[Discussion] The Hard Drive, Flash Drive and Storage thread

[wait4me]

anyone know where i can bring in my maxtor hardisk to change ?

[apeesc]

Maxtor is now Seagate, so easier to check with the shop you bough the HDD from

esle need to RMA .. check Seagate website

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

In 2011, storage pwns you.

 

HDDs and flash drives are so cheap there's no longer any need for much housekeeping.

 

Having dedicated hard drives for intensive disk usage like Photoshop/Premiere/game video capture stuff works wonders to improve performance and reduces wear and tear on the primary partition.

 

The ultimate is of course, investing in a lightning quick SSD (solid state drive) for applications that require random data read speed and lots of it. SSDs are a bit more pricey, of course.

[Fried Rice]

i have a hard disc that has been formatted several times already and i have reinstalled a new os after a format each time.

 

is it possible to recover some data in the hard disc? i suddenly recalled that there are some data i need inside the hard disc.

 

if yes, do tell me what are the steps to do and what software that would be useful for me.

 

thanks!

[crazydj]

There is this free program called Recuva. Google it out. It works la for normal people like us. But if your files are really important, i suggest you go to a professional data recovery centre.

[Demon]

i have a hard disc that has been formatted several times already and i have reinstalled a new os after a format each time.

 

is it possible to recover some data in the hard disc? i suddenly recalled that there are some data i need inside the hard disc.

 

if yes, do tell me what are the steps to do and what software that would be useful for me.

 

thanks!

 

It depends on the capacity of the HD, and how much of it has been written over when you re-installed the OS. If the data are in that sector that has been written over, then there is no way to recover the lost data.

 

Personally, I have used this program called Zero Assumption Recovery (ZAR). With the free version. you can only recover up to 3 folders at one time. I have managed to do a partial recovery with a HD that has been re-partitioned.

 

Good luck.

[Fried Rice]

thanks @crazydj and @Demon for the information.

 

edit: the data in the hard disc has not been overwritten at all as I never install new stuff.

 

i have tried using the recommended program from crazydj, but i can't execute the data recovery thingy successfully as before the program is completed, my desktop keeps having blue screen of death the BSOD is not caused by the data recovery program, its just a old illness that my desktop has been facing.

 

 

any solutions?

Edited September 8, 2011 by Fried Rice

[crazydj]

thanks @crazydj and @Demon for the information.

 

edit: the data in the hard disc has not been overwritten at all as I never install new stuff.

 

i have tried using the recommended program from crazydj, but i can't execute the data recovery thingy successfully as before the program is completed, my desktop keeps having blue screen of death the BSOD is not caused by the data recovery program, its just a old illness that my desktop has been facing.

 

 

any solutions?

 

Plug your HDD into an external casing and do it from a more stable computer or laptop. Then work from there. I've used Recuva a couple of times and it works, but like what Demon mentioned, if you have 'replaced the information in that record', you have no way of recovering it.

[Fried Rice]

@crazydj

 

i shall try the program you recommended. so i guess i will need to buy a external casing to connect the hard disc of my desktop to my laptop and work my way from there right? how much do those external casing cost? i think i should be able to buy one of those at any computer stores?

[crazydj]

@crazydj

 

i shall try the program you recommended. so i guess i will need to buy a external casing to connect the hard disc of my desktop to my laptop and work my way from there right? how much do those external casing cost? i think i should be able to buy one of those at any computer stores?

 

Yup. These casings are cheap. During my time, the regular or normal ones were 10 bucks. Now should find cheaper. Must also see your hard disk whether sata or ide. But best you bring your hard disk there as well la. If your hard disk is a desktop harddisk its 3.5 inches if its a laptop its a 2.5 inchs. Then must see whether its sata or ide. During my time they were all ide, but now i guess should be sata. Haha. I'm so old.

[Fried Rice]

Yup. These casings are cheap. During my time, the regular or normal ones were 10 bucks. Now should find cheaper. Must also see your hard disk whether sata or ide. But best you bring your hard disk there as well la. If your hard disk is a desktop harddisk its 3.5 inches if its a laptop its a 2.5 inchs. Then must see whether its sata or ide. During my time they were all ide, but now i guess should be sata. Haha. I'm so old.

 

@crazydj

 

good to hear that the casings are cheap. looks like after i recover my data i could use my desktop hard disk as an external hard disk for my lap top i will be sure to bring my hard disk there so i won't buy the wrong casing and make a wasted trip

 

thanks for the information!

 

speaking of old, i think maybe we are around the same age

[Fried Rice]

i brought an enclosure for my sata hard disc. after i connect my enclosure to my hard disc i can only see 5.67gb on my computer instead of the actual 160gb..

 

any advice?

[crazydj]

i brought an enclosure for my sata hard disc. after i connect my enclosure to my hard disc i can only see 5.67gb on my computer instead of the actual 160gb..

 

any advice?

 

We need more details of your SATA HDD. Was it an old or new HDD? If its new, you need to format it according to size. Go to administrative tools -> computer management-> storage -> disk management(Local) and format from there.

 

If its old, we need more details on it such as from where, all that stuff. You can also check perhaps got some "unallocated" space by using the above method.

 

Also got diff between sata2 and sata 3. Perhaps incompatibility? Details bro... Details...

