I've recently had some speed issues with my computer, fixed them and then Fri. went to turn on my computer and found that the operating system had crashed and doesn't show any drives. Took it to Geeksquad at Best Buy and they are telling me I can try a data recovery thing that will cost between $500-1500!! Anyhow, I have about a months worth of photos and some music that we are wanting to get out. Any way I can do this on my own before they send the harddrive off to replace it?
Operating System Erased - Data Recovery?
Started by
postce
, Oct 25 2009 03:29 PM
#1
Posted 25 October 2009 - 03:29 PM
postce
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I've recently had some speed issues with my computer, fixed them and then Fri. went to turn on my computer and found that the operating system had crashed and doesn't show any drives. Took it to Geeksquad at Best Buy and they are telling me I can try a data recovery thing that will cost between $500-1500!! Anyhow, I have about a months worth of photos and some music that we are wanting to get out. Any way I can do this on my own before they send the harddrive off to replace it?
#2
Posted 25 October 2009 - 03:48 PM
rshaffer61
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Does the system see the drive when you first turn it on?
Have you gone into the bios to see if it is recognized?
If so then you can do the following to try and get the data backed up.
Get Puppy Linux...Get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso download it and burn it to cd
..
if you don't have a burning program that will burn .ISO files get Burncdcc from my signature...it is a small FAST no frills iso burning program...
NOTE...do not put a blank cd in until burncdcc opens the tray for you
1. Start BurnCDCC
2. Browse to the ISO file you want to burn on cd/dvd ....in this case its memtest86.iso
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start
make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device....
put the cd in the cd drive..boot your computer....puppy will boot and run totally in ram...if your hardware is is good working order you will know...
after you get it running and your at the desktop...you take the puppy linux cd out and then you can use the burner to copy all your data to cd/dvds
you can also use it to backup your data to a external usb harddrive..just have it hooked to the computer when you boot up with puppy...
==========================
quick guide for saving data...music..files on a system that will not boot using puppy Linux..
after you get to puppy desktop..
click on the drives icon...looks like a flash drive...top row..it will list all the drives connected to
your computer...
click on the red icon for the drive you want to mount...in this case its a flash drive ...puppy will
mount the drive..the drive icon turns green when its mounted...
minimize the drives mounter window..you will need it again in a few minutes..
drag the right edge of it sideways to shrink it to its narrowest size...about half the width of the screen...then drag the window to the right edge of the screen...
now click on the icon that looks like a filing cabinet (kind of yellow) on the main drive...it should
already be green..
you will see a list of all the folders on the main drive Usually your C: drive..shrink that window to
the narrowest you can..about half the width of the screen...drag that window to the left side of the screen...
at this point you should have 2 windows open on your desktop..the flash drive on the right side..
go back to the folders on the C: drive...click on the documents and settings folder...then your user
name or all users..find the folders that has your data..
drag and drop the folder with the data you want to make copies of to the flash drive window...
your options are to move ..copy ect...JUST COPY..if its to big you will have to open the folder and
drag and drop individual files until the flash drive is full...(I have a 120 GB external USB drive for
big data recovery jobs and a 4 GB flash drive for the smaller jobs)..after you get the files copied to
the flash drive...
Click on the drives mounter you minimized earlier
UNMOUNT THE FLASH DRIVE by clicking on the green icon..you will once in awhile get error messages when
unmouting the drive..ignore them..when the flash drive icon turns red again its safe to remove the
flash drive..trot on over (stroll if you want to look cool) to another computer and plug in the flash
drive and copy all the data files ( I drag and drop) to the other computer..
make sure the other computer can read them...
now delete the data on the flash drive...take it back to the misbehaving computer and plug it in
again..click on the drives icon again and repeat until you have all your data transferred to the working
system..
Thanks to happyrock
Have you gone into the bios to see if it is recognized?
If so then you can do the following to try and get the data backed up.
Get Puppy Linux...Get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso download it and burn it to cd
..
if you don't have a burning program that will burn .ISO files get Burncdcc from my signature...it is a small FAST no frills iso burning program...
NOTE...do not put a blank cd in until burncdcc opens the tray for you
1. Start BurnCDCC
2. Browse to the ISO file you want to burn on cd/dvd ....in this case its memtest86.iso
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start
make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device....
put the cd in the cd drive..boot your computer....puppy will boot and run totally in ram...if your hardware is is good working order you will know...
after you get it running and your at the desktop...you take the puppy linux cd out and then you can use the burner to copy all your data to cd/dvds
you can also use it to backup your data to a external usb harddrive..just have it hooked to the computer when you boot up with puppy...
