# Crashed Computer



## Arlina

Okay...so my computer crashed last night and I lost EVERYTHING!! My father is working on getting some things back, however that means uploading everything again....

You have to understand that I love photography. So I kept many folders filled with different digital pictures that I had taken on the computer and was stupid enough *not *to also save the pictures on a cd. 

What I'm trying to say is that I probably won't be around for a while, if at all back since I have to work on getting my photographs back. If anyone knows anything about recovering files, that would be very helpful. Thanks to all, happy holidays, and this is probably goodbye.

~Arlina


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## Hammersmith

What a coincidence! I was just looking at a company last night - find them at www.ontrack.com

I asked them for a quote and they can send you recovery software for [FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]£49 ($85-ish), or in extreme cases - probably not yours - you can send them your computer for data retrieval for about [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]£500. The do America and other countries, so wherever you are you should be able to find them. Worth a shot, especially if you've got photos and other important data you need back. I think you can download trial versions of the recovery software from OnTrack's website that will show you which files are retrievable.

Good luck! 

And remember: *ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR WORK!* 
[/SIZE][/FONT]


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## Alcuin

If you can pull the crashed drive from your machine and attach it to another computer, you may be able to retrieve data from the drive as long as the file tables are not lost. If you can get to them, transfer your photographs to CD or DVD storage, and you won’t lose them again.

If that is not possible, even if you rebuild the system from scratch, you may still be able to retrieve most of the datafiles as long as you do not have to format the drive.

Be sure to check for viruses and Trojans on the drive in any case.


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## Barliman Butterbur

My sympathy goes out to that young lady! Smitty's right: everything of value should be backed up. I use a LaCie external hard drive and do periodic backups, especially of all my pictures, and when the drives get too full I burn disks — except that my burner isn't working right now, all it does is ruin disks.

But since we're on the subject, I have a problem with my browser that's driving me nuts — it doesn't send out email half the time! Sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes I get a failure alert — even when the inbound and outbound server settings are exactly right. Perhaps some of you Mac-heads can help.

Here's what I've done:

• Talked to Netscape
• Talked to tech support at my ISP
• Talk to Mac tech support
• Reinstalled the browser (which is lousy to do because I have to rebuild all my address books and bookmarks)
• Rebuilt the desktop (OS 9.2)
• Zapped the PRAM
• Reset the server settings (innumerable times, in all sorts of entry combinations)

And there's nothing I can figure out that will make the outbound mail settle down. Web-based mail seems to work OK, it's mail on the outbound server that crashes. It does better with plaintext messages — the trouble seems to start when I attach files and/or imbed graphics into the text and/or forward such mail.

Anyone have any ideas?  

Barley


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## Wolfshead

Barliman Butterbur said:


> Anyone have any ideas?


Get Firefox. Netscape is rubbish in comparison


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## Barliman Butterbur

Wolfshead said:


> Get Firefox. Netscape is rubbish in comparison



Well, I was thinking of some other browser, but here's the problem: I have a _lot_ of expensive software connected with digital photography that runs on OS 9, which as you probably know is now an orphan operating system and has been ever since Macintosh went on to OS X (which I have on my machine). I need a browser that runs on OS 9 and nobody makes them any more. I'm not willing to shell out the money (well over $2,000) to buy all of my programs again configured for OS X.

I've heard good things about Foxfire, but for Mac, Safari is even better — but it only comes for OS X. One of these days something will come up, and I'll need to make the change. I diddled around in OS X for a few weeks and got to know it. It's really no better to use (and although it's "prettier," you forget about that almost immediately) than 9, as far as functions go, and the way I'm set up, I can do things faster, better, and more expediently and effectively in 9. So it's unfortunate, but the problem is much more complex than simply shifting over to another browser.

Barley


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## Wolfshead

Barley, I bow to your superior knowledge of Macintosh. I know nothing of them, really - always used Windows


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## Barliman Butterbur

Wolfshead said:


> Barley, I bow to your superior knowledge of Macintosh. I know nothing of them, really - always used Windows



No need to bow!  If you ever do switch to Mac, you'll find it's like going from a broken-down Ford to the latest model Bentley — or from being adrift and starving on a raft to going on a cruise ship all expenses paid and being waited on hand and foot! 

Barley


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## Thorondor_

Arlina, I once received a message that one of my partitions lost is file alocation table; I ran Norton Disk Doctor and it retrieved all files. I say it is worth giving a shot - putting your hard disk as slave on another system and trying different recovery programs. I think the only case when you completely lost your data is when the whole disc is fried. I think there is a good chance of recovering your files. 

