Fix disk drive error or pay for data recovery?

June 9, 2009 12:09 PM

Computer has "disk read error press ctrl + alt + delete" problem. I would like to get the data off it, and put it on a new computer. Is this something I can get fixed and then get the data off of it? Or do I need to pay out the nose for a data recovery person?

So windows xp computer says "disk read error press ctrl + alt + delete." Do it, and you go back to the same error screen.

I'm a computer idiot. I know nothing about them mechanically. I would like the data off the computer (photos, documents). The data was all on the d: drive (my idiot's understanding is that I had one drive that was partitioned into a c: and d: drive).

So, I don't know if that is even something that can be fixed. But I checked with a reputable data recovery place.

They did a free initial screening of the drive. This is what they responded with:

"Your drive has sustained mechanical failure and requires clean room work and proprietary procedures in order to bypass the damage and recover your data.
Your drive has sustained mechanical failure to internal parts within the drive.
The media is in working conditions, but may have intermittent problems and is suggested to be replaced.
Drive clicks 3 times and then stops, and won't ID"

Cost of recovery: $1,600.

Now, I'd like the data off there. I don't know if I want it bad enough for $1,600.

My question is this: from that can anyone tell what is wrong with the computer, and if so, whether it is something that can be fixed to get the data? I'm planning on throwing away the whole thing and getting a new computer; I just want the data at this point. But I'd rather find a cheaper route than paying the $1600 for the data recovery. So maybe fix the drive and get the data myself? Or is $1600 a reasonable price to pay to get the data given the skill required to retrieve it, or can I likely find a cheaper place for this?

posted by dios to computers & internet (20 comments total)

And I'd be happy to provide further information, but please be aware that I'm limited in what I can tell you by own ignorance.

And I learned a valuable (but expensive) lesson about backing up my computer.
posted by dios at 12:10 PM on June 9

Does it do this error on startup, or when accessing files?

Does it make icky noises?

Personally, I'd throw the drive in another machine, boot up that machine and see what it reads.
posted by notsnot at 12:26 PM on June 9

It does it on startup. And if it makes noises, I guess my ear is not refined enough to pick it up.

The specialists did say:

"Your drive has sustained mechanical failure and requires clean room work and proprietary procedures in order to bypass the damage and recover your data.
Your drive has sustained mechanical failure to internal parts within the drive.
The media is in working conditions, but may have intermittent problems and is suggested to be replaced.
Drive clicks 3 times and then stops, and won't ID"

So they seem to think it clicks, I guess.

How hard is it to "throw it in another machine"? Mind you, I've never even seen the inside of a computer.
posted by dios at 12:29 PM on June 9

You can try the freezer trick, then rigging it up to a working computer with a usb to ide/sata adapter.
posted by liquoredonlife at 12:52 PM on June 9

The secret part about computer repair is that there's really not much to it. For the most part, moving a drive from one computer to another involves unplugging cables on one and plugging in the same cables on the other. It doesn't matter which cables, really. If they don't physically fit then they're the wrong cables.

I am glossing over details, but it really isn't that hard. The most annoying part is usually physically removing the drive because some manufacturers don't design their cases with this in mind. Newer Dell cases are an exception - it's often very easy to open the case and remove drives without tools.

Grab a screwdriver, open the case, and look for this thing. Remove it by unscrewing or unclipping whatever's holding it on the sides. unplug these cables from the back of it (or these cables, if it's an older computer).

Slide the drive out. At this point you can do the reverse on another computer or you can purchase a set of cables that will allow you to hook the drive up to a USB port. That's the easiest, mechanically.
posted by odinsdream at 12:58 PM on June 9

First of all you have my sympathies. The actual hard disk drives definitely should not be opened and worked upon. If you can get the drive to spin up and read, you might be able to use data recovery software to get some or all of your files back. On the other hand, if the drive is clicking, you may be damaging it further just by running the computer. If you want to try a DIY recovery, you'll need to install a new hard drive, and use a bootable data recovery CD.

What's the value of your data to you? Is there some urgency or do you have the time to shop around for a lower rate ($1600 seems a few hundred high, but I've been out of the tech industry for a while)?
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:04 PM on June 9

If I were to do remove it and hook it up with the IDE/SATA thing to a new computer, would the new computer recognize it as a simple drive that can be copied and pasted from, like a thumb drive?

Also, would this get around the disk read error thing?
posted by dios at 1:04 PM on June 9

What's the value of your data to you? Is there some urgency or do you have the time to shop around for a lower rate ($1600 seems a few hundred high, but I've been out of the tech industry for a while)?
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:04 PM on June 9

No urgency. Have my tax records on it (which I would need if ever audited). Has some other word and excel documents that I'd like to have. Have music and photos I would like on it.

