Slave HDD Failed...recover files

SONY VAIO PCV RX 650 running Microsoft Windows XP Pro service pack 3.

Had the machine for about 7 years? I leave the computer on almost always. Rarely do I shut it down, but will restart from time to time.


The other night my PC was running Smart Defrag, so I left it on overnight to defrag my HDD's. During the night I hear this clicking sound coming from the PC - not loud and not continuous, but it will rev click, rev click, rev click, and then stop. (I know it's the HD but I thought maybe it had something to do with Smart Defrag)

I have two HDD's:

The master HDD and the slave (which was split into two drives - F: and G: ) The slave was my original HDD. A few years ago I had someone add a new HDD and made the original drive a slave.

I woke up the next morning and wanted to retrieve a file from my G: drive. Going into my computer, I noticed the F: and G: drive were gone; now only the C: drive is listed.

I reboot my computer - it took a LONG time to do so. When it started up again, the SONY screen stayed on for a lot longer than usual, and then I get a black screen that says:

DISK FAILURE. INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER.

I pressed CTRL-ALT-DEL and the machine rebooted. It then went through the startup screen where it checks the Master, Slave, etc. and for the slave drive, it stated that the drive failed.

windows started up and when I go into my computer, of course my slave HDD drives are not listed.

I went into computer management to see if the HDD's are listed and they are not, except for the C: drive.

I still hear the occasional rev click, rev click, which will happen for about 20 seconds (it's not very loud) and then stop for about a minute.


My big big question that I need to know is - how do I get the files from the slave drive? I didn't backup the files and I would like to recover them. Please please help.

I do have a cd that microsoft sent me when I updated to Windows XP Pro.


I am afraid to turn it off out of fear that I will not be able to turn it back on again!



A few other things, which may or may not help.

Under computer management, there is a question mark under other devices.

Unknown device.

When I click on it it says the following:

Device type: other devices

manufacturer: unknown

Location: on Intel(R) 82801BA LPC Interface Controller - 2440

The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)

To reinstall the drivers for this device, click Reinstall Driver.

Device Instance ID

ACPI\WEC0515\4&268D196D&0

What is this? Do I need to do anything here?


secondly, when I run everest for a report, it states that


[ Port Connectors / PRIMARY IDE/HDD ]

Port Connector Properties:
Port Type None
Internal Reference Designator PRIMARY IDE/HDD
Internal Connector Type On-Board IDE
External Connector Type None

[ Port Connectors / SECONDARY IDE/HDD ]

Port Connector Properties:
Port Type None
Internal Reference Designator SECONDARY IDE/HDD
Internal Connector Type On-Board IDE
External Connector Type None


and it also states

Power Management Properties:
Current Power Source AC Line
Battery Status No Battery
Full Battery Lifetime Unknown
Remaining Battery Lifetime Unknown



Is the "no battery" a problem?


one last thing...

BIOS Properties:
BIOS Type Award Medallion
Award BIOS Type Award Modular BIOS v6.0
Award BIOS Message ACPI BIOS Revision 1002
System BIOS Date 12/18/01
Video BIOS Date 07/03/01

BIOS Manufacturer:
Company Name Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Product Information http://www.phoenix.com/en/products/default.htm
BIOS Upgrades http://www.esupport.com/biosagent/index.cfm?refererid=40

Problems & Suggestions:
Suggestion Are you looking for a BIOS Upgrade? Contact eSupport Today!
Suggestion System BIOS is more than 2 years old. Update it if necessary.
Suggestion Video BIOS is more than 2 years old. Update it if necessary.


Do I need to update this?


Sorry this is so long, but I just wanted to give you all the information that you may have needed. If I gave you things that were unnecessary, I apologize.

:cry

 

Hi topshelf.

Yes try to update the driver from the device manager, but i don't hold out much hope im afraid...

Unless anyone else has an idea.....?

It sounds like your HDD has gone to the big repair shop in the sky unfortunately

Q

 

rev click hmm, yup the hdd is toast and virtually no chance of recovery, to recover files form such a hdd failure is very expensive and time consuming.

The no battery is not a problem, Everest is merely checking to see if its a laptop or destop and reports that way.

It would not be a bad idea to update your BIOS, go to the bios manufacturer site and dload the latest release they have, most are installable through windows some may require a floppy, check their faq's before jumping in on this.

 

Hmm you could try booting a linux disc aswell see if that see's anything.

But mostly this thread should be a lesson to everyone, BACK UP!... BACK UP!... BACK UP!

ask yourself how would you feel if your PC just packed in right now and all your data was gone?

You might wake up tomorrow to your HDD going "rev click, rev click, rev click" and all your data is potentially unrecoverable unless your pretty well off and can afford some serious recovery done by a lab!

 

May I say that the "rev click" really sounds like a cat purring....or a cricket (just not very loud and noisy).

Please tell me some things I can try....I didn't even get a warning about this. I didn't have much on there, but I did have family photos, college course work, and other miscellaneous files.

:cry

Talk me through this as I really don't know too much about computers. :-o

 

Have you tried to update the driver?

To do this got to run and type.....

And find your drives, then right click and update.

Have you tried the Linux live CD?

Ther is not much else to try i dont think and unfortunately HDD's dont give warnings before they fail, hence my post above... backing up your data is a must for all comuter users if you care about the data stored on it at all.

Q

 

is the drive in question listed in the bios? if not, then you are out of luck. If it's listed, you can use recovery software to try and read anything that's salvageable, but since you said it's not listed in the storage list, then it would seem that's it's beyond repair.
some disk tools can be found here:
http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?id=38

 

The linux live cd will only work IF the drive's filesystem hasn't been corrupt. If the NTFS/Fat32 system has been corrupted, linux won't be able to mount it either.

Here's a thought, dload a prog called HDD Regenerator there is I believe a full functioning free trial, it can be run within windows and run it on your slave drive, it ay just be bad sectors, and this prog will move the bad sectors and seclude them.
I have done this on a drive of my own, the drive now only runs @ 84% health but it runs still adn is still used, not for anyhting important of course.