==========================
quick guide for saving data...music..files on a system that will not boot using puppy Linux..
after you get to puppy desktop..
click on the drives icon...looks like a flash drive...top row..it will list all the drives connected to
your computer...
click on the red icon for the drive you want to mount...in this case its a flash drive ...puppy will
mount the drive..the drive icon turns green when its mounted...
minimize the drives mounter window..you will need it again in a few minutes..
drag the right edge of it sideways to shrink it to its narrowest size...about half the width of the screen...then drag the window to the right edge of the screen...
now click on the icon that looks like a filing cabinet (kind of yellow) on the main drive...it should
already be green..
you will see a list of all the folders on the main drive Usually your C: drive..shrink that window to
the narrowest you can..about half the width of the screen...drag that window to the left side of the screen...
at this point you should have 2 windows open on your desktop..the flash drive on the right side..
go back to the folders on the C: drive...click on the documents and settings folder...then your user
name or all users..find the folders that has your data..
drag and drop the folder with the data you want to make copies of to the flash drive window...
your options are to move ..copy ect...JUST COPY..if its to big you will have to open the folder and
drag and drop individual files until the flash drive is full...(I have a 120 GB external USB drive for
big data recovery jobs and a 4 GB flash drive for the smaller jobs)..after you get the files copied to
the flash drive...
Click on the drives mounter you minimized earlier
UNMOUNT THE FLASH DRIVE by clicking on the green icon..you will once in awhile get error messages when
unmouting the drive..ignore them..when the flash drive icon turns red again its safe to remove the
flash drive..trot on over (stroll if you want to look cool) to another computer and plug in the flash
drive and copy all the data files ( I drag and drop) to the other computer..
make sure the other computer can read them...
now delete the data on the flash drive...take it back to the misbehaving computer and plug it in
again..click on the drives icon again and repeat until you have all your data transferred to the working
system..
Thanks to happyrock
#3
Posted 25 October 2009 - 06:01 PM
postce
- Topic Starter
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- Member
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- 91 posts
Member
Thanks for responding so fast! Especially since Best Buy wants us to give them an answer... 
When we turn it on I can put the operating disk disk in but it doesn't show any of the drives. It just says that the operating system has failed or something like that (the computer is at Best Buy right now...they are waiting for us to pick it up or are sending it to Gateway to get a new harddrive). Is there anyway to find the harddrives?? I don't know how to go to the bios. My husband can pick the computer up tomorrow if we think there may be a chance to get the stuff off ourselves.
When we turn it on I can put the operating disk disk in but it doesn't show any of the drives. It just says that the operating system has failed or something like that (the computer is at Best Buy right now...they are waiting for us to pick it up or are sending it to Gateway to get a new harddrive). Is there anyway to find the harddrives?? I don't know how to go to the bios. My husband can pick the computer up tomorrow if we think there may be a chance to get the stuff off ourselves.
#4
Posted 25 October 2009 - 06:59 PM
rshaffer61
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It sounds like the bios is set to boot to the hard drive first.
This would need to be changed so that the cdrom was first.
Before doing that Best Buy should be able to go into the bios and tell you if the hard drive is even being seen in the bios. If not then the drive is probably dead.
Is the system still under warranty and that is why it is at Best Buy?
This would need to be changed so that the cdrom was first.
Before doing that Best Buy should be able to go into the bios and tell you if the hard drive is even being seen in the bios. If not then the drive is probably dead.
Is the system still under warranty and that is why it is at Best Buy?
#5
Posted 25 October 2009 - 08:08 PM
postce
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Member
Yes, it is still under warranty and bought it at best buy.
#6
Posted 25 October 2009 - 08:10 PM
postce
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Member
I'll ask them about that tomorrow then. If the driver is dead are my files toast then? Tia!!
#7
Posted 27 October 2009 - 09:18 PM
postce
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Member
I called bb and asked and they said they didn't see the drivers so I'm just having them send it off to gateway. I'm ready to go apple after this time! This is our second bad gateway! Anyhow thank you for your help!
#8
Posted 28 October 2009 - 01:24 PM
rshaffer61
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Moderator
Not a problem and please let us know how everything turns out good or bad.
We like to know how the issue was resolved as this may help someone in the future with the same problem.
If the hard drive is dead then most likely the files are lost.
Without a professional recovery company going after it and even then no guarantee they can get everything.
If the controller is bad and the drive is still working then the files should be safe.
I suggest making sure Best Buy understands to backup the data before doing anything. It may cost for them to do it but they can take out hd and slave it in another system to get your data.
We like to know how the issue was resolved as this may help someone in the future with the same problem.
If the hard drive is dead then most likely the files are lost.
Without a professional recovery company going after it and even then no guarantee they can get everything.
If the controller is bad and the drive is still working then the files should be safe.
I suggest making sure Best Buy understands to backup the data before doing anything. It may cost for them to do it but they can take out hd and slave it in another system to get your data.
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