Here are some advices from "200_Ways_to_Revive_a_Hard_Drive" from www.techrepublic.com (some are hilarious):


> *1*One trick I have learned as a technician, when the problem is data-read errors off the platters themselves, is to freeze the hard drive overnight. It makes the data more 'readable,' but for a one-shot deal. If this data is critical, and you have a replacement hard drive (which, if it's a drive failure, you probably do), then you can hook up your frozen hard drive and immediately fetch the data off before it warms up.
> Depending on the drive failure I have had success with some rather extreme solutions to data recovery.
> 
> *2*Symptom: Invalid Drive Specifications
> Treatment: Basic Check your cmos battery
> Check your IDE cable and connections
> Check your jumper settings
> Remove all other IDE connections but the drive in question
> 
> Advanced Try disk manager software
> Try data recovery software
> Use a bios upgrade card ($39) and allow it to setup the drive
> Look up the drive specifications on the manufacturer’s Web site and plug
> them in manually.
> Turn Off or On Write Precomp—32bit disk access
> 
> Symptom: Drive does not spin up: "Sticktion"
> Treatment: Basics Lightly tap the side of the drive case with a screwdrive–r—no power
> Lightly tap the side of the drive case with a screwdriver–—power on
> 
> Advanced Cold soak the drive: Freeze in a zip-lock bag
> Spray drive case with inverted can of canned air
> Lightly slap the drive on a desk top: (mild frustration)
> 
> Symptom: Invalid media type
> Treatment: Basics Boot with a FAT32 Windows 95 boot disk
> Sys the drive
> 
> Advanced fdisk /mbr
> Check for a virus from a known clean boot disk
> 
> These are but a few techniques for the doomed platters. These techniques can be used in conjunction with one another to arrive at the desired solution. Lather, rinse, and repeat if necessary.
> 
> *3*Here is the solutions checklist for this problem:
> 
> Tools needed:
> • Bootable CD or locked floppy dis–k—Formatted with an OS that can see the file system of the hard drive. DOS is usually the preferred OS for this function with NTFSDOS from Sysinternals for NTFS reads and DOS utilities for diagnostics/repair.
> • It should have the ability to boot to and/or see CD-ROM drives, read FAT, FAT32, NTFS, or other common file systems, run common network card drivers and see the network, have disk diagnostic and/or repair utilities, and have antivirus scanning software with current definitions.
> • OnTrack Data Adviso–r—A free download from www.OnTrack.com Hard Drive (large capacity)—Formatted for a FAT file system (or whatever is your common file system) and preferably with BeOS as the boot operating system.
> • Computer Repair Tool Ki–t—Standard repair tools.
> • Freezer–—The one in your kitchen will do quite nicely.
> 
> 1. The first task to recovering a drive is not at all technical—It is social. Prepare your user for the worst but also explain what the realistic chances of recovery are. Then start collecting information that you will need. Here is what you need to know before starting:
> • What is the goal of recovery, returning to the previous state or recovering the data?
> • Which is most important?
> • What is the client willing to spend on recovery?
> • What OS (NT, 95, Linux) and DOS (FAT, NTFS, FAT32) was the system running?
> • Where is the computer located?
> 
> 2. Check the environment: The last question from step 1 is often forgotten and can lead to extensive troubleshooting of a simple problem. Look for an environmental problem that may cause problems for the hard drive. Are there magnets on the computer case close to the hard drive? Is there a fan or heater near the computer? Is a transformer, electrical junction box, or high energy device near the computer (on a floor above or in a nearby wall)? All of these will produce a magnetic (or electromagnetic) field that can cause problems. Equipment that may vibrate the computer even at a very low frequency can cause hard drive heads to skip and jump or even scratch the platters.
> 
> 3. Turn off the computer, remove the cover, and get ready to the turn the computer on. Then put your ear right next to the drive and power the system on. If you hear any kind of grinding, scratching, or rattling from the drive, turn the computer off as quickly as possible and go to the next step. Otherwise go on to step 5.
> 
> 4. If the disk has made noise that indicates some sort of mechanical stress, then the problem is the domain of data recovery experts. This is where the client has to make a decision. Do they want to send the drive to a data recovery service, or do they want to destroy the disk in an attempt to recover some data? If the client has information that absolutely needs to be recovered, then send it to the professionals. Remember, you cannot service a hard drive unless you are working in a clean room.
> 
> If they are willing to destroy the disk and try to get some data off the drive, there is a quick hack available. Place the drive in a static-free bag, then place the drive and static-free bag into a ziplock bag to seal out moisture. Place this into a freezer turned to as low as possible for 24 hours. After 24 hours, pull the drive out and immediately put it into a computer (the faster the better) that boots to a floppy and has another hard drive to transfer data to. If the drive wasn't damaged too much previously, you should be able to pull some data off before the metal of the drive heats up and starts destroying the data storage platters. You can repeat the process only if you shut down almost immediately and go through the 24 hour freeze process again. Chances are that the first time attempt will be the only chance to recover data.
> 
> 5. If the drive boots to an operating system and you can get to either a network or backup medium, then start copying the most important data off first. Once that data is off, you can back up less important data. The best bet is to listen to your client to find out what absolutely must be recovered.
> 
> 6. If the client wants to restore the drive to its previous state and continue operating, then you need to do two things to see if this is feasible.
> • First, run a virus scan on the drive. Update the virus definitions then scan every file on the computer.
> • Second, boot to a floppy-disk-based hard drive utility and run a low-level
> bad sector discovery utility.
> If both tests pass and the computer boots to the operating system, then your job is done and you are eligible for a pat on the back. Otherwise, continue.
> 
> 7. If the drive does not boot, then try booting to a bootable CD or a bootable locked floppy disk. If you can see the file system, continue to step 8.
> 
> If you can not see the file system, then assess your tools. If you have Hard Drive Mechanic from Higher Ground Diagnostics or Tiramisu from OnTrack, then you can use these to diagnose and recover data. Otherwise, boot to the Data Advisor disk to find out whether data can be recovered. They will recover it or suggest a recovery plan or even require the disk be sent to a data recovery center like OnTrack. The client needs to make the choice as to whether the expense of this solution is worth the recovery of the data.
> 
> 8. If you can see the file system, then priority actions are:
> 
> • Copy the most important data off the drive
> • Copy the rest of the data off the drive
> • Determine if the drive can be recovered (scan with virus checker and disk utilities)
> • Repair the operating system
> 
> The best way of doing this is to install your spare hard drive in the computer and boot to either it or the CD/floppy bootable. Copy the important data off first, copy the less important data off next, and then do your diagnostics. If your diagnostics look like the drive is repairable, then go right ahead and repair it.
> 
> The reason I suggest BeOS be the boot OS on the hard drive is that it has the ability to mount more file systems than I even knew existed before using it. If you need to access an exotic file system, BeOS 4.5 is almost sure to have a driver available for it. However, the FAT (or FAT16) is the most commonly readable file system around, so generally you will want to transfer data to this file system.
> 
> If it becomes apparent that the file system is intact and not infected with a virus (or has had a boot sector virus removed), then you may need to replace the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the drive. Simple. Boot to a DOS disk that has the fdisk utility and run an 'fdisk /MBR' to replace the MBR. Remember, balance the time it takes to restore the operating system against the time it takes to recover data, get a new drive, and install a fresh operating system.
> 
> Normally, disk recovery is simply a matter of recovering the data. Returning a drive to its previous state is a goal but may simply be more costly than recovering the data and replacing the drive. How much effort to expend on the process is entirely up to you and the client.


