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HDD damaged, OS won't boot, want to copy files


Best Answer phillpower2 , 15 February 2017 - 07:41 AM

You are welcome PBot   Keep Puppy in your PC toolbox, experiment with it when you have some free time, you never know when you may be able to use it to help a family member or friend who... Go to the full post »


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#61
phillpower2

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Fingers crossed   :thumbsup:


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#62
Phlegmbot

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Hi, Phill!

 

OK, not sure if I did this right, b/c it didn't work:

- I DL'd the universal USB installer

- Following the instructions, I put lupu-528.004.iso onto the USB (I let it format the 16gb USB & put the ISO onto it)

- I restarted and changed the boot menu to check the USB first

- Saved & Exited. Boot started again...

- The USB light blinked, but I was still brought into Windows.

 

Once in Windows -- nothing. Well, not nothing, my mouse & keyboard wouldn't work. BG programs (like SAS and Avast seemed to load, so it wasn't frozen exactly).

 

(I do have 3 USB ports. Should it matter which one I put the flashdrive in?)

 

I then decided to try the CD instructions and see if that works. I clicked burncdcc.exe -- the program recognized my (external) DVD/RW, but it kept telling me to put a blank disk in the drive. I had a blank DVD, but when that didn't work, I figured I should try a CD...which also didn't work of course. I then tried clicking burncdcc64.exe which had the same results.

 

Should I just burn the iso with another burning program?

 

Thoughts?


Edited by Phlegmbot, 05 February 2017 - 06:58 PM.

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#63
phillpower2

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Hello PBot,

 

It wouldn't matter which USB port you used tbh, have you checked the contents of the thumb drive.

 

Try another burning program if you can.


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#64
Phlegmbot

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Hey, Phill,

Been having other problems that I'll get to later. For now, I need to check the steps, b/c the above isn't working.

I have Win7 and my HDD is now attached via an external drive, so I CAN get into Windows. So:
1. Burn the ISO to disc. Do not install anything to the PC.
2. Go into the BIOS and change boot order to, in this case, USB first (see next).
3. It doesn't look like changing the security settings is meant for a Win7 user with Windows in tact, but the reboot isn't working, so I'm thinking I should add this step (I have an external DVD player, the internal one stopped working years ago; so I've been choosing USB device)
4. Reboot.

Should this work? Should it work withOUT changing the security setting?

On a separate subject, something is causing Windows to freeze. It just hangs suddenly. I thought it was browser related, but it's not.

I tried installing a newer AMD driver for my system, Bud it won't install (the only way to get the driver installed in the first place was by using DriverPack).

All other Drivers are updated.

I've DL'd Whocrashed, but I don't know if that works for hangs and freezing. I always have to press and hold the Power button and then restart.

Thanks so much for your help, Phill.
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#65
RolandJS

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"...I've DL'd Whocrashed, but I don't know if that works for hangs and freezing..."  If I understand the scuttlebutt correctly,, while the utility will normally indicate what program crashed, it doesn't easily indicate whether the crashed program was the sole cause, or, whether the crashed program was a victim of another program, its identity yet to be determined.


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#66
phillpower2

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Hello PBot,

 

I have Win7 and my HDD is now attached via an external drive, so I CAN get into Windows. So:
1. Burn the ISO to disc. Do not install anything to the PC. Correct.
2. Go into the BIOS and change boot order to, in this case, USB first (see next). Correct.
3. It doesn't look like changing the security settings is meant for a Win7 user with Windows in tact, but the reboot isn't working, so I'm thinking I should add this step (I have an external DVD player, the internal one stopped working years ago; so I've been choosing USB device) Correct but in some BIOS it is described as "external storage device" 
4. Reboot. You do not mention saving the new boot order before restarting the notebook.
 
Should this work? Should it work withOUT changing the security setting? It normally depends on whether or not the notebook has UEFI as opposed to standard BIOS, if the computer does not boot from a USB device as is then changing to Legacy boot may be required.
 
Not good practice to deal with more than one problem in a single thread (going "off topic") as it can lead to confusion and be hard for folk to follow, if the freezing persists and you are sure that it is Windows related please start a new thread on the Operating System forum here and someone will assist you there.

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#67
Phlegmbot

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Not to cast aspersions, but as I expected, the port couldn't see a drive present in Puppy Linux anymore then it could outside it. 😐

A friend suggested freezing the drive in a bag in the freezer for an hour... But I've read that, a. It only works on older drives and b. It can make reading the drive harder for a data recovery place.

Speaking of, do you know what the process is for determining how to recover data? So many of these places are so full of s---t, and they all have a different answer for how they work. Any thoughts on what to look for? What to ask?

Re: Windows freezing: I removed a couple of drivers, updated them. That seems to have resolved it.

Oh, and thanks for the note you sent.

PBot
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#68
RolandJS

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"...Speaking of, do you know what the process is for determining how to recover data? So many of these places are so full of s---t, and they all have a different answer for how they work. Any thoughts on what to look for? What to ask? ..."  I understand!  Many first responder level and software level data recovery web sites tout their software as the cure-all for everything, often without mentioning that it takes time, more time, and more time for scanning; the recovered files -- sometimes aren't readable or usable any more, and so on.  I have four of the best, and I will tell you -- lots of time is needed; and quite often, depending upon the situation, the results are similar to piling up the pieces of an automobile from all over the junk yard.  In all fairness, the better the upfront data folder and file organization, the sooner data recovery is begun -- the better the results.


Edited by RolandJS, 14 February 2017 - 10:01 AM.

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#69
phillpower2

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Not to cast aspersions, but as I expected, the port couldn't see a drive present in Puppy Linux anymore then it could outside it.  

 

 

Cast away, it was worth a try as it only cost you a blank DVD + your time but before you have paid out any cash it has confirmed that the HDD is dead , professional data recovery though, prices will vary and the only constant will be that no company can or will guarantee that any data at all will be recovered in the process.


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#70
Phlegmbot

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Thank you, Phill. (And thanks, Roland.)

 

Are there any other use for Puppy Linux? Should I hang onto it?

 

After you reply, I guess you can close this thread, unless you want me to post a follow-up re: the results of the Data Recovery. (Which I'd be happy to do.)

 

-PBot


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#71
phillpower2

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✓  Best Answer

You are welcome PBot  :)

 

Keep Puppy in your PC toolbox, experiment with it when you have some free time, you never know when you may be able to use it to help a family member or friend who runs into HDD or OS problems.

 

Tech threads are not normally closed only marked as being solved, you can still post a final update regarding the data recovery afterwards, fingers crossed for you :thumbsup:  


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