[sarahx]

I think I may have corrupted my hard disk- I tried to uninstall SP2 and now the computer freezes on the 'do you want to start in safe mode' screen. I have not tried reinstalling windows because I don't want to lose all my data- I have about 3000 photos that are not yet backed up and have so given my laptop to a local computer shop to try and fix. I'm a little worried about whether they're going to lose all the data though by accident, so am thinking of getting it back asap!

If I took out the hard disk and used it as a slave driver in a different computer, would I still be able to access the data if the disk was a bit corrupted? Or would it not show up at all? In short, is there any other way of saving my data without paying the hefty £200-300 to get it recovered in a lab? Please help! I will be eternally grateful if by the end of this I get my data back... Thank you.

[Advertisements]

It really depends on what is wrong with the disk. If you attach it to another machine as a slave drive, then you don't have the issue of having all the operating system files working, so you could stand a chance of getting the files off.

It could be something as simple as a bad block, which might be able to be fixed with a diagnostic program (check web page of the maker of the disk), or something far worse. Sometimes you can replace the disk control board and get the data off, but you need to find a similar drive and sometimes with the same firmware.

[Kemasa]

It really depends on what is wrong with the disk. If you attach it to another machine as a slave drive, then you don't have the issue of having all the operating system files working, so you could stand a chance of getting the files off.

It could be something as simple as a bad block, which might be able to be fixed with a diagnostic program (check web page of the maker of the disk), or something far worse. Sometimes you can replace the disk control board and get the data off, but you need to find a similar drive and sometimes with the same firmware.

[silverbeard]

It really depends on what is wrong with the disk. If you attach it to another machine as a slave drive, then you don't have the issue of having all the operating system files working, so you could stand a chance of getting the files off.

This is true. If the drive is recoverable one of the best programs for this is SpinRite 6. It's not free but it has done a great job for me and is worth every penny ($90US).

[Samm]

It sounds like the problem is with the Operating system, rather than any physical corruption. There's a very good chance therefore that your data will be fine.

HOWEVER, you need to stress the importance of retaining your data (photos in your case) to the computer repair shop before they proceed OR get the laptop back from them first.

The best way to recover the data if you do it yourself, will be to connect the drive up to another computer - usually via a 2.5in USB drive caddy. You should find then that so long as there is no physical damage to the drive & your photos haven't somehow gotten corrupted, you can simply copy the photos across to the other computers main drive.

If the files are damaged or lost, then let an expert attempt the data recovery. The problem with data recovery is that the more recovery utilities you attempt to run that don't work, the less chance there is each time of successfully recovering the files.