Re: [PLUG] Desperate call for help - HDD problems...

[Paul <paul@dpagin.net>]

> Yeah, I know. But as a college prof. you don't get much time to
> monkey around computer 'maintenance' duties. You end up doing the
> bare minimum, which in this case looks like will come back to bite
> me in the arse.

One thing that would not require attention, but that would protect 
your system in the future is a UPS.  If you have one, I guess it ran 
out of power before you knew the main power was down.  I hope there 
was a good reason for cutting the power without letting everyone know 
it was going to happen!


> >As an extreme, last resort solution, you could move the platters
> > to a new drive to recover the data.  Even if the heads crashed,
> > they could not have taken out the entire disk.  More than likely
> > it's just a case of "sticktion" or bad electronics.
>
> I was thinking about this. I would need at least the
> electronics/mechanics of the same make model drive, right? I think
> I can do this, but I am willing to do it is someone else out there
> tells me that they've done it and it worked...

There are data recovery services that you can find on the Web.  Maybe 
Seagate will recover the data as an extra $ervice to replacing the 
drive.

I don't personally know anyone who has actually moved platters, but 
it's a theoretically sound idea, and it would really impress your 
computer friends. 8-)

Another thing that some people try is tapping on the drive to free 
the heads.  Although, a data recovery site stated that that is one of 
the things that causes more damage, along with repeated attempts to 
start the bad drive.

What does a new 18GB Cheetah cost?  What is the data worth?

Maybe Monday will bring the opinions of people more experienced with 
data recovery and drive mechanics.

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