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mehulkamdar
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 3688
Loc: State of Ill-Annoy USA.
How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer?
      #146020 - 16/11/09 11:59 AM

As my friends have noticed, I have not been online for a few days as an unusually strong surge not only destroyed my previous computer's motherboard, it also overran the surge protectors before it did this. While I do hope to either collect insurance on the loss of an expensive computer, I have some data on the ahrd disk that I would like to retrieve. There are over 2500 pictures and illustrations of various fine guns, many sent to me confidentially by gunmakers in several countries and friends who have acquired unique pieces for their respective collections, links to over 400 gunmakers and gunsmiths websites, many of which are not normally acessible on a web search (again, many of these have been sent to me in confidence) and some personal files with article drafts for various ideas that I have been working on.

I have received quotes ranging from $ 250 at Staples to as high as $ 1200 from the manufacturer of the computer that got damaged for retrieving this data. Does anyone have any experience with any business that does this work? I would be very grateful for any advice that anyone could give me.

--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: mehulkamdar]
      #146030 - 16/11/09 12:23 PM

I had a hard drive crash on a fairly new Dell last spring--on that particular crash--nothing could be retrieve as the arm had actually dropped on the disk and it was completely destroyed..or so I was told by the local tech..

Have had others where it was retrieved by the same tech..depends greatly on the extent of damage to the actual disk/drive

Having said that, my sister is a forensic computer investigator for a major oil company..she says she can retrieve almost anything if it is somewhat useable even if it has been erased by the user...

I would think it should not cost more than $250 to $350. to have it done if possible..

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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DoubleD
.400 member


Reged: 23/11/03
Posts: 2392
Loc: Retired in Oklahoma
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: mehulkamdar]
      #146037 - 16/11/09 01:01 PM

I had a hard drive failure a couple of weeks ago. Dell replaced my hard drive no charge. Boot sector failure. The Local Dell tech told me that in my case often times the drive can be hooked up as a slave drive and files saved.

He told me the chains charge big money as people are willing to pay for the service and don't know where to look for help.

He suggested I look in the yellow pages for computer repair and start calling.

I did and found a local guy who would do it for $75.

Took my HD in and he saved everything I asked for.

While he was doing that, he told me that data can be recovered from most failures using slaving and simple recovery utilities. It only becomes expensive when the hard drive mechanically won't function or is damaged but even then as long as the disk is intact the data can usually recover.

I didn't have him recover every thing. The only thing I didn't get was email addrsses and only because we didn't know where to look.

While in the shop I bought a desktop hard drive-1 terabyte. I backed up all 4 computers in the house to this hard drive and still have 855 gigabytes of storage space.

I also combined all the old document files and picture from the 4 computers in one master file for each subject.

I can access these files from any computer in the house. But the best part is this hard drive is only connected to power or a computer when backing up or aceessing a file. The rest of the time it just sits on the shelf.

--------------------
DD, Ret.

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9.3x57
.450 member


Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5501
Loc: United States
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: DoubleD]
      #146049 - 16/11/09 11:40 PM

Fellows:

Assuming you have personal information, financial, SS#'s, etc, etc on those computers, aren't you concerned that whoever you hand the computer to might access that info on the way and do something nefarious with it?

I've got one sitting around that I'd like the pictures recovered from, but don't want the other info stolen.

--------------------
What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

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Yochanan
.375 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 912
Loc: Volksdiktatur Schweden
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: 9.3x57]
      #146052 - 17/11/09 12:17 AM

Mehul,
Talk to the IT guy's. Often the drive can easily be saved unless it has mechanically crashed.
I run back up often, the drive is then stored in my safe and the information is encrypted, 4096 bit or more, to prevent curiosity. A year ago, or so, I bought a Seagate free agent go to use as back up - runs solely on usb and no external power.

Now, learn from the accident and get a back up drive that is not connected to the computer.
Johan

--------------------
© "I have never been able to appreciate 'shock' as applied to killing big game. It seems to me that you cannot kill an elephant weighing six tons by ´shock´unless you advocate the use of a field gun." - W.D.M. Bell: Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter.

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450_366
.400 member


Reged: 17/01/07
Posts: 1068
Loc: Sweden, west-coast.
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: Yochanan]
      #146054 - 17/11/09 01:02 AM

When you get the new computer try to put it in as a slave as mentioned before.
Its quite easy, you need to move a jumper on the back of the hard drive to put it in slave mode, how to move it is displayed in the drive.
If its the old style with the wide connector, just put it to the ide connection on the new motherboard using the old cable but change the connection to the one in the middle for the HD.
If its an sata just plug it in.

Then connect the power to the hd and start the computer, if everything is right it should appear under the rest of the drives in the tree under something like e: or whatever is avaiable on that computer.

--------------------
Andreas

"Yeas it kicks like a mule he said, but always remember that its much worse standing on the other end"

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DoubleD
.400 member


Reged: 23/11/03
Posts: 2392
Loc: Retired in Oklahoma
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: 9.3x57]
      #146057 - 17/11/09 01:54 AM

Quote:

Fellows:

Assuming you have personal information, financial, SS#'s, etc, etc on those computers, aren't you concerned that whoever you hand the computer to might access that info on the way and do something nefarious with it?

I've got one sitting around that I'd like the pictures recovered from, but don't want the other info stolen.



Sure I was concerned, and that's one of the reasons the Dell Tech suggested I find sombody local. He said sending it off some where and they just copy everything. You have no idea what they copy or how many copies they make.

Going to a local guy and slaving it simply opens it ands shows you the directory while stand you stand there and watch. Like opening a CD or floppy disk. You select the files you want copied.

