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Daughter's HDD failed. Show up insome BGIOSs but not in others, and won't
even attempt to boot, so I'd say it's am electronic fault on it's PCB.

The recovery agencies I've sounded out so far will only give worst-case
estimates starting around $900.

Anybody have any good experiences with such a service, preferably around
Wellingtgon, but not necessarily. I don't want to be tied into a $900 fee
if it turns out to be minor fix.

geoff

PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !

"geoff" <> wrote in message
news:dv2dnfiq-...
> Daughter's HDD failed. Show up insome BGIOSs but not in others, and
> won't even attempt to boot, so I'd say it's am electronic fault on
> it's PCB.
>
> The recovery agencies I've sounded out so far will only give
> worst-case estimates starting around $900.
>
> Anybody have any good experiences with such a service, preferably
> around Wellingtgon, but not necessarily. I don't want to be tied
> into a $900 fee if it turns out to be minor fix.
>
> geoff
>
> PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !
>

You could try SpinRite first (http://www.grc.com/spinrite.htm)

It has saved hard disks for me in the past, and is a lot cheaper to
try out than $900!

--

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"geoff" <> wrote in message
news:dv2dnfiq-...
> Daughter's HDD failed. Show up insome BGIOSs but not in others, and won't
> even attempt to boot, so I'd say it's am electronic fault on it's PCB.
>
> The recovery agencies I've sounded out so far will only give worst-case
> estimates starting around $900.
>
> Anybody have any good experiences with such a service, preferably around
> Wellingtgon, but not necessarily. I don't want to be tied into a $900 fee
> if it turns out to be minor fix.
>
> geoff
>
> PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !
>

Forget about trying to boot the drive. Can you access any of the data files
you want by simply plugging it into another machine?

On Dec 20, 2:18 pm, "impossible" <impossi...@nospam.com> wrote:
> "geoff" <ge...@nospam-paf.co.nz> wrote in message
>
> news:dv2dnfiq-...
>
> > Daughter's HDD failed. Show up insome BGIOSs but not in others, and won't
> > even attempt to boot, so I'd say it's am electronic fault on it's PCB.
>
> > The recovery agencies I've sounded out so far will only give worst-case
> > estimates starting around $900.
>
> > Anybody have any good experiences with such a service, preferably around
> > Wellingtgon, but not necessarily. I don't want to be tied into a $900 fee
> > if it turns out to be minor fix.
>
> > geoff
>
> > PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !
>
> Forget about trying to boot the drive. Can you access any of the data files
> you want by simply plugging it into another machine?

Rather than re-plug drive into another machine, see if the
systemrescuecd rescue system will 'see' and read the HD.
See:
http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:21:48 -0800 (PST), peterwn <> wrote:

>On Dec 20, 2:18 pm, "impossible" <impossi...@nospam.com> wrote:
>> "geoff" <ge...@nospam-paf.co.nz> wrote in message
>>
>> news:dv2dnfiq-...
>>
>> > Daughter's HDD failed. Show up insome BGIOSs but not in others, and won't
>> > even attempt to boot, so I'd say it's am electronic fault on it's PCB.
>>
>> > The recovery agencies I've sounded out so far will only give worst-case
>> > estimates starting around $900.
>>
>> > Anybody have any good experiences with such a service, preferably around
>> > Wellingtgon, but not necessarily. I don't want to be tied into a $900 fee
>> > if it turns out to be minor fix.
>>
>> > geoff
>>
>> > PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !
>>
>> Forget about trying to boot the drive. Can you access any of the data files
>> you want by simply plugging it into another machine?
>
>Rather than re-plug drive into another machine, see if the
>systemrescuecd rescue system will 'see' and read the HD.
>See:
>http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page


I have read many reports on freezing the drive, that gets you a few min's to back up the data..

On 2007-12-19, geoff <> wrote:
>
> PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !
>
So she has paid the $900 bill then?