[Fried Rice]

We need more details of your SATA HDD. Was it an old or new HDD? If its new, you need to format it according to size. Go to administrative tools -> computer management-> storage -> disk management(Local) and format from there.

 

If its old, we need more details on it such as from where, all that stuff. You can also check perhaps got some "unallocated" space by using the above method.

 

Also got diff between sata2 and sata 3. Perhaps incompatibility? Details bro... Details...

 

its an old one.. i got it from my old cpu. i think it can only read 5gb because i partitioned it before while trying to install new os when my HDD was still in my cpu. below is some photos of my HDD and enclosure..

 

http://imageshack.us/g/502/dsc00777c.jpg/

 

i have tried your method and it seems like i have some 'unallocated' space like you mentioned.. my objective is to recover the data in this hard disk.. so what do i do now?

Edited October 26, 2011 by Fried Rice

[Fried Rice]

in case anyone is confused.. this thread is a continuation of the previous thread i made (link: http://www.singaporebikes.com/forums/showthread.php/333131-can-i-do-it)

 

EDIT: Hi there, your said thread is now collated and inserted within this big discussion thread ~redbeacon

Edited November 1, 2011 by redbeacon

[crazydj]

That, you can try recuva like i told you to. Or try to google some other programs. But from what i understand, if you format and reformat and reformat it, your 'new data' might overwrite your 'old data' and hence, you end up really losing your files.

 

Let me try to explain in very simple examples.

1) Imagine an empty bookshelf.

2) Got 10 slots for your books.

3) You fill up your 10 slots. You delete 3 books.

4) Your 3 books are still there but you just remove the label of the books only. You still may recover these files.

5) You fill up with 3 new books. They REPLACE the UNLABELLED books in the 3 slots. You lose your books forever.

6) You reformat your hard drive.

7) All labels for the books are GONE. You still have your books there but it appears to USER as it is empty.

8) You add 5 more books. They REPLACE 5 slots.

9) So now you have 5 new books with labels and 5 old books without labels. It appears to you as if your drive is 50% used. If you add more books, like explained above, they will be REPLACED.

 

So in essence, deleting a file/formating a drive only removes the pointer to that record(the book label), but the information in that record is still there until replaced.(Book is physically there until it is replaced with a new book.

 

You can try free programs to recover that data but if you really need it, you got to use a professional. Really. It can sometimes take weeks just recovering the data. You pay like between $50 plus to hundreds, but really up to you.

[Fried Rice]

I understand your explanation. Thanks

 

But now I can't even view the actual 160gb of the hard disk. I can only view 5gb. I have used the software you have recommended but to no avail... I still see total size as 5gb only

[crazydj]

In computer management, try to re-allocate the spaces. So like... You have 5GB allocated, 155GB unallocated. Try to reallocate this 155GB and make it into a 'blank space', 'join the 5GB partition' or 'create a new partition'. After than then use recuva.

 

I cannot guarantee you this will work but its a shot in the dark.

[haoKR]

e 16gb hdd in this case,external or internal hdd for ur com?

 

if all else fails,reformart

[Fried Rice]

In computer management, try to re-allocate the spaces. So like... You have 5GB allocated, 155GB unallocated. Try to reallocate this 155GB and make it into a 'blank space', 'join the 5GB partition' or 'create a new partition'. After than then use recuva.

 

I cannot guarantee you this will work but its a shot in the dark.

 

your method worked i managed to relocate it and use revcuca to do a data recovery. however i didn't managed to recover the exact data i wanted.

 

thanks for your help all this while, i appreciate it very much

 

 

e 16gb hdd in this case,external or internal hdd for ur com?

 

if all else fails,reformart

 

i managed to solve my problem already.. thanks for your help too!

[crazydj]

your method worked i managed to relocate it and use revcuca to do a data recovery. however i didn't managed to recover the exact data i wanted.

 

thanks for your help all this while, i appreciate it very much

 

Like i explained, reformat too many times. Modified too many times. If you really want to recover, seek professional. Haha. Reminds me of the TT Durai case.

[xXxRatedxXx]

i brought an enclosure for my sata hard disc. after i connect my enclosure to my hard disc i can only see 5.67gb on my computer instead of the actual 160gb..

 

any advice?

 

Your computer spoil already... must overhaul. *strokes moustache*

[crazydj]

Your computer spoil already... must overhaul. *strokes moustache*

 

Dammit stop trolling xXxRatedxXx! There may be morons, idiots and fools talking trash on the 'regular' motorbike topics, but HELL NO you shall not do that on the damn IT section.

 

This is the only sanctuary remaining for me where i don't need to take crap like "y u no put 2t in 4 stroke bike fuel tank?!" or any other similar internet based meme related to motorbikes. Haha.

[crazydj]

Your computer spoil already... must overhaul. *strokes moustache*

 

Dammit stop trolling xXxRatedxXx! There may be morons, idiots and fools talking trash on the 'regular' motorbike topics, but HELL NO you shall not do that on the damn IT section.

 

This is the only sanctuary remaining for me where i don't need to take crap like "y u no put 2t in 4 stroke bike fuel tank?!" or any other similar internet based meme related to motorbikes. Haha.

[Fried Rice]

Like i explained, reformat too many times. Modified too many times. If you really want to recover, seek professional. Haha. Reminds me of the TT Durai case.

 

how does this reminds you of tt durai case?