Oh and after the we were through the guy ran the HD through an electronic shredder. The guy said the electronic shredder is why he has to charges so much, the programm is expensive.

--------------------
DD, Ret.

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500grains
.416 member


Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: DoubleD]
      #146063 - 17/11/09 02:48 AM

I have tried local for data recovery, but without success. However, I have used the Iomega data recovery service. They charged me $1300 but got everything off a melted hard drive.

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9.3x57
.450 member


Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5501
Loc: United States
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: DoubleD]
      #146066 - 17/11/09 03:36 AM

Quote:

Quote:


Going to a local guy and slaving it simply opens it ands shows you the directory while stand you stand there and watch. Like opening a CD or floppy disk. You select the files you want copied.




Thanks.

That's what I wondered.

How long did it take?

--------------------
What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

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tkv000
.300 member


Reged: 02/01/08
Posts: 118
Loc: Canada
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: 9.3x57]
      #146083 - 17/11/09 03:18 PM

I do this for a living, so here's some tips/tricks, they go in order of expense/trouble/ease and different senerio's ect:

First and foremost, if you don't know what your doing, don't do anything, if the disk is corrupt, or parts are written over, the more you access the disk (hard drive) the more corrupt it will become

If the drive is accessible:

If the drive is still ok, slave it, and retrieve your data

If the drive is corrupt, slave it, and use GetDataBack, its cheap, and extremely effective, I use it all the time to recover deleted files, I can go back sometimes months to get data

There's other recovery software as well, but I find GetDataBack as good as any.

If the drive is not accessible:

I have loads and loads of dead drives I keep, on 90% of hard drives, in the circut board blows on the drive from brownout or overload, you can just change the board off the drive, its secured usually with a few torx screws, and a few very small ribbon cables

There is a method knowen as "the freezer trick" it involves:

Having a PC ready that you can slave the drive.

Put the Drive in the freezer in a plastic bag to keep frost off, for a few hours (4-6) quickly slave the drive on your space PC, and get your data off ASAP, seriously, it works

If you have a clean room (hey, you never know right?)

You can swap the platens/platters out with another housing, its advanced, I've done it, its a last resort

You can also send your drive away to get the data recovered off it, there are business that do it, last time my work sent some drives in, it was $4500, but it was our domain controller, so it was worth every penny

You can also "Clone" the drive, using something like Norton Ghost (now symantic ghost)and sometimes get your data off that way, or at lease have a backup of your data to send away, keeping the original in your hands.

If your in a bind, you can ship me the drive, and I'll run my software and methods against it and see, I wouldn't charge you, I follow the FOIP standards (ie, I wouldn't copy your stuff and post it everyhwere) if its not data sensitive. I've done 2 drives last week, with 99% success rate (there were encryped files that didn't recover on one). Offer's open anyway, as I said, I do it for a living, and wouldn't mind helping a fellow gun nut out.

If the data's still on there, I can say with 99% certainly I can get it back as well as anyone out there.

9.3x57, same goes, if you want to ship it bonded courier, I can have a crack at it, and would ship it bonded back, keeping in mind customs may have a look at it, you never know.

This assumes of course your data is NTFS or FAT, I don't work with Mac's

-Trev

Edit: Almost forgot, if you don't feel comfortable opening your new PC to slave the drive, figure out if your old drive is IDE or SATA (google will help) and purchase an external drive enclosure, put your old drive inside, boot up your new computer, plug in the drive via USB, and voila! all your files should be on there (assuming the drive is OK)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...5-133-_-Product

(That ones IDE)

--------------------
"…and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him,"

Edited by tkv000 (17/11/09 03:23 PM)

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mehulkamdar
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 3688
Loc: State of Ill-Annoy USA.
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: tkv000]
      #146315 - 21/11/09 02:51 AM

Gentlemen,

Thank you very much for the excelent advice here. I don't have any passwords or whatever on the PC - as I said, what I have are pictures of some very fine guns and some saved website links - again, mostly of gunmakers, accessory makers and similar. Some of these pictures are on DVDs where I ahd copied them some time ago. Unfortunately, I have no idea which ones I am missing. When you have detailed pictures of over a couple of thousand fine guns, then it is difficult to remember each and every one that you have pics of.

I shall be traveling tomorrow and shall work on the basis of the superb advice that I have received here as soon as I am back.

Thank you very much again. I am grateful to everyone who has posted here.

--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39203
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: tkv000]
      #146320 - 21/11/09 03:29 AM

Quote:

You can also send your drive away to get the data recovered off it, there are business that do it, last time my work sent some drives in, it was $4500, but it was our domain controller, so it was worth every penny



Cost me about $700 to do this on the data folder.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Bramble
.375 member


Reged: 29/07/06
Posts: 950
Loc: England
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: NitroX]
      #146335 - 21/11/09 12:11 PM

I have had great sucess on 2 occasions by using one of the HD Chassis. This one on the desk now is made by "Akasa"
you take the drive plug it in and close the case. It has a USB output and its own power supply. On both occasions the other PC just recognised it as an additional drive and all the data was there, it simply ignored the old Opperating system.

Regards

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tkv000
.300 member


Reged: 02/01/08
Posts: 118
Loc: Canada
Re: How can I retrieve information from a damaged computer? [Re: NitroX]
      #146538 - 24/11/09 08:15 AM

Quote:

Quote:

You can also send your drive away to get the data recovered off it, there are business that do it, last time my work sent some drives in, it was $4500, but it was our domain controller, so it was worth every penny



Cost me about $700 to do this on the data folder.



It was several HD's, in a RAID configuration, corrupt data over several volumes, and we needed it up in two days. The more you need it, the more it costs.

--------------------
"…and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him,"

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