$1400 to $1600 isn't much of a difference for me. If this is something that can be done for $400, then I'd like that. But if that is reasonable in the ballpark for this kind of thing, then I just have to decide to pay it, I guess.
posted by dios at 1:07 PM on June 9

Sorry, wasn't reading carefully enough. If you want to try a DIY recover, install the malfunctioning drive as a second drive in your new computer, and run data recovery software from the windows install.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:08 PM on June 9

Let me clarify that last statement: the place that has it and is ready to do it right now is charging $1600. If retrieving it and spending time bargain shopping will save me only $100-200, then that is probably not worth it to me: I'd just have these guys do it and my idiot tax for not backing up. However, if this is something I could go to the Best Buy Geek Squad desk and get it done for like 25% of that cost, then it would be worth it to me.
posted by dios at 1:10 PM on June 9

Clicking is bad. Any sounds like that are hardware and nothing short of fixing the components will bring the drive back.

What's awesome is that wiki article has links to audio of dying drives. I wonder if I can get one as a ringtone...

The price sounds typical but on the higher end for data recovery. Might be the place, the economy, the difficulty of the job, but it's not double or triple the going rate.
posted by anti social order at 1:12 PM on June 9

Geek squad will not be helpful in this case.

Shopping around might save you a few $100. Last time I did a recovery for a clicking drive was ~$1200 for ~200GB but that was almost 2 years ago now.
posted by anti social order at 1:15 PM on June 9

You can try putting it in the freezer.

Generally, clicks means mechanical failure, so software solutions like SpinRite arent going to help. It sounds like a straight forward failure, so you may be able to get a better price if you call around.
posted by damn dirty ape at 1:27 PM on June 9

FWIW, a friend use these guys a few years back and got a decent price.
posted by damn dirty ape at 1:31 PM on June 9

Shop around, at least get a quote where you don't have to pay if they don't recover most of your data. Depending on the problem, you may not recover much in the way of useful information with any method.

In case your data doesn't come back, you might want to get the ball rolling now on getting new copies of things before the file retention date passes. Bank statements, credit card statements, stock basis info, of course. Also, the IRS has a transcript request service for things like tax returns, 1099 forms, W-2s, etc... Won't get any scanned receipts back of course.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:37 PM on June 9

By the sounds of it, the drive motors have failed in some manner, and it doesn't even successfully start up (ID), so putting it another machine or trying a software recovery isn't going to get you very far - and may even be damaging the disk surface as you keep trying.

By the sounds of it, a data recovery firm is your only option for any recovery - shopping around for prices is about all you can do at this point - and keep your fingers crossed that there's anything left to recover of your important stuff, though it should be mostly recoverable.
posted by ArkhanJG at 4:44 PM on June 9

There are no 'easy' solutions that a technophobe, will be able to complete without the assistance of an experienced and handy friend. Data recovery is expensive, make sure that they get most of your data off if you pay for it or go with another company.
posted by onalark at 5:02 PM on June 9

The best price I found from searching around on MeFi is gillware. I'm pretty sure its around $700 for most recoveries.
posted by ijoyner at 6:46 PM on June 9

This is certainly something a college kid, or a local tech support can do for fairly cheap (under $500) if it's recoverable. If it's not a simple recovery job and indeed is a hardware malfunction and does need "clean room work" I'd be surprised if you can get it done for under $1000.
posted by TuxHeDoh at 5:33 AM on June 10

As others have said, clicking/clunking is a whole 'nother universe of data recovery from the corrupted MBR/FAT/accidental delete kind of recovery.

However, you may be in luck. If the drive does not ID in the computer, you may have a failed circuit board rather than failed mechanics. Actual failed mechanics will actually usually ID just fine in the computer, but be unreadable. Because the circuit board is what handles the BIOS identification. Your data may well be sitting happily on the platters, and the read/write heads may well be working just fine.

What you should try before dropping the $1600 is the following:

1- Remove the circuit board and check the connections. In modern hard drives, these consist of gold-plated pads on the board that contact a couple rows of "fingers" on the hard drive mechanism. If any of these have gotten wonky, the drive will freak out. Clean them with a pencil eraser or even a piece of paper and reassemble.

2- Failing that, purchase a working drive that is the exact model of your drive. Transplant the working circuit board to your drive mechanism and see what happens.

I have had success with these two methods- they do not involve opening up the mechanics of the drive, so it's usually a good bet that your data will remain intact if they fail. If it works, replace the drive anyway, because there is probably some good reason why it failed in the first place...

I have also had limited success with opening a failed drive up and fixing a damaged part. This is obviously risky, because it's a one shot deal. A fingerprint or a hunk of dust will wreck the drive. But I've seen a couple of drives where a little plastic guide of some kind had fallen out of place and obstructed the read-write head. And pulling it out and copying the data asap worked.

It may well be that the data recovery place would be doing this anyway, or that they wouldn't even try it because they have the fancy expensive clean room and need to charge a ton of money to justify having it.
posted by gjc at 6:21 AM on June 10