive to clone onto. The new one has an OS and other stuff already on it.

I guess you may be able to clone onto a partition on the new hdd (if there's room), but you would have to make sure the cloning software will do that. I have only used XXClone (easy and free), which I think will not work with Vista, so I'm not much help there.

Have you set the jumper to 'slave' for the external hard drive (instructions available if needed)? You must do that for it to work.

I don't think taking ownership of files will be an issue until you can at least SEE the files. Once you can see them, you may find that you can copy them all right. If not, that will be the time to look at permissions, I think.

P.S. How are you going with your mother's computer? Seems like you're having a bad run!! If Kestrel isn't able to sort things out through Malware, your problem will be moved to Software forum. I have some suggestions (e.g. check your file extensions), and no doubt there will be others.

 

I don't know what the jumper is, but if you'll provide instructions, I'll whip it 'til it says the safe word.

Thanks so much for asking. It does seem like I'm a jinx, but I ran the malware protocol on mom's computer because my sister had lost her data and didn't want it to happen to Mom's. I figured out the problem, but I didn't want to bump the thread and waste people's time by posting the solution. You wouldn't believe what the solution was. Mom is incredibly inexperienced with her computer and being two hours away makes it difficult to diagnose issues. The problem was that in doing the malware removal protocol I had unhidden hidden files and extensions (as per the directions) but had not re-hidden them after I was done. There were hidden files in her list of documents when she opened the folder they were normally kept in--for example, the file she thought she was trying to open was called "Attention Deficient Disorder", but there was a hidden file in the same folder named "~$tention Deficient Disorder". When this file wouldn't open, she freaked and didn't notice that the real file was about four document names down. After a few hours struggling with the incredibly not-user-friendly Logmein, and trying to walk my mom through installing it on her computer...

"Ok, Mom, now after you clicked that link did a window come up?"
"No, there's no window."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes, nothing happened."
"Click it again."
"OK"
"Any window?"
"No! There's still no window! [long pause] Now, there's a blinking button down here at the bar on the bottom of the screen... what does that mean?"
[although full of love and compassion, head still bloodies itself on desk in frustration]

... the next day I tried Teamviewer, had it downloaded and up and running in less than 10 minutes, and had figured out the problem (to my immense relief).

I would have posted the follow-up in the other thread, but I didn't think anyone else would ever have the same situation, and I didn't think anyone was keeping it in queue so to speak without my replying. I'm sorry if anyone was.

 

Uh, oh.... I was SO hoping it was as simple as that. I did a little research and it looks like there's no such thing as slave/master on a SATA drive... please tell me there's some other setting that's easy to change.

FYI, it's a Fujitsu. Also, I thought it was a 40 GB hard drive because that's what we ordered with the computer, but when I opened the enclosure to look for the label that says how to set the jumper for slave, it says it's a 250 GB hard drive. I'm sure everyone on this forum but me understands why that is, and it may not be important, but thought I'd mention it just in case.

 

Well, if nothing else, you've given me an excellent chuckle or two this afternoon!!! :-D:-D:-D

OK, you're right (malheureusement). No need to worry about jumpers on SATA drives. And sorry, there's no other setting that's easy to change. :cry
You may end up having to try to use a recovery program, but some info might be useful first.

You have a Fujitsu 250 GB SATA external drive, which used to be the main hdd (hard disk drive) for your sister's computer.

Well... maybe everyone except you and me! :confused All I can think of is that they ran out of 40 GB hdd's when they made your sister's computer, so they stuck in a bigger one.

So how do you remember that it was supposed to be a 40 GB hdd anyway? Suggests to me that it may be reasonably new. True? Or do you just have a fantastic memory?

I don't think you've said whether it's a laptop or PC (or MAC), and what Operating System it's running (eg XP, Vista, 7)?

It's strange that the computer is using drives F: and H: for the hdd's. Normally one of them would be C:. Any idea why that is? Did someone change them? Are you sure you're reading the right labels? There isn't a DVD or CD in the DVD drive is there, by any chance? rolleyes

You might also add a bit of info to clarify these drives. Where are you looking to see that the F: and H: drives have 9.9 GB and 0 GB? If you look under My Computer (on Windows), you'll see all the drives listed, and the hdds will have a Total Size and a Free Space. Can you tell us what those are, please? Also, if you go to Windows Explorer (assuming you're using Windows), go to My Computer there and click on the disk that's giving you trouble. Does anything (files, etc) show up in the right hand space when you do that?

What testing did you do when the computer wouldn't boot (before you started work on it)? What were the symptoms? Did it give a beep and then hang at some point? What point was that (what was it doing and were there any error messages)?

Is the external hdd using a usb port? They can sometimes give trouble.

As for that other matter...