On Dec 20, 5:09 pm, no o...@noone.cnn wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:21:48 -0800 (PST), peterwn <pete...@paradise.net.nz> wrote:
> >On Dec 20, 2:18 pm, "impossible" <impossi...@nospam.com> wrote:
> >> "geoff" <ge...@nospam-paf.co.nz> wrote in message
>
> >>news:dv2dnfiq-...
>
> >> > Daughter's HDD failed. Show up insome BGIOSs but not in others, and won't
> >> > even attempt to boot, so I'd say it's am electronic fault on it's PCB.
>
> >> > The recovery agencies I've sounded out so far will only give worst-case
> >> > estimates starting around $900.
>
> >> > Anybody have any good experiences with such a service, preferably around
> >> > Wellingtgon, but not necessarily. I don't want to be tied into a $900 fee
> >> > if it turns out to be minor fix.
>
> >> > geoff
>
> >> > PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !
>
> >> Forget about trying to boot the drive. Can you access any of the data files
> >> you want by simply plugging it into another machine?
>
> >Rather than re-plug drive into another machine, see if the
> >systemrescuecd rescue system will 'see' and read the HD.
> >See:
> >http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page
>
> I have read many reports on freezing the drive, that gets you a few min's to back up the data..

The opposite may also help. In one instance I left the machine on
after it failed to boot so the drive warmed up to normal operating
temperature and it booted fine. The calibration must have been
getting marginal, and presumably would merely get worse.

> On Dec 20, 5:09 pm, no o...@noone.cnn wrote:
>> On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:21:48 -0800 (PST), peterwn

>> >> Forget about trying to boot the drive. Can you access any of the
>> >> data files you want by simply plugging it into another machine?
>>
>> >Rather than re-plug drive into another machine, see if the
>> >systemrescuecd rescue system will 'see' and read the HD. See:
>> >http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page
>>
>> I have read many reports on freezing the drive, that gets you a few
>> min's to back up the data..

Freezing for an hour (seal plastic freezer bag) then booting with
SystemRescue CD has done the trick for me several times. A (very) basic
knowledge of Linux is needed. If you want point and click use Knoppix
Rescue CD instead.

Regards
Lodi

impossible wrote:
> "geoff" <> wrote in message
> news:dv2dnfiq-...
>> Daughter's HDD failed. Show up insome BGIOSs but not in others, and
>> won't even attempt to boot, so I'd say it's am electronic fault on
>> it's PCB. The recovery agencies I've sounded out so far will only give
>> worst-case estimates starting around $900.
>>
>> Anybody have any good experiences with such a service, preferably
>> around Wellingtgon, but not necessarily. I don't want to be tied
>> into a $900 fee if it turns out to be minor fix.
>>
>> geoff
>>
>> PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !
>>
>
> Forget about trying to boot the drive. Can you access any of the
> data files you want by simply plugging it into another machine?

Other machine(s) will not boot with this drive attatched.

geoff

Somewhere on teh intarweb "geoff" typed:
> impossible wrote:
>> "geoff" <> wrote in message
>> news:dv2dnfiq-...
>>> Daughter's HDD failed. Show up insome BGIOSs but not in others, and
>>> won't even attempt to boot, so I'd say it's am electronic fault on
>>> it's PCB. The recovery agencies I've sounded out so far will only
>>> give worst-case estimates starting around $900.
>>>
>>> Anybody have any good experiences with such a service, preferably
>>> around Wellingtgon, but not necessarily. I don't want to be tied
>>> into a $900 fee if it turns out to be minor fix.
>>>
>>> geoff
>>>
>>> PS Yes, she has now learned the value of backing up !
>>>
>>
>> Forget about trying to boot the drive. Can you access any of the
>> data files you want by simply plugging it into another machine?
>
> Other machine(s) will not boot with this drive attatched.

Not calling you a liar but I find that hard to believe. Unless there is a
dead short in the 12V/5V electrical supply that causes the PSU to shut down
instantly. Do the "other machines" actually get as far as BIOS or are they
dead? (No BIOS, no beeps....)

Have you tried it with a IDE - USB adapter? I find those handy at times, got
one for ~$15 off Trademe that works just fine with normal IDE HDDs, laptop
drives and optical drives.
--
TTFN,

Shaun.

"your a moron"
"Neoren", alt.drugs.hard. 20 Oct 2007

"another academic failure.... trying to prove that your smart"
'blanking', nz.comp, 20 Dec 2007.