Berkshire Laptop hard drive recovery?

[MrChips]

I've well and truly fubared my laptop, been attempting a data recovery disk but having it running for 1 week and it's only at 10% done!

Anyone got any recommendations for computer wizards near Reading who may be able to recover the data and supply a new hard disk?
It's a Sony Viao if that makes any difference.

Cheers
Dave

[wackojacko]

I warned you about those dodgy sites mate.....

[C350]

Full on recovery companies will charge a fortune. Try Computer Doctor in Wokingham, we have had dealing in the past. There are a couple of shops down the Oxford Road, can't vouch for them though

[BrightYellowTVR]

Can recommend these guys.. http://www.brianbass.com/

Worth getting a couple of quotes though.

Cheers Jon

[flimper]

I used these guys in Farncombe, very good prices and got the job done fine

http://www.primocomputers.co.uk/primocomputers.htm

[Ej74]

I used Fields data recovery who were excellent.

I used this software (www.acronis.co.uk) myself to perform a recovery, remove hard disk place to external case, insert new hard drive into computer and go - worked a treat for me.

If you want to borrow my copy of the software - you're more than welcome !

[marshalla]

Before you go any further, what's the problem ? what sort of errors are you seeing ?

[MrChips]

Cheers team!
Basically it's been running slow for a couple of weeks, then whilst backing up pics onto an external hard drive, it froze.
Restarting could only get to a blue windows background, looking like it's trying to run the startup repair process, but won't go any further.
F2 seems to open, but v.slow although running a hard disc test shows it as ok, but it took ages to run.
Borrowed a windows disc and it won't even boot from the cd drive, it runs the disc but then freezes.
I'm thinking it's something physical rather than software based but really need someone with a bit more expert knowledge.

[badgerade]

When I had similar issues with a laptop I downloaded a version of KNOPPIX (linux distro) and stuck it on a CD to get the PC to boot up. Copied everything over to an external drive and then stuck a new drive in and reinstalled windows. From what I can gather, windows is a lot more fussy than other OS's around the state of the hard drive.

[marshalla]

It sounds, to me, like your drive is on its way out - either through bad blocks or imminent failure of the hardware itself. I'd start by getting a decent bootable Linux disc and using the SMART tools to check the health of the drive then, if the drive is still readable, copying as much as possible off it now.

If the SMART tools report no problems, I'd be looking for problems elsewhere (e.g. motherboard and/or PSU).

If there are major problems, then it may still be recoverable - but it could be expensive.

[MrChips]

Cheers. It's been at a friends house running a Linux based data recovery disc but in his terminology it's "being French" so I think I'm going to put it down to experience and just get a new hard disk fitted.

Any recommendations for online places?

[gruffalo]

May sound strange but stick it in the freezer for 30 mins or so, all the worn mechanical bit in the hard drive contract so normally starts working again long enough to complete a back up.

Has worked for me a couple of times.

[OldSkoolRS]

I've bought hard discs from Ebuyer and Overclockers in the past, though like any shop on the web, you'll find someone that has had bad service from both of them...

Regarding the data on the disc, is there anything important such as photos, etc that you don't have copies of? If so I'd be willing to try using some recovery software I have that can recover even deleted files, in return for a ride in your Tuscan.

[MrChips]

I've ordered a new drive from dabs, gone for a 120gb SSD so i might as well try the freezer trick tonight on the old drive!

Oldskool, what software is it? From my Microsoft pal he's sure it's just that the drive has physically failed somewhere.
There's nothing on there that I'd cry over if I can't recover it, but a few pics from the last year or so which would be great to get back. The fact it failed in the middle of backing up everything to my external drive is just funny!

[OldSkoolRS]

Sorry for the delay, been out in my car.

The software is the kind that the police use to find deleted files on dodgy people's computers if you know what I mean...If you delete files, then they are still on the disc until that particular area of the hard disc is written over again, so this software can recover them. I can't remember the name, but it cost about £350 a few years ago as I needed it for work...obviously I kept a backup copy for safety. I'd put the disc in an external caddy and use my PC to recover/copy the files off it, so you don't need to boot your HD into windows.

[marshalla]

OldSkoolRS said:

Sorry for the delay, been out in my car.

The software is the kind that the police use to find deleted files on dodgy people's computers if you know what I mean...If you delete files, then they are still on the disc until that particular area of the hard disc is written over again, so this software can recover them. I can't remember the name, but it cost about £350 a few years ago as I needed it for work...obviously I kept a backup copy for safety. I'd put the disc in an external caddy and use my PC to recover/copy the files off it, so you don't need to boot your HD into windows.

If it's EnCase or FTK or similar, they don't really work with damaged drives. Evidence recovery isn't the same as data recovery.

The CAINE and DEFT discs that I've suggested on another thread have some open source (i.e. nothing dodgy about the licences) equivalents on them that can do as good a job (if not better) than some of the commercial "forensic" tools.

[silverfoxcc]

Have a similar problem
Laptop went 'NO'

So reloaded the vista prog and all OK except it said i could recover my old files, but i cannot find any of my Microsoft office letters.

Was it telling porkies or can i find them?