Can I suggest that you do post your story. You just never know when someone will be helped by your solution. You store up all these bits of info, and one day you call on it. I help my parents over the phone, too, so I know exactly what you're talking about. I have had a few moments like that also!!! :banghead(I see you are now using Teamviewer. Too late to say it, but you may have been able to use Remote Desktop Connection and/or Remote Assistance which are available on some Windows systems).
It also avoids the situation were you're just wondering whatever happened to that problem. I fully understand your thinking of not wanting to waste people's time - that's very thoughtful of you, but I think we all enjoy seeing a problem solved - no matter how it was done!!! It would also give some other people a good laugh. It's an excellent story! :-D Please do post it (copy and paste). I'm sure Kestrel would enjoy it.

It's also good to say that you've fixed it - for that other reason which you already mentioned in your post - sometimes people do keep track. Just to let you know what can happen (not to make you feel bad), I've spent a few moments each day trying to think of suggestions as to what might be wrong, at the same time as hoping you could get the problem fixed (I subscribed to your thread to remind me and to see how it went - more so in your case because I was really feeling for you). I'm so glad and relieved to hear you got it sorted out, anyway. :celebrate:celebrate:celebrate Your fault, of course...

, so don't go trying to blame your poor mum!! :-D.

 

I’m so sorry you were checking on that thread. I’m not used to a forum with such polite and conscientious people! It’s an interweb miracle!

Anyway, the reason I thought it was a 40GB hard drive was because we had kept the order confirmation with the program disks for some reason, and it had listed a 40GB hard drive. I just didn’t think to check it… rookie mistake I know.

Other info:
It’s a laptop… Dell Studio 1535

Runs Vista.

My sister’s hard drive is connected through the external enclosure via USB and I have it hooked up to MY computer which is also a Dell Studio 1535 (we bought them at the same time, yes I realize this means I should back up my data yesterday).

On my computer, I have a C: drive, a D: drive (labeled RECOVERY), my E: drive (DVD-RW), and a G: drive which is an external hard drive I use for my music. So when I plug in my sister’s hard drive enclosure, it registers an F: and an H: drive. In getting all these details so that I can post them here, I have just now realized this is the same layout I’m seeing on my sister’s drive, a “recovery” drive and a storage drive. I did a little research to find out what that is and apparently that is the recovery partition that Dell creates before shipment in case you have to restore to the original settings and programs. Therefore, and maybe this is important, I’m not seeing anything of the partition that actually contains her documents. What I thought was the folder skeleton was actually on her F: RECOVERY drive.

When I click on her H: drive, it tells me the drive has to be formatted before I can use it.
I’m looking in “My Computer” to find free space and total size.

F: 4.93GB free of 9.99 GB

H: no information at all, and nothing shows up when I click on it other than the window asking me to format it.

Before the hard drive went bad, the symptoms were that the computer would hang up in a process for a few minutes at a time. In other words, it might take two minutes to open internet explorer. Then it might work fine for a bit. I couldn’t get task manager to open at all. Thinking this might be a virus issue, I started in safe mode and ran a full scan, and then checked the disk for errors. It took HOURS, and fixed more than 20 bad sectors. After that was done, it wouldn’t boot up again, not even in safe mode. No strange noises, no errors, it just gave up and quit on me.

 

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I am posting this separately in case people don't think I can fix it through a setting and want me to move on to the Recovery option.

I would like more info on cloning and what Norton Ghost will do. Most of what I have read about it is in reference to using it for backup rather than recovery. Is the procedure that I copy it with Ghost (to get the data before I mess with the drive), and then use Recuva or some such software to try to recover the data? If so, what if that doesn't work? What do I do with the stuff I copied with Ghost? If I can use that data, why don't I just do that in the first place and not fool with Recuva?

Is it the general opinion that I should send to the pros and not mess with Ghost? If so, how much does a recovery service usually run?

 

So when you tried to boot, it did nothing at all. No beep on startup, nothing on the screen. No lights. Totally dead?

But now with a new hdd in it, it runs fine.

Do you have that computer with you? Just wondering if you shouldn't try putting the original hdd back in and see what happens. Reason - if nothing at all happened when you tried to boot, that would not be a hdd problem. Now that the computer seems to be working, it might just be worth checking that it still doesn't work.

How do you know that F: is the recovery drive, and not the normal drive? it looks like that is so, judging by the size of the partition, but I'm a bit surprised that the Recovery isn't H: (alphabetical order - like yours).

Can you please do the Windows Explorer step and see what is listed under F: drive and H: drive. I guess there will be nothing under H:, but it might be worth a look.
I have in the back of my mind that you might be having a security permissions problem here, but the fact that it is telling you to format the drive contradicts this idea. Would you mind posting the exact message it's giving please?

 

Ghost will duplicate the drive as is: basically if ya ghost it, you can attempt to recover from the ghost and don't have to worry about the drive giving out in the middle of the job.

as for the 'pros' and 'general opinion': they are expensive, and if you can find one that will promise any results at all (let alone favorable ones) get a lawyer ready cause they're probably a scam artist (of course, that would be my opinion :-D) and the price depends greatly on the ego of said tech and a little on their skills (once again, my opinion :lol i used to be one of those techs so i know a lil bit bout how they operate.

best of luck!

 

http://www.nirmaltv.com/2008/07/11/how-to-take-ownership-of-files-and-folders-in-vista/