 http://www.hddrecovery.com.au/downloads/200ways.pdf


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## Barliman Butterbur

Thorondor said:


> Here are some advices from "200_Ways_to_Revive_a_Hard_Drive"



Good GOD am I glad I have a Mac!  

Barley


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## Uminya

Actually, you're just as likely to encounter hard-disk problems such as those with a Mac. The only difference between a Mac and a PC is software, not hardware. They still retrieve data from a physical disk, store it in temporary memory, and process it with a microprosser. How the data is interpreted is generally the same, and the greatest difference is how the OS's differentiate in system resource management. MS products use massive amounts of temporary memory and are good because 95% of computer products are made to be used with Windows. Mac (or even Sun) computers use other OS's, such as MacOS or a Unix-based OS, which have different ways (though the difference is very small, surprisingly) managing the system.

But as to the hard-drive itself, Mac can have that problem too. I would suggest immediately calling for technical support. If you don't know for absolute certain what you're doing, do NOT touch the hard drive or open up the computer case. Let a professional examine your computer and attempt to run recovery software on it. I'm sure you can find someone who can fix your computer for less than £500 (almost $1000), if you look around locally.


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## AraCelebEarwen

I just stumbled in here to see what was going on and now I'm sorry I didn't come sooner!  OH! Arliena! Don't leave if you can at all help it. I'm really truly sorry girl. That must really suck.  Wish I could help... but I've never been that good with puters of any kind...

Here's hopin' kid. =^.^=


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## Arlina

Thanks everyone...I found out that my Dad has used the recovery disk...and it cleaned away everything...but then he found some disk where he had saved some folders about 4 months ago...and most of my pictures are there!! I'm really excited...however I'm still not able to be here a lot...my father is still getting everything back on the computer.


Thanks again everyone!! I really appreciate the concern and help!!


Hugs and Butterfly Kisses,
Arlina


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## AraCelebEarwen

_YAY!!!_

Good to hear! Hope it turns out you get it back and running well soon! Good to know though! Hope to see you around. *hug* See ya!

=^.^=


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## e.Blackstar

Poor Arlina, ma belle! Good to hear that your photos were rescued. The computer at my house got a virus and kicked the bucket earlier this fall, and when we got it back I had to replace a few files.  Luckily nothing drastic happened to my stuff.

Remember...
Always _always_ *always* BACK UP YOUR WORK!!!


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## wizard2c

Sorry to hear of your loss. I lost my new HP Printer the other day after being about 4 months old......and I argued with Best Buy that I wanted a new one... but they had to send it off for 2 weeks....their Xmas spirit is to say dreadful. As wizards are quick to angst I ripped up my Best Buy Card and said I will never buy there again.

So without a printer......I ordered a new portable one directly from Apple which will work out well when I get my new Powerbook as it prints from the car or anywhere.

Then when my HP gets back to town......I'll tell Best Buy they can put it where the sun does shine...Mount Doom.

In case I can't find the thread...Happy Holidays to all ..... the wizard has returned and will be in full force in 2006.


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