[jencwu]

Hi,
This morning I booted up my laptop only to get a black DOS-like screen with the following message:

"1720-S.M.A.R.T. Hard Drive detects imminent failure. Please back up the contents of the hard drive and run HDD self test in F10 setup."

The only options I have from there are to shut down or press F1 to ignore. I haven't tried pressing F1 or running the self test because my data is not backed up and I do not want to lose everything. Please help ASAP! I use this computer *a lot* throughout the day.

PS-In case it gives you any more info, I recently had asked a different question about the laptop that is having troubles here: http://www.geekstogo...ly-t265360.html

Thanks!

Edited by jencwu, 27 January 2010 - 11:36 AM.

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I would suggest a data backup using a Linux Live cd like Puppy Linux to get to your data. Run the diagnostics below and then I will give you the instructions for Puppy.

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

Thanks to Broni for the instructions

[rshaffer61]

I would suggest a data backup using a Linux Live cd like Puppy Linux to get to your data. Run the diagnostics below and then I will give you the instructions for Puppy.

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

Thanks to Broni for the instructions

[jencwu]

Thanks for your prompt response. I looked at the list and don't see HP listed, which I believe to be the manufacturer of my hard drive. Is there a way to find out exactly who the manufacturer is? On the bottom of the laptop it just says "designed by Hewlett-Packard Company."

[jencwu]

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287

I believe I found my hard drive manufacturer to be Western Digital, but on the link you posted (see quote above), there are quite a number of tools listed under Western Digital, and I'm not sure which to select.

[rshaffer61]

Data Lifeguard Tools 11.0 for DOS and Windows (CD) (01.02.2007)
Download Data Lifeguard Tools 11.0 for DOS (CD) (Direct Link | 27.4MB)

[rshaffer61]

Data Lifeguard Tools 11.0 for DOS and Windows (CD) (01.02.2007)
Download Data Lifeguard Tools 11.0 for DOS (CD) (Direct Link | 27.4MB)

[rshaffer61]

Since the WD file won't boot then I would suggest trying the Sea Tools as it seems to work with most drives now.

Edited by rshaffer61, 28 January 2010 - 08:49 AM.

[jencwu]

Ok, downloaded and it was an .iso file so I followed your directions to install and use the imgburn program to create a bootable disk. I can't figure out how to make it a bootable cd though. I tried just writing the file to the cd and booting the computer with the cd in the drive and it didn't boot to the cd. I even checked my bios settings to make sure cd was selected and it was. When I was creating the disk I did not see any options for making it bootable.

[rshaffer61]

See previous post for updated instructions.

[123Runner]

If you used imageburn to burn the iso to the CD, then it should be bootable. You do not "copy" the file. If done properly, then the CD will be bootable.

If you can get in to the OS, copy the data off to flash card, CD, or a USB external drive. That is easier than puppy linux.

[jencwu]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here. I downloaded the SeaTools and used Nero this time to make it a bootable CD, but again, the computer just shows me the same error message rather than booting to the CD. Should I press F1 when that message shows up to ignore it? Will that cause it to boot to the cd?

[rshaffer61]

I downloaded the SeaTools and used Nero this time to make it a bootable CD

There is no need ot make it bootable. If you burn the cd as a image or iso then the file itself will make it bootable. If you are burning it as a Bootable or Data disk it will not work.
Try this to help you burn the ISO correctly.
Go here and get burncdcc ..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 by clicking on BurnCDCC.exe
2. Browse to the ISO file you want to burn on cd/dvd ....in this case its rc.iso
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start

[jencwu]

Followed the above steps, and still it won't boot to the cd. I don't know if this does essentially the same thing these tools are supposed to do, but in my bios there is a hd diagnostic self-test tool. I ran that and it said it failed.

[123Runner]

As we expected, the drive is dead.

Can you get into windows at all?
If so back up the data.

If you can't, the only option is to try puppy linux, but with a failed drive that may not work.
You can also try placing it in a USB enclosure, but that is also a shot in the dark.

[rshaffer61]

Try puppy and if the drive is still accessible in the smallest way puppy may be able to get to it.

Get Puppy Linux from my signature below...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 puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.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