Help laptop hard disk failure!!!

[mullet_man]

I have a teacher laptop which the hard drive has failed, it is not even showing up in the bios, is there any way I can get in via a linux CD? or is it dead?

Any advice would be great!!

[e_g_r]

Super Stewie suggests doing a search for bartpe on the web. Apparently this app can grab data from a disk (if you can see it).

If it essential there are companies who charge (£50?) per meg to recover data

[mullet_man]

Its TOBs laptop!!!!

super Stewie eh!!!

I tired those two linux CDs we had didn't seem to help!!!

[mrforgetful]

Not sure if this is any use if it's not findable, but I use one of these:

Akasa 2.5 Integral P2 HDD Enclosure Blue

http://www.cclonline.com/product-inf...ufacturer_id=0

Basically it's a USB2 device that you put your laptop HDD into and then connect to a normal PC's USB port, shows up as any other drive would and can just drag stuff off. Dead simple.

[Geoff]

Also consider freezing the drive before attempting data recovery. That sometimes helps freeing up crashed heads.

[CyberNerd]

Also consider freezing the drive before attempting data recovery. That sometimes helps freeing up crashed heads.

good advice. We've been known to put them in the freezer compartment of the staffroom fridge - and get some strange looks.

If the HDD doesn't show in the BIOS - your not going to get an OS to see it.
Also get an IDE to laptop IDE cable form CPC - about £3 so you can plug into a desktop

[Dos_Box]

If the HDD doesn't show in the BIOS - your not going to get an OS to see it.
Also get an IDE to laptop IDE cable form CPC - about £3 so you can plug into a desktop

A life saving part of my tool kit!

[mrforgetful]

If the HDD doesn't show in the BIOS - your not going to get an OS to see it.
Also get an IDE to laptop IDE cable form CPC - about £3 so you can plug into a desktop

A life saving part of my tool kit!

Bah, not as nice as my USB thingy!

[mullet_man]

Also consider freezing the drive before attempting data recovery. That sometimes helps freeing up crashed heads.

good advice. We've been known to put them in the freezer compartment of the staffroom fridge - and get some strange looks.

If the HDD doesn't show in the BIOS - your not going to get an OS to see it.
Also get an IDE to laptop IDE cable form CPC - about £3 so you can plug into a desktop

So do you think a desktop might see the drive if I get one of these cables?

[CyberNerd]

@mullet_ man
only if the IDE controller on the laptop is dead, which less unlikely than drive failure
I just find them useful for laptop/Desktop integration - also faster than USB.

Probably I'd go about it sortof like this:

get the drive recognised in a bios somehow (freezing / swapping out into another laptop)
boot a linux distro
image the drive

dd if=/dev/hdX of=/home/me/image

copy the image back to a good drive

dd if=/home/me/image of=/dev/hdX

replace and reboot

[mullet_man]

Yeah the laptop sees another drive fine, so it is the HD that is dead!!

[CyberNerd]

also... another option if you really can't get the drive seen in a bios is to get another drive (exact same model) and replace the circuit board with the broken drive. Its a bit fiddly but can work if you start running out of options.

[mullet_man]

Thanks for the advice, I will let you know how I get on!!!

[crc-ict]

Also get an IDE to laptop IDE cable form CPC - about £3 so you can plug into a desktop

Last time I used one of those (several moons ago) it fried the drive... An object lesson in making sure the connector is the right way round I think!

[CyberNerd]

CyberNerd wrote:
Also get an IDE to laptop IDE cable form CPC - about £3 so you can plug into a desktop

Last time I used one of those (several moons ago) it fried the drive... An object lesson in making sure the connector is the right way round I think!

ops: I made the same mistake, its easily done - Thankfully Lenovo were kind enough to replace their broken drive and I never did it since